The most commonly misheard sayings include ‘scapegoat’ and ‘damp squib’

SWNS

The most commonly misheard sayings include ‘scapegoat’, ‘damp squib’ and being on ‘tenterhooks’.     A poll of 2,000 adults found ‘wriggle room’ is frequently used after mishearing it, while others have mistakenly thought ‘nip in the bud’ was actually ‘nip in the butt’.     ‘Chomping at the bit’ is another phrase many have used incorrectly – as it should be ‘champing’ – and some have been ‘biting’ their time, rather than ‘biding’.     Nearly half (46 per cent) admit they have used at least one of the common misheard sayings – officially known as ‘eggcorns’.     The research was commissioned by Specsavers, which has team up with Gyles Brandreth to launch its ‘Misheard Manifesto’, that aims to bring to an end to these incorrect phrases.

Transcript

00:00Hello, I'm Giles Brandreth, lover of the English language, and today I'm here to address a growing issue that plagues our conversations and relationships.

00:12We have many great sayings, but they're being misheard, then repeated in butchered form.

00:18But we're too polite to correct each other, so the issue goes on and on, leading to confusing and often awkward consequences.

00:26Take, for example, saying a scapegoat when it's scapegoat.

00:32Or saying damp squid when it's damp squib.

00:36And don't forget, it's a dog-eat-dog world, not, dare I say it, a doggy-dog world.

00:42And then there's this, and this, and this. For goodness sake.

00:48I stand before you today not merely as a guardian of language, but as a herald of clarity.

00:55I myself have recently found out I suffer from hearing loss and know the cringe-inducing situations one can find oneself in as a result.

01:03So here is our misheard manifesto.

01:06Let us all take a moment to get our hearing checked and make certain our treasured sayings are heard as intended.

01:14Because it's not just about hearing words, it's about understanding the whole conversation.

01:19Remember, okay hearing is not okay.

01:22Together, let's put an end to this mishearing madness.

01:26Don't you agree?

01:28He does agree.

01:30Yeah.

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