ده اصطلاحی که اشتباه می گویید

10 expressions you’re saying WRONG

Hello everyone and welcome back to English with Lucy.

Firstly, we have a new family member. I have got a puppy called Diego. Let me show you him. He’s a working golden retriever and he’s got hiccups. (hiccup) - He’s being such a good boy. He has been. He is adorable, he’s also a lot of work so I’ve been slightly distracted. Today I’ve got another vocabulary video for you.

This one is suitable for both natives and non-native speakers. Natives, I’m going to correct some errors that you’ve been making. Non-natives, this is an excellent opportunity to learn new common phrases and also understand if a native person is saying them incorrectly because that could be quite confusing when you’re hearing different versions of the same thing.

The first one, is it beck and call, or is it beckon call? The right way to say this phrase is beck and call, but I could completely understand why someone would find this confusing. They sound the same, beck and call, beckon call.

To be at someone’s beck and call is to ready to obey, or to follow their commands and orders. Hopefully Diego, my little puppy will be at my beck and call in a couple of months, because he’s not yet. (laughs) Now, on the subject of dogs, is it a dog eat dog world, or is it a doggy dog world? They do sound the really similar when you speed them up, doggy dog, dog eat dog. It should be dog eat dog. If something is dog eat dog, it means it is ruthless or competitive.

A dog eat dog world, a ruthless and competitive world. Every man for himself. The next one, number three, for all intensive purposes, or for all intents and purposes? Again, so, so similar. This is a common theme, all of them sound really similar, which is why the mistakes are made.

For all intents and purposes means practically speaking, virtually. Now the next one, I’m going to admit I think I have definitely used this one incorrectly. Is it you’ve got another thing coming, or another think coming? I thought it was thing, but it’s actually a think coming. When you think of it, it actually makes a lot of sense. I could say to Will for example, “If you think you’re gonna eat my fruit salad, you’ve got another think coming?” As in you need to reconsider that because you’re not. I’m very, very protective of over fruit salad. The next one, is it to hone in, or is it to home in? It should be hone. To hone in on a skill for example.

This means to focus attention towards something, to concentrate on something. If I’m gonna hone in on a skill, it means I’m going to focus my attention to improve that skill. Now this next one, I must admit I included it because when I saw it, I thought it was just so hilarious I had to share it with you.

By no means, I’m not laughing at the people that make the mistake, I’m just laughing at how ironic it is that the wrong word sounds so similar to the original, correct word. I think this is possibly the only time that you can laugh around this subject because it really is dreadful. Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia, some people mix it up with Old Timer’s disease. If you say it quick enough, it does sound like it. Alzheimer’s disease, Old Timer’s disease. Old timer’s, people that have been around for a long time, they’re very old. They are generally more likely to get and develop this disease.

(sigh) Am I evil for laughing at that? I hope not, I hope you get where I’m coming from. Then we have one of my favourites which I’ve mentioned many times before. Is it could of, would of, should of, or is it could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, or could have, would have, should have? You can probably tell by my face, it’s the second version. We contract have into of, it sounds very similar to of. A lot of people have started saying could of, would of, should of. It should be could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. It’s one that you can’t really hear when people say, but you might see it written down.

The next one, is it I couldn’t care less, or I could care less? People say both of these, but really if you think about it the only one that makes sense in the context is I couldn’t care less. Meaning I care so very little, it’s impossible for me to care less, then what I care right now. I could care less means, I could care less, I don’t really mind. It’s so commonly used nowadays, it’s almost adopted into the language, especially in America. Another error that I hear committed more by our American friends is on accident, instead of by accident. You do something on purpose and by accident. So remember those prepositions. Sometimes they get mixed up and people say on accident or by purpose. By purpose is a little less common. Make sure especially non-native’s.

I know prepositions are so hard, so keep that in your, what’s the (mumbles) slang for head? Your loaf, your loaf of bread, your head. I learned that the other day. Who wants a video on (mumbles) slang? It is quite good fun. Let me know in the comments below. The next one means to get away with something without being punished, but which phrase is correct? Is it to get off scot-free, or it is to get off scotch-free? It’s a very minute detail, it should be scot-free. Right, that’s it for today’s lesson, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you learned something. A massive thank you.