10 English Phrases You've Been Getting Wrong This Entire Time

Let us blow your mind.

Hey, we're not trying to play the blame game. Learning a language is tough! And yes, even if you grew up speaking English, or any other language for that matter, you're technically still "learning" it (unless you know ALL the words and if so, consider us impressed).

The following are just some of the commonly misused or misheard phrases in the English language:

1. "For all intensive purposes"
Correct: "For all intents and purposes"

If you're unsure of how to use it, it just means, "in all the most important ways."

2. "I could care less."
Correct: "I couldn't care less."

You're basically trying to say, "I don't give a fuck," so "I could care less" doesn't make sense because it means you care A LOT right now. "I couldn't care less" means you have no fucks left to give.

3. "Another thing coming"

Correct: "Another think coming"

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This is how most people use this phrase: "If that's what you think, you have another thing coming." Using "another think coming" instead means you're telling the person to think again.

4. "Sister-in-laws"
Correct: "Sisters-in-law"

Remember: nouns have a plural form, not adjectives.

5. "Peek/peak my interest"
Correct: "Piqued my interest"

When this phrase is used, someone is trying to say, "You've caught my attention." "Pique" means to stimulate someone's curiosity, so "peek" or "peak" doesn't make sense.

6. "Hunger pains"
Correct: "Hunger pangs"

We've all experienced the state of being hangry, so "hunger pains" could work, but it isn't the original phrase. Hunger pangs refer to the sharp jolts you feel when you're hungry.

7. "Should of"
Correct: "Should have"

"Of" is a preposition, not an auxiliary verb. Should've = should have.

8. "Safe haven"
Correct: "Haven"

"Safe haven" is redundant. Haven already means "a place of safety and refuge."

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9. "Less than 140 characters"
Correct: "Fewer than 140 characters"

"Fewer" is used to refer to multiples of something, like "fewer mistakes" or "fewer calories." "Less" is used when you're talking about a single thing in its entirety. For example, "My salary is less than what I asked for."

10. "A complete 360-degree change"
Correct: "A complete 180-degree change"

This phrase is meant to imply that you've changed something (like your life) entirely, but "a complete 360 degree" means that you've gone full circle and you're back to where you started.

Source: Thought Catalog.

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