He waited for the baling wire with bated breath
baling wire, not bailing
bated breath, not baited
Have these grammar posts been all for naught?
all for naught, not knot or not
all told, not tolled or totaled
Because a hare doesn’t speak it is mute?
a hair’s breadth, not hare’s or breath
a moot point, not mute or mood
These are labeled eggcorns and there is actually a database of them.
Did you study for all the quizzes?
quiz, quizzes
quizzable
quizzed
quizzer, quizzers
quizzical
quizzicality, quizzicalities
quiuzzically
quizzicalness
quizzing
quizzism
Beware strange dogs and be aware of the signs
to beware means to use caution, to pay attention, be on one’s guard
to be aware means to know about, to be informed, to be knowledgeable about
Better tweak that grammar a little
tweak means a slight adjustment
He tweaked the controls to bring in a better signal
tweek is not a word
I’ve been racking my brain on this one
nerve-racking means intensely distressing or irritating to the nerves
It is not recking, wracking or wrecking.
It comes from the medieval torture instrument called the rack.
For more details, visit The Mavens’ Word of the Day.
A bow hunter must be a stalker to be successful
to stalk means to sneak up on something or follow someone constantly
He would stalk his victims for weeks.
to stock means to fill grocery store shelves with products
He would stock the shelves at night.
Time to push this topic over the goal line
a Monday morning quarterback is a person who criticizes with benefit of hindsight.
Monday morning refers to the games being played on the weekend.
push it over the goal line means to complete the activity or project, finish to job.
Moving the football down the field doesn’t count until the ball crosses the goal line.
to quarterback means to directs or lead
The quarterback is the player on the field responsible for coordinating and directing play.
to run interference means to handle problems or to clear the way for another.
A player who runs interference interferes with opponents to let the ball carrier advance.
to sideline means to remove from participation.
A player who is injured is removed from play and forced to observe from the sidelines.
American football idioms
to bench someone means to remove someone from participation
A team’s players sit on benches awaiting their chance to play.
to carry the ball means to take charge, to assume responsibility
The ball is carried to advance toward a goal.
to drop the ball means to make an error, to miss an opportunity.
A player who drops a ball risks having the ball recovered and carried by the other team.
an end run means an evasive tactic; an attempt to avoid or bypass opposition.
It is an attempt to run around one’s own end (of a line of players) and towards the goal.