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Aug 18

Common sayings

Posted on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 in Incorrect word usage

All told, there were one-thousand people attending. Use all told, not all tolled, because it comes from an old definition of tell meaning to count. That is where we get the word teller for those behind a bank counter.

He was wearing brand new shoes. Use brand new, not bran new, when describing something completely new.

I wouldn’t have joined the poker game if I had known he was a card shark. Use either card sharp or card shark when speaking of a card playing expert. The meaning is almost the same though the use of sharp tends to imply cheating.

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