The battle continues. It might seem impossible that there are enough commonly confused phrases in English to warrant another article. Nevertheless, here we are once again. In this post, we will cover four more commonly misheard and misspelled phrases, their usages, and their origins.

As always, correct spellings will be in green and incorrect spellings will be in red.

Due diligence vs. Do diligence

The phrase due diligence has two typical uses, one legal and one commercial. In either case, the term refers to taking sufficient steps to ensure that you are aware of the risks of engaging in a specific action. It is frequently misspelled as do diligence, which is likely simply the result of not understanding the construction of the phrase. The phrase is only two words long, but it is worth breaking down for clarity.

‘Diligence’ means careful or persistent work. ‘Due’ can mean many things, but in the relevant context, it acts as an adjective meaning ‘something is of the proper quality or extent’ (e.g., ‘to give someone their due’). Therefore, due diligence clearly means, ‘to apply the proper extent of careful work’. Do diligence, on the other hand, does not share any aspect of that meaning, and it simply and often mistaken homophone.

Example:

With counterfeiting at an all-time high, it is important to complete your due diligence before purchasing consumer electronics from online suppliers.

Nip in the bud vs. Nip in the butt

If there is something you want to nip in the bud, you want to suppress or destroy it in an early stage, with the implication that it will become worse if the issue is not addressed. The phrase compares dealing with something early to cutting (nipping essentially means the same thing) a bud (an undeveloped flower, leaf, or shoot) from a plant before it has a chance to grow. From what I could find, it appears to first have been used in a play in the early 17 th century, explaining the flowery (pun intended), metaphorical language.

Nip in the butt, on the other hand, is simply a funny mishearing of that phrase. One might imagine that the phrase could imply shooing something away by striking its bottom, but this is a far less definitive expression, and lacks the impact of nipping in the bud. Hopefully, understanding the etymology of the words in the phrase will help you avoid confusion in the future.

Example:

If you start feeling the symptoms of a cold, you can try and nip it in the bud by staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and taking a pain reliever like ibuprofen.

Unfazed vs. Unphased

This is an interesting example in that unfazed and unphased are both real words. However, only unfazed (when applying correct usage) is commonly used. The word unfazed means ‘not disconcerted or perturbed’, which is the opposite of ‘fazed’ (Interestingly, though both ‘fazed’ and ‘unfazed’ are perfectly valid words, unfazed is used far more). Unphased refers instead to something that is implemented in a single step as opposed to being done in phases.

The secret to success here is being aware of the difference between the homophones ‘faze’ and ‘phase’ and knowing their meaning. With the correct definitions in mind, unfazed and unphased shouldn’t be too confusing at all.

Examples:

Despite the lack of bike lanes, cyclists are a common sight in the city, seemingly unfazed by the speeding vehicles mere feet away.

First-come, first-served vs First-come, first-serve

Unlike the previous entries on this list, the issue with this commonly misused phrase is grammatical as opposed to one of word-choice. This is likely a mix of colloquial usage disregarding grammar and some uncommon grammar in the phrased itself. First-come, first- serve has a nice ring to it, and on its surface seems correct. After all, both the verbs ‘to come’ and ‘to serve’ are applied here in the simple present tense. Or are they?

In a funky little trick of english grammar, ‘first-come’ is acting in the past perfect tense. This is possible because ‘come’ is the past participle of itself. As a result, the phrase ‘first-come’ means ‘‘the first who has come’. In that way, first-come, first served is just a shorter way of saying ‘the first who has come is the first who is served’. While first-come, first-serve gets the point across, a closer look at the grammar reveals the inconsistency that makes it incorrect.

Example:

In cases of limited supply, first-come, first served arrangements generally benefit the already-advantaged, leading many organizations to opt for a more equitable lottery system instead.

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