Author Topic: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys  (Read 141843 times)

Joe Carillo

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MBA professor Oscar P. Lagman, Jr., in the Philippines sent me this collection of 70 English expressions sometimes bungled by Filipino speakers. See if you know the correct expression for each of them, then check it against the list of the properly worded expressions that I have provided at the bottom of the list. The theme photo below is a latter-day addition by the Forum—Joe Carillo

70 ENGLISH IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS SOMETIMES BUNGLED BY PINOYS:
By Oscar P. Lagman, Jr.


IMAGE ADAPTED FROM A 2010 GMANETWORK.COM PHOTO

"My answers have been prayered."
Ecstatic mother of 2010 bar exam passer (apocryphal remark).

"There's a total brownout."
(This one was said by Karen Davila [of the ABS-CBN TV network). As she kept on saying it, I felt compelled to call the station. Luckily, I was able to get through. Within minutes she was saying "total blackout"—but in an embarrassed tone.)    

"Noynoy won by a landscape."

"The defeat of Mar was heart-rendering to Korina."

"The government will exchange hands at noon of June 30."

"Ben, eat your hat out!"

"Give me the load down on that deal."

"The rocket launch was aboard when it rained."

"The flight was rough because we passed thunder and storm."  

"All in a sudden..."

"C'mon! Let's get it on with it!"

"When it rains, it's four."

"Thanks God!"

"He is the splitting image of his father."

"He is cheap of the old black."

"She is getting into my nerves!"

"He ramshackled my files."

"The idea crossed at the back of my mind."

"This is our rooster of clients..."

"The more the manyer."

"It's a no-win-win situation."

"Annulled and void."

"Mute and academic."

"C'mon let's join us!"

"If worse comes to shove."

"Are you joking my leg?"

"It's not my problem anymore, it's yours anymore."

"Well well well. Look do we have here!"

"Let's give them a big hand of applause."

"Been there, been that."

"Forget it about."

"Give him the benefit of the daw."

"It's a blessing in the sky."

"Where'd you came from?"

"Did you brought the tickets?"

"Take things first at a time."

"On one thing condition."

"You're barking at the wrong dog."

"You want to have your cake and bake it too."

"First and for most. "

"I'm only human nature."

"The sky's the langit."

"That's what I'm talking about it."

"Time is of the elements."

"He is the elements."

"Please feel in the family way."  

"The feeling is actual."

"For all intense and purposes."

"The traffic jam was orange juice."

"Sorry, we can't serve you banana split, our bananas ran away."

"That is outside of this world."

"What is the next that comes after?"

"Whatever you say so."

"Base-to-base casis."

"Please let me alone by myself."

"You can't teach old tricks to new dogs."

"It's as good as the new one."

"I can't take it anymore of this!"

"Are you sure ka na ba?"

"I couldn't care a damn!"

"What's your next class before this?"

"Nothing in this world is permanent except change."

"I'm sorry, my boss just passed by away."

"Taal Volcano is beginning to erect."

"Hello, can you hang yourself for a while, I am on the line ..."

"Let us not talk of spilled milk under the bridge."

"Hello McDo, how much is a kidney meal?"

"Sorry, I am under the bad weather this morning."

"He is under the hot collar this morning."

"Ben and Joe, let's call it tonight."

Quote
THOSE 70 BUNGLED IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS PROPERLY EXPRESSED

Below are those bungled idiomatic expressions properly expressed, to the best of my lights.—Joe Carillo

"My prayers have been answered!"

"There's a total blackout."

"Noynoy won by a landslide."

"The defeat of Mar was heart-rending to Korina."

"The government will change hands at noon of June 30."

"Ben, eat your heart out!"

"Give me the lowdown on that deal."

"The rocket launch was aborted when it rained."

"The flight was rough because we passed a thunderstorm."  

"All of a sudden..."

"C'mon! Let's get on with it!"

"When it rains, it pours."

"Thank God!"

"He is the spitting image of his father."

"He is a chip of the old block."

"She is getting on my nerves!"

"He ransacked my files."

"The idea crossed my mind."
(A related expression: "The idea was at the back of my mind.")

"This is our roster of clients..."

"The more the merrier."

"It's a no-win situation."
(A converse expression: "It’s a win-win situation.”)

"Null and void."

"Moot and academic."

"C'mon join us!"

"If push comes to shove."

"Are you pulling my leg?"

"It's not my problem anymore, it's yours now."

"Well well well. Look what we have here!"

"Let's give them a big round of applause."
(Alternatively: "Let's give them a big hand.")

"Been there, done that."

"Forget it."

"Give him the benefit of a doubt."

"It's a blessing from the sky."

"Where'd you come from?"

"Did you bring the tickets?"

