I wanna know the most often misused or misquoted expresssions.

[JimmyJazz]

I'll start with: The lady doth protest too much.

This does not mean that the person is arguing or protesting as we know it today, but rather is affirming to the point where the statement made sounds false or hollow.

It is said by Gertrude (in Hamlet) while watching a play. The character in the play protests that if her husband dies, she will never remarry because of the depth of the love for her husband. But, she "protests" so much that it loses credibility.

[Itascapark]

1. Money is the root of all evil

It is, of course, "the LOVE of money is the root of all evil."

[Sandpiper]

2. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Is found nowhere in the Bible.

The actual quote that it comes from is:

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

[pinellas]

60. Funny, I learned it as.....

**That which is hateful to you, do NOT unto others.**

[sundog]

3. Josh Groban is a good singer

:evilgrin:

[JimmyJazz]

5. dork.

:P

[Placebo]

4. "Rumours of my death were greatly exaggerated."

:grr:

[3lefts]

6. First, kill all the lawyers n/t

[JimmyJazz]

9. But please explain why it is a misquote - someone used in

incorrectly on this forum just the other day!

On edit: Welcome to DU :toast:

[3lefts]

15. I have seen much debate on both sides of this quote...

Most people, I believe, use it to hold lawyers in disdain. Meaning that they are the cause of the world's problems.

I believe that Shakespeare was using it as a compliment to lawyers, meaning that they are defenders of democracy.

By the way - I am not a lawyer and I hold most of them in disdain, but I don't believe Shakespeare was.

[JimmyJazz]

18. Shakespeare said that if you want to overthrow a democratic

government, the first thing you do is:

"kill all the lawyers."

You are correct in that it is misquoted to show disdain for lawyers.

[autorank]

7. No pain, no gain. If wishes were horses. we'd all take a ride.

[Canadian Socialist]

33. Actually,

I've always used, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride".

[autorank]

47. Well, that's because you're a socialist and I'm an egalitarian

[Abelman]

8. .

Music has charms to sooth the savage beast.

It's breast. And I messed up the quote anyway.

[donheld]

10. Deja vu all over again

:nuke:

[DemBones DemBones]

14. But that's a correct quote of Yogi Berra's misquote. nt

[Seabiscuit]

29. "When you come to the fork in the road, take it."

My favorite Yogi-ism. And it was true. That's how he described directions to his house. It didn't matter which fork in the road you took - they rejoined and led to his house.

[donheld]

49. Well it annoys the hell out of me.

[xmas74]

11. "Your a moran".

I hear it all the time in town.

[JimmyJazz]

19. Don't you flame my thread!

:spank:

[xmas74]

22. I'm not.

I am just making a comment on the state of the lack of education in Missouri.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

45. egassem deteleD

.selur draob egassem eht weiver ot ereh kcilC .rotaredom yb devomer egasseM

[Redstone]

12. "Have your cake and eat it too..."

It's backward! Of course you can have your cake, then eat it; it's a logical progression!

The saying started out as "Eat your cake and have it too," which is a hell of a lot more logical, given that after you eat the damn cake, you don't have it anymore.

Nobody know when the saying got flipped, or why people continue to use a saying that's clearly nonsense.

Redstone

[Seabiscuit]

32. "Let them eat cake"

I think most would prefer pie.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. "Tow the line" -- it's "Toe the line." "Waiting with baited breath --

it's "bated breath," unless you've been eating worms, in which case you could say "baited breath, I suppose.

[Placebo]

16. "I COULD CARE LESS!"

Gah! It's "couldn't", "I couldn't care less!" :bounce:

[NewHampshireDem]

20. No, it isn't ...

It is "I could care less." It is sarcasm.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm

[Placebo]

23. Nah...

it's just a bastardized version of of the correct original, containing "couldn't".

I agree with William and Mary Morris in the Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage, who back in 1975, called it “an ignorant debasement of language”. :D

[NewHampshireDem]

26. It's a reflection of counterculture ...

I first came across that in the Pinker book cited in the article, and agree that the intonation makes all the difference.

But the only way we can settle this is pistols at dawn. :P

[Placebo]

31. Ah, I see you're all about OLD SCHOOL...

So be it. Death by shooting then...at sunrise!

[NewHampshireDem]

41. Okay, now open your eyes ....

[JimmyJazz]

43. Dayum!

[LynzM]

58. Hey NewHampshireDem

What'd you think about that book? I found it really neat, but haven't found anyone else around who's read it!

[blondeatlast]

38. It's meant to be, I know; but it has come into such common usage

that way that people don't REALIZE it's meant to be sarcastic; no intonation, gesture, or any other indication that that is their intention. The worst offendeer I know hasn't got the necessary equipment for sarcasm, anyway.

