"I do not think that word means what you think it means."

Hooray, a Princess Bride quote!

I keep seeing people use word incorrectly... and it's starting to become a pet peeve of mine. Like when people say "that's ironic" when it's not at all. Like a bisexual bear, bipolar furry, and who's fursona is a polar bear (bi bipolar polar bear bear). That's like the exact opposite of irony... it's like coincidence?

What I notice is everyone says the word "antisocial". Antisocial is not avoidance... it's being actively AGAINST society. Hostile and unfriendly. The word they are looking for is Asocial. While asociality may seem hostile its much milder form and it's not trying to intentionally seems unfriendly.
I am asocial and it unnerves me when I'm called antisocial.
"Literally". Oh god, this happens all the freaking time. They can't tell the difference between metaphorical and literal. I know they are using it to add emphasis to what they are saying but it's just flat out incorrect. A friend was once complaining about their bank and how they are "literally raping my wallet". So I asked why in the people it the bank were shoving their collective penis's into his jeans. He didn't respond to that.

What words do you hear that people use incorrectly?

 

...

I think part of the beauty of language is understanding what people mean?
Granted, I know some of the word misuse can be a little annoying...but like...not everyone is an english major?

Also a lot of these words can mean different things, and therefore are still used correctly. Example:

an·ti·so·cial
ˌantēˈsōSHəl,ˌantī-/
adjective

1. 1.
   contrary to the laws and customs of society; devoid of or antagonistic to sociable instincts or practices.
   "a dangerous, unprincipled, antisocial type of man"
   synonyms:sociopathic, distasteful, disruptive, rebellious, misanthropic, asocial
   "worrisome antisocial behavior"
2. 2.
   not sociable; not wanting the company of others.
   synonyms:unsociable, unfriendly, uncommunicative, reclusive, withdrawn,avoidant;
   informalstandoffish
   "I'm feeling a bit antisocial"

 

I remember learning that antisocial was not what everyone thought it meant back in high school. When I learned what true antisocial behavior was I realized just how different it was from asocial behavior. There is a huuuge difference. I think because of so many people using it incorrectly it has gained the alternative definition of what asocial has always been. I'm not peeved by it, though sometimes I do want to tell people what true antisocial behavior entails just because I've taken so many social science classes. xD
"Literally" is such a bad one. I only use it when I am actually describing something definite--not for an exaggeration, which I feel like people do all too often. Or, like you said, they mean it metaphorically.
Language is an interesting thing. I don't like correcting people during conversation / don't even think to do so most of the time, but I can certainly see why it would get to be a pet peeve if you hear it all the time.

 

Language evolves constantly though. Words gain and change meaning all the time.

That's a big reason why I don't get why people get all up in arms about 'offensive' words.

 

"Ironic" has been kind of used incorrectly to death lately, I have to say. Maybe it's just the circles of people I'm with, who knows. It doesn't really bother me too much. If the meaning is there, it's all gravy.

I do get kind of bothered when people use incorrect homonyms.
Like: To, two, too. There, they're their.
It's fine in like, texts and stuff, but if you're trying to sound smart in an email, or making an important post on facebook? shame shame. I think it's all about context.

 

I used to be guilty with homonyms. I would just type so fast I would use the wrong word. Sometimes I stop myself and say would the words "they are" work there? If so, I'd go back and correct it with "they're". That's happened way two often.

 

This whole topic is more or less this song. Gotta love Weird Al ^_^

 

He's got a new CD out? I haven't heard him since... um, the CD where he has a poodle on his head. Good video I literally laughed my ass off.
...now I need to get to the hospital.

 

Not a word but a phrase that I've seen people use from time to time is "I could care less" when expressing total disinterest in something. Soooo you do care a little bit, is that what you're saying?
It's "couldn't care less". I don't know how some people managed to screw that one up.

 

For me the biggest gripe is people writing the way they talk, and not understanding how to write of what they're saying. Couldn care less. Could of. redundant acronyms (ATM machine), they're all brutal

"I could of gone to the store."
That little mistake, where people write 'of' instead of the contraction of have drives me crazy. It's a consequence of the fact that our brains are really good at learning to speak a language but much less successful at learning to codify it in writing.

 

Actually, yeah I've seen people write that and and it irks me. I've never had problem writing "have"... this is something you are taught in second grade. Really, my teacher was reminding the class that it's "have" not "of". Not that I remember ever making the mistake.
I hear good/well screw-up too. When someone uses it improperly, I quietly correct it to myself. Maybe it's my OCD.
I've actually said "I could care less" because I was trying to humorous by saying I did care a little. Little bit.
There's a word for the repeating acronym. RAS syndrome. RAS stands for Redundant Acronym Syndrome. And, yes, it self-referential humor by adding the word "syndrome" after that.

 

Haha yeah I've read all about RAS

 

It doesn't bother me but when people make "a lot" one word.
It always reminds me of Hyperbole and a Half.

 

Ooh! I have a Bad Dragon themed one of these. I've been seeing people talk about their toys and 9 times out of 10 they say it's a "rouge" color instead of a rogue. Like, is it red then? It just annoys me for some reason.

 

I get so pissed off when people use "defiantly" instead of "definitely"

 

That is defiantly a big problem. But people's finger just go all rouge when typing. It happens alot.

 

I like how, by the very nature of memes, words change their common pronunciation. Often we encounter words in writing before we encounter them in speech. So we formulate a rough pronunciation, even if it's wrong, and go with it until corrected. Unless you're like me, and you google words all the time.

My boyfriend once pronounced lithe as "leeth."
My friend once pronounced meme as "may-may." Another pronounced it as "memm."

 

Yeah a search for audio of pononciations all the time, just so I don't look like an idiot. As for meme, I did start with mem... until I realized where the word came from. Now it's meem. I still have trouble with some words... mostly foreign ones.
I'm still unsure about "trompe l'oeil". The closest I got was "trom lay".

 

Now I'm going to make it a habit to not type good just to be annoying

 

Foreign words are a whole different animal, and I feel like, if anyone ((besides a teacher or natural speaker or something)) is a stickler for pronunciation of foreign words, they're kind of pretentious? I work at a bakery and I've heard "Au Bon Pain" pronounced like five different ways, "gruyere" and "asiago" cheese get interesting pronunciations.