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That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means: The 150 Most Commonly Misused Words and Their Tangled Histories

Kathryn Petras (Goodreads Author),

Ross Petras (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 130 ratings · 35 reviews

An entertaining and informative guide to the most common 150 words even smart people use incorrectly, along with pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and tangled histories of use and misuse.

Even the most erudite among us use words like apocryphal, facetious, ironic, meteorite, moot, redundant, and unique incorrectly every day. Don't be one of them. Using example ...more

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Hardcover, 208 pages

Published September 4th 2018 by Ten Speed Press

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· 130 ratings · 35 reviews

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Mar 05, 2019 Scott rated it really liked it

WORD POWER! :-)

I recall a grammar / language-arts teacher once saying that the complexities of the English language make it difficult to grasp if it's not a person's 'native tongue.' She probably would've liked this book.

Brother-and-sister writing team Kathryn and Ross Petras, with assistance from a trusty Oxford English Dictionary, take a witty look at some of 'the usual suspects' in the Americanized vernacular -- 1.) words that are often similar-sounding, but have different meanings such as fl ...more

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Feb 04, 2019 Adrian added it

Two grammar experts explain how commonly confused words should be used. Some of the pairings they deal with are; effect/affect (always a tough one for me), appraise/apprise, compel/impel, discomfit/discomfort, farther/further, tortuous/torturous. Along the way they have a lot of fun with word play. I laughed out loud at least a dozen times. I realized how seldom this happens in my reading. I'm sure I'll be consulting this book in the future. Very good. ...more

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Jun 15, 2019 Matt Hooper rated it really liked it

As a five on the Enneagram, few things irk me quite like hearing someone confidently use a word that doesn’t mean what they think it means.

“I could care less.” Could you? Because, if you can, you’re certainly not communicating what you think you are communicating.

A “grizzly” murder scene? Only if the culprit were a very specific species of bear.

“This restaurant is infamous for its deserts!” Unless the restaurant contains arid landscapes with a sordid past, then everything about that sentence i ...more

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Dec 31, 2018 Susan Liston rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2018

I was relieved to find that I already knew the vast majority of these, but there were a few I didn't. (like podium vs lectern, but Barack Obama got it wrong, too!) Actually I shouldn't read books like this. The more mistakes I make the better, because the more I know, the nitpickier (is THAT a word?) and more obnoxious I become. ...more

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Jan 25, 2019 Donna added it

This brother and sister author team describe themselves as "annoying grammar pedants," and they wrote an interesting book that other "word nuts" will find useful. They did a fine job of citing real world examples to criticize, and they use etymology, definitions, connotations, and standard usage to back up their claims. Even though the book is more about writing than speaking, I would have appreciated pronunciation notes with the definitions. ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: languages

Authors missed a golden opportunity to call this "You keep using that word. I do not think that word means what you think it means." ...more

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Jul 21, 2019 Suzanne rated it really liked it

I have been saying so many things wrong and I'm so embarrassed! I used the word "fortuitous" incorrectly THE DAY I STARTED READING THIS BOOK. AARRRGGGHHH. ...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Paul rated it liked it

Shelves: history

An enjoyable followup to You're Saying It Wrong, although not quite as enjoyable, perhaps because pronunciation is a harder thing to get right and easier/more fun to fight over than definition and etymology. But overall, another great mix of stuff I already knew (thus allowing me to feel superior to all of the idiots misusing these words) and stuff I didn't (thus giving me a small dose of humble pie) – plus a set of controversial entries that can only be classified as "words that do in fact mean ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Linda Aull rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, englishmajorcentral

This little book is organized like an encyclopedia, but I read it cover to cover like a juicy novel. Learned some things, confirmed some things. #nerdcred

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Jun 02, 2019 Nathan Albright rated it really liked it

