Do you know anyone who says “supposably” instead of “supposedly”? The first one is wrong, so they look as dumb as Joey from “Friends”. But if you point it out, YOU feel like a jerk.
Here are five more common phrases we get wrong all the time . . .
1. “For all intensive purposes.” It’s really “for all INTENTS and purposes.” The other way is like saying, “for all these very thorough purposes.” Which doesn’t make sense.
2. “Nip it in the butt.” The correct phrase is “nip it in the BUD,” like a flower bud. The other way makes it sound like you want to BITE someone’s butt.
3. “One in the same.” If you say it like that, it doesn’t make sense. The real phrase is, “one AND the same,” which means two things are alike.
4. “Case and point.” The correct way to say it is, “case IN point.” It’s like saying, “Here’s an example of the point I’m trying to make.”
5. “I could care less.” If you say it like that, you’re really saying you DO care about something. The correct phrase is, “I COULDN’T care less.”
Here’s one more weird one: “You’ve got another thing coming” is technically wrong.
The original phrase was, “If that’s what you think, you’ve got another THINK coming.” We dropped the first part a long time ago, and now everyone says “thing.” So in that case, you sound like an idiot if you say it RIGHT.