Heil Grammatik

I don’t know that I would consider myself a “Grammar Nazi”. I have been known to utilize a split infinitive or two. And my use of commas could, in fact, be considered excessive by some. I view my writing technique as a smooth and flowing, albeit not informal. Good writing should have a natural cadence, an intelligent feel, yet must not be arrogant or condescending to the reader.

With that being said, misused idioms absolutely irritate the bejeezus out of me. Here is one: When we say someone is “out of pocket” it means that there is a cost incurred at that person’s expense (i.e. out of their own pocket). Increasingly, I hear this being used to imply that the subject is unavailable or unreachable.

Me: “Yes, could I speak with Mr. Jones?”

Receptionist: “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones is out of pocket at the moment.”

Me: “Do you know when he will be back in pocket, and whose pocket he will be in?”

Receptionist: “Sir?”

Me: “….”

Receptionist: “Sir, Mr. Jones will be out of pocket for the rest of the afternoon. Would you like me to forward you to his voicemail?”

Me: “…”

Here are a couple of others:

“Free reign” should be “free rein.” It means to operate without restraint, and is derived from allowing horses to move free from the burden of its reins.

“Waiting with baited breath” should read “waiting with bated breath.” Bated is a word that has somewhat moved out of common usage, and in this sense means “restrained.” The inverse of this idiom would be, “Don’t hold your breath.”

Here is a ridiculously exhaustive list of commonly misused words.