Shelves: challenge-2019

There are some languages that have official language academies that officially tell what is and what is not permissible in a language. English is not one of those languages, but rather is a language where individual creators of dictionaries, your OEDs and Websters and Johnsons, have attempted without official sanction to set the usage of the English language and also to describe the way the language has been used in the past as well as the present. As a result of that lack of official sanction There are some languages that have official language academies that officially tell what is and what is not permissible in a language. English is not one of those languages, but rather is a language where individual creators of dictionaries, your OEDs and Websters and Johnsons, have attempted without official sanction to set the usage of the English language and also to describe the way the language has been used in the past as well as the present. As a result of that lack of official sanction for prescriptivism, those who attempt to prescribe the use of certain words and expressions in English has tended to make writers seem as if they are cranky old people telling young ruffians to get off of their lawns while menacingly waving the books that they have written on the subject. This book fits in with that general trend, as the authors themselves inveigh against the way that certain words are used, seeking to use history as a source of authority in defining what is and what is not an acceptable way to use a word.

In this book of about 200 pages 150 words or pairs of words (and at times even more words in a set) are set in context by the brother and sister authors, who use this as the opportunity to wag their finger at those who would misuse words largely because of mistaking similar-sounding ones or seeking to sound smarter than they really are and use words that are really out of their knowledge base. In between the alphabetically organized word lists, which begins with a priori and goes to wet/whet your appetite, there are occasionally discussions of other issues, such as the e.g. and i.e. problem, the problem of strong verbs, problematic plurals from Latin and Greek words, the pronoun problem of I/me, etc., the who/whom problem, and the problem between lie and lay. At times the authors even note that some words, like bimonthly, appear to have wildly inconsistent and even contradictory official uses that hinder understanding. At other times, the author gets to clip the wings of those who are pretentious in using words that they do not fully understand and that have histories that provide reasons why such words came into the English language, mostly from French, Latin, and Greek.

In general my own thoughts about this book and others like it is somewhat ambivalent. On the one hand, I tend to use a lot of fairly elevated (and even pretentious) words but I strive to use them correctly, according to their history and meanings. At the very least, I do not want to contribute to the lamentable tendency by which words are used more and more often and yet simultaneously less exactly and rigorously. Yet at the same time this is a personal choice of my own, and it is difficult to wholeheartedly recommend a work that is written in a spirit like this one that strikes this reader as highly elitist. Admittedly, this book is probably written for other linguistic elites who have chosen to use elevated language in its proper form and that might look down a little bit (or more than a little bit) on those whose language use is less accurate and informed. In that sense, this book is likely preaching to the choir, because it is hard to imagine those whom this book twits as being interested in reading a book where someone else tells them how they should be using certain words that they mangle and misuse. This book is written for those who likely already use most of these words correctly and wish to be thought of as better for doing so. ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Richard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

True confession - growing up English was my least favorite subject in school, spelling tests were a nightmare, and I didn’t like reading books. So, you might ask, why would I be reading a book about word meanings? Well, just because I cannot spell them doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate words.

I love educational books that define things in a page or two. I enjoy knowledge and trivia, especially when it comes in “bite sized” chunks. So books like; science explained, how does that work, who inven True confession - growing up English was my least favorite subject in school, spelling tests were a nightmare, and I didn’t like reading books. So, you might ask, why would I be reading a book about word meanings? Well, just because I cannot spell them doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate words.

I love educational books that define things in a page or two. I enjoy knowledge and trivia, especially when it comes in “bite sized” chunks. So books like; science explained, how does that work, who invented that are all titles that catch my eye.

The brother and sister team of Ross and Kathryn Petras have written an interesting, informative, and entertaining book about vocabulary. They jump right in to such issues as using who or whom, is it I or me, do I lie or lay, and what is it with all of these a, ae, i, and s plural endings?

Using I or me has been a mystery all of my life - even when I think I am using the correct word it often doesn’t sound right. When I ask people which I should use they start talking about subjective and objective pronouns and I am transported back to the aforementioned English classes. So you can only imagine my excitement when the authors gave me a “cheat” system for deciding whether it is I or me.

Most of this book is devoted to individual words or, more specifically, the difference between two commonly confused words. Their favorites are presented in alphabetical order so you can skip around if you are interested in a particular word. The Petrases give short but clear explanations and examples to illustrate the difference in meaning between commonly (and some uncommonly) used words. They often give the etymology of the word as well as how the accepted meaning has changed and evolved over time. Somewhat in disgust they sometimes have to give in and accept when the current common usage of a word is actually the opposite of what the word originally meant.

