Using words or phrases before you know what they mean

[Keith]

I have a history of wanting to use the latest word or phrase before I even know what it means. I guess it's just part of my wanting to immediately show off what I just learned. I once told my grandmother she'd outdone herself with dinner even when it was just some leftovers she had (I think). I didn't even know what "outdone yourself" meant at the time, I just wanted to use it because I had just heard it on a cartoon.

 

[On the Inside]

I have always needed to know the precise meaning of words and phrases before I would be comfortable using them. Luckily I have always been interested in vocabulary, etymology, reading the dictionary and thesaurus, that sort of thing.

 

[photoaddict]

I generally figure out what things mean first (whether I'm able to get it from context or look it up). The thing that gets me is that I've gotten a huge portion of my vocabulary from books, so I tend to pronounce things wrong. I learned to read phonetically, but that's not much help when so many words aren't actually pronounced phonetically. Also, if it's a big word, my brain kind of shuts down and I learn to recognize it in print, but never even make a good guess at how to say it. It can be quite embarrassing to say something totally wrong, even if I'm using it in the right context.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I usually don't do that - unless I have a pretty good guess of what it probably means. Even so, I still look it up as soon as I can.
In the library I volunteer at, there's a sign on the back door that says "Cartons should be left beside the dumpster for disposition;" correct me if I'm wrong but but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to say "disposal." I also had a Sunday school teacher who kept saying "thought process" when he meant "idea." (The word "process" is very popular where I live.) People seem to like to use fancy words that seem similar to other words but really mean something quite different. Recently I had to tell my brother the difference between "exacerbate" and "exaggerate."

 

[Slothra]

I have this issue with words, not phrases. It seems like words will just wait around on my tongue, and I feel the need to say them, even if I don't know what they mean. I generally have a good idea of their meaning, and sometimes I'm right, but sometimes... As an example, I used the word "penultimate" like one would use "ultimate." It just slipped out, because it felt RIGHT to say, felt like I was already saying it constantly, so I used it.

Penultimate is second to last, or second to ultimate. So that happened.

 

[Ezra]

I only talk in text for the most part and I'm almost paranoid about using the wrong word or saying, so I always check out first. Sometimes I find out that what I wanted to use was incorrect.

 

[Suzanne]

Lol I do exactly the same thing!!!! My husband is always saying: where the heck did you hear that from and what on earth does it mean? Usually though, I do know what it means, but sometimes, I only have a gist of what it means.

I also have a terrible habit of saying things wrong and sometimes, get very amused looks. Get phrases mixed up too.

 

[Sozdatelniza]

One time I used the phrase "Have to withstand the moment" (Russian origin: "Нужно выдержать момент"). I liked that phrase but only some time later I understood what it really meant. I thought it meant to withstand literally. But I realized it actually meant not to let the moment stop.

 

[Bolletje]

I did this all the time as a kid, which made me super popular in school (not).

On the plus side, when I was 6, I thought a hypochondriac was a kickass dinosaur.

 

[tree]

The year I made the birthday card for my father,
copied from one I saw at the store, my parents
laughed and laughed.

Text:
"I was going to get you some pornography
for your birthday, but I didn't know if you had
a pornograph."

I drew the card on manila paper, colored it with
crayons. Had no idea what pornography was
and thought pornograph was some kind of
funny way to say record player.

 

[Bolletje]

@tree that is brilliant. I snort-blasted my drink all over my desk.

 

[Mr Allen]

I once commented to a girl at College and asked if she wanted a bit of "How's your Father?", meaning er, that... She just looked at me and was like, what?!

Bit old fashioned, and I was only just turned 21 at the time

 

[Juliettaa]

I once commented to a girl at College and asked if she wanted a bit of "How's your Father?", meaning er, that... She just looked at me and was like, what?!

Bit old fashioned, and I was only just turned 21 at the time

I hope you don't say that now. If you do, it may earn you a slap one day.