Nip it in the Butt? Literally! Doggy-Dog World?
Anyone ever told you they did a “360 degree flip”? Ha ha! What about telling you they were, “as white as a sheep”! Ha ha ha! I’ve heard them all! Now, I’m not outraged by these slip-ups. Honestly, I think they’re hilarious. The thing to as yourself is: when you’re in a meeting, especially if you want to project confidence and authority, are the words you choose helping you or re they turning people off? Some people don’t care about grammar and some people really care! The people who care about grammar notice your slip-ups. And some of these clangers can chip away at your credibility in seconds.
So, let’s have a laugh and a little lesson at the same time. Here are some of my favourite wrong turns – plus the correct version so you can keep your executive presence polished.
Nip it in the bud (NOT butt)
If you “nip something in the bud,” you stop it before it grows. Nipping someone in the butt is… well, a whole different problem! Ha ha ha!
On tenterhooks (NOT tender hooks)
When you’re anxiously waiting, you’re on tenterhooks — from the old cloth-stretching frames called tenters. Tender hooks? Not a thing!
To all intents and purposes (NOT intensive purposes)
This old legal phrase means “in effect” or “virtually.” Intensive purposes sounds impressive but makes no sense.
I couldn’t care less (NOT could care less)
If you could care less, then you care a little. The phrase only works when you couldn’t care less.
180-degree turn (NOT 360-degree turn)
A 360 puts you right back where you started. A 180 means you’ve flipped your opinion completely.
Dog-eat-dog world (NOT doggy-dog world)
Unless you’re quoting Snoop Dogg, it’s dog-eat-dog. The phrase means tough, competitive, ruthless.
Chest of drawers (NOT Chester drawers)
That piece of bedroom furniture is a chest of drawers. Oh dear! Chester never made them!
Moot point (NOT mute point)
A moot point is debatable. A mute point doesn’t exist – unless you mean “stop talking.” (And yes, Joey from Friends called it a “moo point.” Classic!)
And more…
Here are some bonus favourites I hear all the time:
- Old wives’ tale (NOT old wise tale)
- Off your own bat (NOT back)
- Scapegoat (NOT escape goat)
- Alzheimer’s Disease (NOT old timers’ disease)
- Pass muster (NOT mustard)
- Nerve-wracking (NOT wrecking)
- White as a sheet (NOT sheep)
Why this matters in business
These little mistakes add up. Each slip makes people wonder: Does this person really know what they’re talking about? That’s the last thing you want when you’re leading a meeting, pitching an idea, or speaking to senior stakeholders.
When you get the words right and deliver them with confidence, clarity, and presence – people listen. They trust you. They act on what you say.
👉 Want to sharpen your skills and lift your executive presence? Join me at a presentation skills course.
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Because the words you choose matter and I want yours to land with power every single time. Happy presenting and persuading!
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©2025 MICHELLE BOWDEN is an authority on persuasive presenting in business. She’s run her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 1040 times for more than 13,000 people over the past 26 years and her name is a synonym for ‘presentation skills’ in Australia.
Michelle Bowden is a multi-million-dollar pitch coach to her client list that reads like a who’s who of international business: banking and finance, IT, pharmaceutical, retail, telecommunications plus many more.
Michelle is the creator of the Persuasion Smart Profile®, a world-first psychological assessment tool that reports on your persuasive strengths and weaknesses at work, the best-selling internationally published author of How to Present: the ultimate guide to presenting live and online (Wiley) and her new best-selling book is called How to Persuade: the skills you need to get what you want (Wiley).