This person is just plain ignorant.

[blondeatlast]

30. Me too! People look at me funny when I say it correctly.

It's tedious explaining why it works the opposite of what they mean when they say it incorrectly, but I can't help myself.

[Placebo]

36. Yes!

Stick it to the man, blondeatlast! :D

[Redstone]

44. That's a regionalism, even though

it doesn't make sense.

Redstone

[GOPBasher]

59. Oops, I posted this same one.

[Sandpiper]

17. "It's a Moot Point."

The actual definition of moot is:

Open to question; subjected to discussion.



In its incorrect popular usage, it has taken on the exact opposite meaning.

[NewHampshireDem]

24. Again, not true ...

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=moot

<snip>
adj.
1. Subject to debate; arguable: a moot question.

2.
a. Law. Without legal significance, through having been previously decided or settled.

b. Of no practical importance; irrelevant.

Usage Note: The adjective moot is originally a legal term going back to the mid-16th century. It derives from the noun moot, in its sense of a hypothetical case argued as an exercise by law students. Consequently, a moot question is one that is arguable or open to debate. But in the mid-19th century people also began to look at the hypothetical side of moot as its essential meaning, and they started to use the word to mean “of no significance or relevance.” Thus, a moot point, however debatable, is one that has no practical value. A number of critics have objected to this use, but 59 percent of the Usage Panel accepts it in the sentence The nominee himself chastised the White House for failing to do more to support him, but his concerns became moot when a number of Republicans announced that they, too, would oppose the nomination. When using moot one should be sure that the context makes clear which sense is meant.

A moot point therefore is "irrelevant," and to suggest otherwise is to rely on a definition that is more obscure.

[Sandpiper]

27. To suggest otherwise is to rely on the original definition of the word

So nyah nyah nyah!!! :*

[JimmyJazz]

34. You are so wrong!

It's isn't "nyah, nyah, nyah" - It's "neener, neener, neener."

:P

[NewHampshireDem]

35. I guess the only way to settle this is ...

pistols in the 16th century. :P

[JimmyJazz]

39. My money's on Chris Matthews! Oh sorry. Wrong duel.

my bad.

[JimmyJazz]

21. I'll add to my own list: It isn't "cut the mustard"

it's "cut the muster" as in "pass muster"

Okay, I'm done... I'll just go over here ------------------> and wait quietly.

[Seabiscuit]

25. "You're a bald faced liar"

Some people have bald heads, but no one has a "bald" face - it's "bold-faced" liar.

[Canadian Socialist]

28. Great minds think alike

and it ends,
and fools seldom differ.

[NewHampshireDem]

37. "To be great is to be misunderstood."

Too many people think it means the same thing as "To be misunderstood is to be great."

[ComerPerro]

40. "I could care less"

I hear this a lot.

Many people say this. But what they want is probably "I couldn't care less"

[Balbus]

42. "Think outside the box"

:argh:

[Bertha Venation]

46. It's not "Walla!" or "Woolah!" It's French: "Voilà!"

I hope I made the accent on the "a" go the right way.

Oh, PS: it means "so you see!" or "there it is!" or "dammit, I TOLD you I was right!"

[JimmyJazz]

48. Hey sweetie - I saw your pic in the "name the DUer" thread!

You have such a sweet face! :)

[Bertha Venation]

51. oh, my

:blush: aren't you sweet, D. :hi:

I didn't even know that thread was there.

[Bok_Tukalo]

50. "Sour Grapes"

Always used in conjunction with whining or bitterness when the fable was about rationalization.

[WildClarySage]

52. It really cheeses my danish when someone says

"could of" instead of "could have".

Irregardless... definately... rediculous

[datasuspect]

53. "for all INTENTS and PURPOSES"

i've heard supposedly college educated people say "all intensive purposes."

[datasuspect]

54. Irregardless is NOT a word. n/t

[Billy Ruffian]

55. not exactly a misused expression

but I've heard people say 'pacific' instead of 'specific'!

[JimmyJazz]

56. People over the age of 9?

Every once in a while, I'll hear someone say it's a "doggie dog world"

[GOPBasher]

57. People say, "I COULD care less!"

It should be, "I COULDN'T care less." If you COULD care less, that means you care somewhat already. If you COULDN'T care less, it means that you care so little about it right now that you couldn't possibly care any less. I hate when people say that wrong, and everyone does it.

[Dervill Crow]

61. Irregardless, in regards to, could of, could care less, anyways.

Let me proofread a little more today and I'm sure I'll be reminded of additional irritants. Oh, "in lieu of" instead of "in view of."

[Catfight]

62. "irregardless" or "alot" as one word. n/t

[scarlet_owl]

63. You've got another "thing" coming.

It's "You've got another think coming".