Is it appraise or apprise, begrudgingly or grudgingly, cliché or clichéd, flounder or founder, impending or pending, nauseous or nauseated, and the ever popular principal or principle. They even explain the difference between anchors away and anchors aweigh, which may come as a real surprise to you.

So whether you pride yourself on being a grammarian, are often confused about which word to use, or just like to have some good word trivia for your next cocktail party you will enjoy reading That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means. If fact, you might with to prepone your next reading session and get right into this book. ...more

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Oct 19, 2019 Ella rated it really liked it

Shelves: women-write, library-borrow-ed, nonfiction, 2010s-release, 2019-read, el-idioma

A really fun book to read. I had to resist carrying it around to shove in people's faces, but once I controlled myself, it's a great little book. Also, it doesn't just repeat things we already know (but usually forget unless we are carefully proofreading.)

I read a section a day for the length of my library loan then renewed it and reread parts, hoping I will remember some. At the same time I read Yes, I Could Care Less: How to Be a Language Snob Without Being a Jerk and they are nicely compleme ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Erikka rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, read-with-jason, non-fiction

This was pretty good. I liked all the etymology discussions that help explain why we make these mistakes. I feel like there were a few that were a bit nitpicky, and several I was shocked anyone would be so dumb to make the mistake, but there were also several I've made myself. It was a quick and fun read for any grammar or language nerd. ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Andrew rated it liked it

Shelves: beechwood-athenaeum

It’s good, but most of the “commonly misused words” I already knew how to properly use. I mean, who seriously confuses emigrate and immigrate? I dunno...

But it’s a fun book that can be flipped open on occasion and perused for a quick refresher on some beautiful words and their meanings. Not recommended to read cover to cover.

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Jul 28, 2020 Jean rated it really liked it

Shelves: book, non-fiction, adult

A quick little reference guide on all those terms you've struggled with. There are some instances where the authors get a little snooty that terms have evolved over the years from their original definition into something new because of common misuse (and they believe for the worse). Some are common homophone mistakes. Interesting evolution of language. ...more

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Nov 28, 2018 Sue rated it really liked it

Shelves: professional-reading, non-fiction

A great 'dip-inter', I'll be going back again and again. to this useful llttle word book. Full of quotable sections and interesting examples, this book is a reference book for those of us who are word nerds or just like a good anecdote or two for dinner parties. ...more

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Dec 29, 2018 Antonio Delgado rated it it was amazing

This book is more about words’ “tangled histories” and tangled meanings than “misused words.” The writers use an archeological process to untangle the meaning and sense of words and their uses in the world in an accessible way. In the process, they reject the assumption of monolingualism.

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Jan 20, 2020 John Majors rated it really liked it

I like books about words, so this was a fun one. If you like those kinds of books, you'll like it to, otherwise skip it. There are a couple of helpful sidebars about when to use i or me, and who or whom. Again, if you find that of interest, then read on. ...more

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Jan 09, 2021 Kim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Captivating...

I have always loved books on the origin of words and word phrases. This one is a must read for anyone else who finds such things interesting. Lots of fascinating information. Two thumbs up.

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Nov 12, 2018 Shelley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I not only learned the proper use of common words, but I enjoyed the ride as well.

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Dec 31, 2018 Emeelu rated it liked it

entrance exam reviewer

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Jan 03, 2019 Crimson rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. It had great stories about words and I learned some things about words I’ve used incorrectly in both academic and professional settings.

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Feb 14, 2019 Candace rated it it was ok

Pedantic accurately describes the tone. I found it preachy and sanctimonious, but intentionally, so if etymological perfection appeals to you, grab this one.

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Apr 22, 2019 Louisa Keron rated it really liked it

Shelves: let-s-learn-something, non-fiction, i-am-a-writer

This book has blown my mind.

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Jun 09, 2019 Peggy rated it really liked it

this book has a mistake in it. on page 140, author says preantepenultimate means 5th from last. Did she mean to say fourth from last? http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwo... ...more

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