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9 Words And Phrases You Might Have Been Using Wrong
They're common terms and phrases - but, you've probably been saying or using them incorrectly.
Catherine Marucci
10.22.18

As the popular meme goes:

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.
QuickMeme
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QuickMeme

There is nothing as embarrassing as using a word confidently in a presentation or conversation and then later on finding out that it means nothing like what you thought it did from other people.

Are a few memories coming to mind?

Don’t worry though. You’re not alone in the experience. Even professionals and CEOs are prone to making some mistakes.

Knowing this, authors Kathryn and Ross Petras wrote a book called, ‘That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means’ where they compiled 150 of the most misused words and phrases along with their histories.

Here are nine of the most notorious ones:

#1 Utilize

‘Utilize’ is a word pertaining to a situation wherein a thing is used for a purpose it wasn’t initially intended for or repurposed to serve another one. In most cases, the word ‘use’ perfectly suffices, and people make the mistake of deciding to use ‘utilize’ in order to make something sound more scientific. In the end, the best choice is to stick with ‘use.’

dictionary
British Council English and Exams via Flickr
Source:
British Council English and Exams via Flickr

#2 Unique

The word ‘unique’ is used to describe something that’s ‘one of its kind’ or ‘unlike anything else.’ Too bad a lot of people are using the word to advertise products which are not at all, well, unique.

To keep the word’s weight and meaning, perhaps advertisers can opt to use the words ‘unusual’ or ‘exceptional’ instead.

#3 Statistically significant

You may have noticed how this phrase is being used liberally today, particularly by news outlets reporting on a new study or statistic.

Unfortunately, most people think (and are lead to think) that when let’s say, a statistic is described to be ‘statistically significant’ it means something drastic or worrisome.

“It just means that they signify that whatever was observed has only a low probability of being due to chance. The problem is, in non-statistical use, significant means something noteworthy or important. So non-statistical types see “statistically significant” and think it refers to something big the authors explain in an article for the Harvard Business Review.

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acearchie via Flickr
Source:
acearchie via Flickr

#4 Moot

Often mistakenly pronounced as ‘mute’ in spoken communication, the word ‘moot’ originally meant that an issue is open for debate. However, the word was given a new meaning in the mid-1800s when it also came to mean ‘something not worth considering.’ Talk about confusing!

#5 Methodology

Drop the ‘-ology’, folks. When the word ‘methodology’ is used, people usually just mean ‘method.’ Methodology is the study of methods.

#6 Less/fewer

The mistake is that most people think that the words ‘less’ and ‘fewer’ are interchangeable. They’re not. Use ‘fewer’ when pertaining to countable things while ‘less’ is used for describing things that can’t be counted.

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Nadine Aurora via Flickr
Source:
Nadine Aurora via Flickr

#7 In regard(s) to

Instead of saying or writing ‘in regard/s to,’ simply using ‘regarding’ or ‘about’ is enough. It is short, yet efficient, as good grammar should be.

#8 Impacts on

The word ‘impact’ initially just pertained to collisions. However, it has come to be accepted as interchangeably used with ‘affect.’ Just drop the ‘on.’

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caesararum via Flickr
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caesararum via Flickr

#9 Begs the question

Contrary to popular belief, using the phrase ‘begs the question’ when you really mean ‘raises the question’ doesn’t make you sound smart at all. The former is best left to be used when discussing logic or law.

“It’s actually a formal logic term that means trying to prove something based on a premise that itself needs to be proved.” Kathryn and Ross Petras explain.

Did you learn something new in this article? Which words or phrases do you notice when they’re used incorrectly?

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