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30 Incorrect And Correct Idiomatic Expressions

1.      Choice for Chooser     
                                                                   
 Wrong: A beggar has no Choice.        
                                                      
 Right: Beggars can’t be choosers.                                                       
       
2.      Grease for Power Wrong:                                                                                 
  Wrong:  More grease to your elbow.                                                                          
  Right:    More power to your elbow.


3.      The same for A.    
                                                                                              
Wrong:  Birds of the same feather.         
                                                                 
 Right:  Birds of a feather.                               

4.      What is good for Sauce?                    
                                                          
Wrong:  What is good for the goose is also good for the gander 
                 
 Right:  What is Sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander.

5.      Corners for cranny.                
                                                                     
Wrong:  Every nooks and corners.     
                                                                      
 Right:  Every nook and cranny.

6.      Handwriting for Writing.     
                                                                       
  Wrong: The handwriting is on the wall that you will fail.                                                                          
       
  Right:  The writing is on the wall that you will fail.

7.      Footing for Foot.        
                                                                            
 Wrong:  He started off on a wrong footing.  
                                                 
Right:  He started off on a wrong foot.

8.      Log of wood for Log.           
                                                                          
Wrong:  She slept like a log of wood.      
                                                       
Right She slept like a log.

9.      Dictates for Call.                         
                                                                
Wrong:  He who pays the piper dictates the tune.     
                                   
  Right:   He who pays the piper calls the tune.

10.  Cog for Spoke.         
                                                                               
  Wrong:  Don’t put a cog in our wheel.     
                                                     
    Right:    Don’t put a spoke in our wheel.

11.  Size of Cloth.       
                                                                                      
 Wrong: Cut your coat according to your size. 
                                              
Right:   Cut your coat according to your cloth.

12.  Bite for Bite off.                        
                                                                  
Wrong:  Don’t bite more than you can chew.    
                                                 
  Right:  Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

13.  From the Scratch for From Scratch.   
                                                                   
Wrong:  The rich merchant started from the scratch.   
                              
    Right:  The rich merchant started from scratch.

14.  Skeleton in your – for Skeleton in the cupboard.  
                                         
Wrong:  There is a skeleton in your cupboard.      
                                                              
 Right:  There is a skeleton in the cupboard. 

15.  At a go for At one go.           
                                                                   
   Wrong:  He passed all his papers at a go.        
                                           
 Right:  He passed all his appears at one go.

16.  Hell for All hell.    
                                                                                   
  Wrong:  Hell was let loose.   
                                                                       
 Right:  All hell was let loose/All hell broke loose.

17.  Dance for Play.                                 
                                                                               
    Wrong:  She’s dancing to the gallery for our support.   
                                    
       Right:  She’s playing to the gallery for our support.

18.  From/to for Out of/Into.     
                                                                        
   Wrong:  From frying pan to fire.     
                                                                    
     Right:  Out of the frying pan into the fire.

19.  Head/tall for Heads, talls.      
                                                                        
 Wrong:  Head or tall?                                                                                 

       Right: Heads or talls?

20.  Petrol/fire for Fuel flames               
                                                              
 Wrong:  Settle the matter and don’t add petrol to the fire.                                         

        Right:  Settle the matter and don’t add fuel to the flames.


21.  The devil for Better the devil.                  
                                                             
   Wrong:  The devil you know is better than the angel you don’t.                  

 Right:  Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

22.  Crack for Rack.                                        
                                               
 Wrong:  I cracked my brain to remember her phone number.    
                     
   Right:  I racked my brain to remember her phone.

23.  Worse for Worst.                                           
                                          
 Wrong:  Even if the worse comes to the worst, we shall stay.     
                       
Right:  Even if the worst comes to the worst, we shall stay.

24.  For for Or.                                        
                                                                               
   Wrong:  They are married, for better for worse. 

   Right: They are married, for better or worse.

25.  Everything for All/Other things.             
                                                 
  Wrong:  I will be at the stadium, everything being equal.                        

  Right: I will be at the stadium, all or other things being equal.

26.  On phone for On the phone.                                         
                              
 Wrong:  I am no more on phone, the lines were cut last  month.                                                                                    
  Right:  I am no more on the phone, the lines were cut last month.  

27.  Driver’s seat for Driving seat.        
                                                            
Wrong:  She has taken the driver’s seat as the M.D. of the Company. 

Right:  She has taken the driving seat as the M.D. of the company.

28.  Poke nose for Poke…nose.       
                                                                 
 Wrong:  Mind your business; don’t poke nose into what I am doing. 

Right:  Mind your business; don’t poke our nose into what I am doing.                                          
29.   Friendship for friends.            
                                                                                      
 Wrong:  I will like to make friendship with you.        
                       
   Right:  I will like to make friends with you. 

30.  Legs for Leg.                   
                                                                      
    Wrong:  Stop pulling my legs, I know you’ve won the lottery.        
          
  Right:  Stop pulling my leg, I know you’ve’ won the lottery