While the English language may not be the hardest to learn, it can be easy to mess up some of its classic sayings.
For example, saying "all intensive purposes" when you mean "all intents and purposes." Or calling something "dull as dish water" instead of "ditch water."
These are called "eggcorns" -- a term based on the mispronunciation of "acorns" that Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as "a word or phrase that sounds like and is mistakenly used in a seemingly logical or plausible way for another word or phrase either on its own or as part of a set expression."
According to Matador Network, these are some of the most popular phrases people often get wrong:
1) Saying "Nip it in the butt" instead of "Nip it in the bud"
2) Saying "To pass mustard" instead of "To pass muster"
3) Saying "Soaping wet" instead of "Soaking wet"
4) Saying "All intensive purposes” instead of "All intents and purposes"
5) Saying "Mute point" instead of "Moot point"
6) Saying "Biting your time" instead of "Biding your time"
7) Saying "Dull as dishwater" instead of "Dull as ditch water"
8) Saying "Old wise tale" instead of "Old wives’ tale"
9) Saying "Wheelbarrel" instead of "Wheelbarrow"
10) Saying "Nerve wrecking" instead of "Nerve-racking"
11) Saying "Illicit a response" instead of "Elicit a response"
12) Saying "Expresso" instead of "Espresso"
13) Saying "Damp squid" instead of "Damp squib"
14) Saying "On tender hooks" instead of "On tenterhooks"
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