Quirks of English

--for those who speak English as their second language or who just want to improve their writing

(Text-only version of Quirks of English)

Huh?--Illogical Idioms

Some English idioms don't make logical sense. Consider the following phrases.

• I could care less.

  This indicates a care level greater than zero, which is probably not what is meant. Apparently, listeners misheard and then misspoke this idiom until a senseless phrase evolved.

• Put your best foot forward.

  Best should be used to compare three or more things. Since most humans have only two feet, it's the better foot we would like to put forward.

• Theresa had a near miss.

  Did she really almost miss something? A close call is actually a near hit. Logically, a near miss/ would be hitting something one was trying to avoid, such as a catastrophic near miss with a runaway truck on the West Virginia turnpike.

• I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth.

  NASA photos prove that the Earth doesn't have any ends.

• Cindy ordered a hot cup of coffee.

  Actually, Cindy wanted the coffee to be hot, but she hoped that the cup would only be warm.

• Larry bought a box of doughnut holes for his coworkers.

  If so, Larry bought plenty of nothing and Larry's coworkers are going to have to work with their stomachs growling. After all, the true holes are the voids in the traditionally shaped doughnuts.

• I want to have my cake and eat it too.

  Isn't the logical sequence that I hope to eat the cake and then still possess it?

• Jim lucked out.

  Lucked out seems to imply that Jim's out of luck. Consider that other out idioms--such as wimped out, wiped out, tuckered out, struck out, and tired out--have negative implications.

• Watch your head.

  How does one follow this instruction? Try to imagine a Jim Carey-like contortionist screwing up his face to do this. I think that even he would need the help of an animator.

Test yourself.

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Last updated: 1/20/2009