Common Idioms (That People Frequently Write Incorrectly)
It’s: “I’ve been to hell and back” OR “I’ve been through hell,” but not “through hell and back”
“Once in a while” is a phrase that stands alone: He goes once in a while.
“A while” is a noun phrase meaning “an undefined period of time”: He will be there for a while.
“awhile” is an adverb meaning “for an undefined amount of time.” It modifies a verb, like any adverb, and therefore probably follows one: He’s been gone awhile.
Cement is the flour to concrete’s bread. It’s concrete floor/wall/building and cement truck/cement mix/wet cement.
Hay is the entire harvested plant, including the seedheads. Hay is for feed. Straw is the hollow tube, i.e. the plant stalk, that’s left behind when the seedhead is removed, and is used for bedding/mulch.
Wine names are capitalized (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon).
Dog breeds are capitalized (e.g., Rottweiler).
Affect/effect: it is almost always the case that “affect” is a verb and effect is a “noun,” but less commonly, both words can be nouns and verbs, with different meanings. For more details, see this.
Best-laid plans, not best-made plans.
Best intentions: often best interest/s is meant when this is used
Intently vs. intensely: “looked at me intently” is probably what is meant more often. Intensely is good for “I hate this intensely.”
It’s: look/glance at, not look/glance to (unless you’re looking up to someone).
Chomping at the bit: even though the phrase was originally champing, everyone knows chomping, so both are generally considered correct now. Unless you’re a purist, in which case…relax.
Sleight of hand, not slight of hand.
Piqued my interest, not peaked my interest.
Complete 180 degree change, not 360 (this would put you back where you started).
Another think coming: even though this is the original, everyone knows “thing,” so both are acceptable now. Again, don’t be prescriptivist in my comments.
It’s “Just deserts,” not “Just desserts.” This comes from an archaic English noun, “desert,” (roughly, a thing someone deserves, but see Merriam Webster for more). It is pronounced like “desserts,” hence the confusion.
I couldn’t care less, not could care less. If you could care less, you wouldn’t be saying it.
Nip in the bud, not butt (though that’s much funnier).
Rein it in, not reign (that’s for monarchs).
Rite of passage, not right of passage.
Relish means enjoy and revel means bask: I relish your suffering. I revel in your suffering.
Plane of muscle, not plain of muscle.
Funny as all get-out (n).
For those writing about New York: J train (see the style guide for the New Yorker).