- Hello, lovely students, and welcome back to "English with Lucy." Have you ever heard a phrase
or expression in English and then attempted to use it in conversation and thought, "Hmm, that doesn't
sound quite right." Well, firstly, I can relate. And secondly, you might be interested to know that
native English speakers frequently mispronounce certain expressions without even realising they're
making a mistake. Even the listener might not pick up on the mispronunciation as it's so similar to
the correct phrase. This is one of the reasons why they're so prevalent and often go on corrected.
And this happens so often, in fact, that we actually have a term for these words and phrases:
eggcorns, eggcorns. And yes, you did hear that one correctly. An eggcorn is a word or phrase
that sounds like another real word or phrase, and is often mistakenly used in a logical way
in its place. Should you say duck tape- or duct tape? Scot-free or scotch-free? For all intense
and purposes or for all intensive purposes? We need to talk about this. So today we're going to
test your knowledge to see if you know the proper phrases for some of the most common eggcorns. It
wouldn't be an "English with Lucy" lesson if there wasn't a free PDF. I have created a free PDF and
quiz for this lesson. It contains all of the eggcorns we're going to discuss today plus some
extras and a quiz. If you'd like to download that, and automatically get all of my future free PDFs,
just click on the link in my description box. You enter your name and your email address,
and after that you've joined the PDF club, and you will automatically receive all of my free PDFs
along with my news, course updates and offers. It's a free service and you can unsubscribe at
any time. Now I have a little PSA. This channel is designed for people who are learning English,
but every now and again, a native speaker walks through the door and they end up having a lovely
time in my classroom. If you are a native speaker, yes, you right there in your tiny little screen,
keep watching 'cause this lesson might be quite fun for you. You might end up being surprised
that you have been misusing common phrases for your entire life. If that is the case,
please be honest and comment in the comment section because it will be a huge ego boost
for all of the amazing learners of English we have here to know that it's not just them
making mistakes, native speakers make so many mistakes too. Promise me you'll do that. Okay,
first eggcorn, this will test you. "Reginald refused about his future plans,
which ultimately cost him the election." Is it to be pacific or to be specific?
Did you say to be pacific? Because if you did, you'd be wrong. The correct phrase is
to be specific, meaning to provide details or information that goes beyond a general or vague
overview. I know, they sound so similar. Number two, let's see how you do. "The author needed to
the characters in her novel to make them more relatable
and engaging." Is it flesh out or flush out?
These two have such subtle spelling and pronunciation differences,
but big differences in meaning. The correct answer is flesh out. If you flesh something out,
nice phrasal verb there, you are adding more detail or substance to something such as a
plan or idea. Flush out is another perfectly fine phrasal verb, but it has a few different
meanings like to force something out of a hiding place or to cause something to become
red or flushed. Neither of those meanings make sense in this context, so you better
stick with flesh out. Number three, "The highly anticipated fireworks display turned out to be a
when it was cancelled due to heavy rain." We have damp squid or damp squib.
Honestly, before I became an English teacher, I was none the wiser about this one. It should be
B, and this is a tough one. I've heard so many native speakers make this mistake,
that at this point, I think it should be just changed to damp squid, but the correct phrase
is damp squib, referring to an event or situation that is disappointing because
it fails to meet expectations. Okay, onto number four. "Many health problems can be
if they are detected early." We have nipped in the bud and nipped in the butt.
Did you guess A? I hope you did because that was the correct answer. Nipped in the bud is
an expression used to talk about a situation or action that was stopped at an early stage
before it had a chance to develop or become a problem. It's a useful one that you can now use
with confidence. Bud not butt. Ready for the next one? Number five. "In this world of business, only
the most ruthless and cunning businesses rise to the top." Is it A, dog-eat-dog, or B, doggie dog?
It is adorable if you chose B, doggie dog, but the correct phrase is dog-eat-dog. Sadly,
this slightly unsettling phrase refers to a very competitive environment where people are willing
to harm others for personal gain. Not quite as cute, but definitely more accurate. How
are you doing so far? I definitely want you to share your scores in the comment section when
you finish. Okay, number six. "Despite causing significant damage to the property, Mary's son,
because she's the head of HR." Should it be got off scotch-free, or got off scot-free?
The correct phrase is scot-free, B. We use this phrase to talk about someone who has escaped
punishment or consequences. Now, scotch is a verb meaning to stop something from happening,
so this might be where some of the confusion lies, but nevertheless, the correct term is
scot-free. It comes from the old Icelandic and Norse word for tax which was skot with a
K. It literally means tax free. Time for number seven, which I must say is quite a tricky one.
"The new software update rendered the older version obsolete." Is it
to all intensive and purposes, or to all intensive purposes?
I swear the English-speaking world is totally divided about this one. Did you figure it
out? You should have said to all intense and purposes, which means practically speaking. When
we say it quickly, it sounds so much like to all intensive purposes. To all intents and purposes,
to all intensive purposes. Sounds practically the same. Okay, number eight, this one's fun.
"My cousin's controversial performance art piece involved him standing on stage
while reciting Shakespearean sonnets." Was he butt naked or buck naked? What do you think?
If you said butt naked, I feel for you because the correct phrase is
buck naked, meaning completely naked. Now I am not going to say that butt naked is wrong
because it just makes sense. If you are naked, you are showing your butt. But originally it was
buck naked, but now a vast majority of the population has adopted the term butt naked,
so I'm gonna let you have either one here. Number nine, "The new hire in accounting is barely,
he's still got so much to learn." Is it passing mustard or passing muster?
It is passing muster. I truly wish passing muster were correct 'cause it would be hilarious. But no,
the correct phrase is to pass muster, meaning to be deemed acceptable or satisfactory. It's
a really nice idiom despite not involving any condiments. If you are looking for more
information on condiments, I may or may not ketchup with you later. Okay, number 10. "I've
been these past few years waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask for a promotion." Should it be
biting my time or biding my time?
I must say with the flap T in American English, it could be either. Biting my time, biding my
time. With British English pronunciation, the difference is stark. The correct answer
should be B, biding my time, which is a great expression used to refer to
waiting patiently for the right moment to take action. Number 11. "The city skyline
transformed into a breathtaking display of lights and shadows." Is it as dusk fell or as dust fell?
It should be as dusk fell. Maybe this one wasn't too much of a challenge but
the correct answer is dusk, which is the time before sunset. And for those of you who knew,
I'm sure it was quite an easy one. Let's move on to number 12. "The teams to score a goal in the
final seconds of the game fell short." Is it a last ditch effort or a last stitch effort?
Did you guess A, last ditch effort? If you did, amazing. You nailed it. A last ditch effort is a
final attempt to achieve something, usually when previous efforts have failed. And I think people
think it's last stitch because when we say it with connected speech or joined together, last
ditch does sound an awful lot like last stitch. Last ditch, last stitch. Yeah, so similar. Okay,
let's have a look at number 13. "All of the souvenirs at these shops are, finding a unique
high quality keepsake is such a challenge." Is it a diamond dozen or a dime a dozen?
The correct answer is B, a dime a dozen. It's a popular more American idiom because we don't
actually have dimes here in the UK. It's used to describe something that is very common or very
easy to find. Okay, we have two more. Number 14, "Jenna losing her job turned out to be,
as it led her to discover her passion for dog grooming." Good
for Jenna. Should it be a blessing in disguise or a blessing in the skies?
I may have given it away then. It should be a blessing in disguise. I use this one all the time
to put a positive spin on a negative situation. And the final and possibly my favourite eggcorn
of today's lesson is number 15. The CEO used his assistant as, to avoid taking responsibility for
the company's financial crisis." Is it A, an escaped goat? Or B, a scapegoat?
Oh, I wish you A, but it's B, a scapegoat. And a scapegoat is a person or thing blamed for
mistakes or faults of others. Although an escaped goat is a much cuter and happier image. Well,
those are all the eggcorns I have for you today. Please share your scores in the comments. And if
we do have any native speakers watching today, can you be honest with us and tell us how many
you got wrong? It will be a real confidence boost for my students. One last question for you. Can
you think of any other eggcorns? Please do share them in the comment section. Also,
don't forget to download that free PDF and quiz to test your understanding. Don't forget to check
out all of my English courses. We have my B1, B2 and C1 12-week programmes. They are amazing.
I am biassed, but I'm not sorry. If you'd like to sign up to those, just visit englishwithlucy.com,
or visit the links in the description box. I will see you soon for another lesson. Bye.