"Take things one at a time."

"On one condition."
(Alternatively: “Just one thing.”)

"You're barking at the wrong tree."

"You want to have your cake and eat it too."

"First and foremost."

"I'm only human."
(Alternatively: "It’s human nature."

"The sky's the limit."

"That's what I'm talking about."

"Time is of the essence."

"He is in his elements."

"Please feel like a member of the family."  

"The feeling is mutual."

"For all intents and purposes."

"The traffic jam was horrendous."

"Sorry, we can't serve you banana split, we ran out of bananas."

"That is out of this world."

"What is the next?"
(Alternatively: "What comes after?")

"Whatever you say."
(Alternatively: "If you say so."

"Case-to-case basis."

"Please leave me alone."
Alternatively: "Please leave me by myself."

"You can't teach old dogs new tricks."

"It's as good as new."
(Alternatively: "It's like new.")

"I can't take it anymore!"

"Are you sure?"

"I don’t give a damn!"
Alternatively: "I couldn't care less!"

"What's your next class after this?"

"Nothing is permanent except change."

"Can you please hold on, my boss just passed by."

"Taal Volcano is beginning to erupt."

"Hello, can you hang up for a while, I’m on the line ..."

"Let us not cry over spilled milk." "Let us not fret over spilled milk."
(Alternatively: "It’s water under the bridge.")

"Hello, McDo, how much is the kiddy meal?"

"Sorry, I am over the weather this morning."

"He’s hot under the collar this morning."

"Ben and Joe, let's call it a night."

« Last Edit: July 18, 2019, 04:07:17 PM by Joe Carillo »

amelia7

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2010, 12:31:46 PM »
Sir Joe, I think

 

Nonoy won by a landslide should be Nonoy won in a landslide.

 

The flight was rough because we passed a thunderstorm should be The flight was rough because we passed through a thuderstorm.

 

He is a chip of the old block should be He is a chip off the old block.

 

Give him the benefit of a doubt should be Give him the benefit of the doubt

 

You’re barking at the wrong tree should be You’re barking up the wrong tree.

 

For all intents and purposes should be To all intents and purposes.

 

Sorry, I am over the weather this morning should be Sorry, I am under the weather this morning.

 

What do you think?

Joe Carillo

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2010, 05:09:02 PM »
Thanks for the feedback, amelia7! Below are my comments to your evaluation of the corrected idiomatic expressions:

“Noynoy won by a landslide” should be “Nonoy won in a landslide.”

Either form is OK. Statistically, though, based on usage incidence as reported by Google, “won by a landslide” wins by a landslide with about 4,320,000 results against “won in a landslide” with 3,150,000 results.

“The flight was rough because we passed a thunderstorm” should be “The flight was rough because we passed through a thunderstorm.”

“Passed through a thunderstorm”—your version—is evidently the more popular and more idiomatic usage. Google yields only a poor 154 results for “passed a thunderstorm” against 20,700 for “passed through a thunderstorm.”

“He is a chip of the old block” should be “He is a chip off the old block.”

You’re absolutely right! The missing second “f” in my “of” is a proofreading error.

“Give him the benefit of a doubt” should be “Give him the benefit of the doubt”

Google yields 8,120,000 results for “benefit of a doubt” against 1,630,000 for your version, “benefit of the doubt,” so “benefit of a doubt” is obviously the more popular idiomatic usage.

“You’re barking at the wrong tree” should be “You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

You’re correct, the truly correct idiom is “barking up the wrong tree,” which has an overwhelming 23,400,000 results in Google; “barking at the wrong tree” appears to also have ample usage, though, with 664,000 results.
 
“For all intents and purposes” should be “To all intents and purposes.”

The two are both OK and almost even in usage incidence. Google has 8,910,000 results for “for all intents and purposes” and about 6,860,000 results for “to all intents and purposes.”

“Sorry, I am over the weather this morning” should be Sorry, “I am under the weather this morning.”

You’re absolutely right! The phrase “over the weather” is my mistake; it isn’t the proper idiom. It should be, as you say, “under the weather.”
« Last Edit: June 15, 2010, 05:17:11 PM by Joe Carillo »

jonathanfvaldez

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2010, 04:25:14 AM »
Joe, how about the lead of the headline of today's edition of Inquirer.net: "TO SAVE ON COSTS, PRESIDENT-ELECT BENIGNO “Noynoy” Aquino III will break tradition and do away with the parade at his June 30 inaugural."  Shouldn't it be "break with tradition"?

Joe Carillo

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2010, 07:27:22 AM »
Strictly speaking, the correct idiom is "break with tradition," but it looks like not only the Philippine Inquirer editors but a lot of people all over the world have broken with tradition by shorting the idiom to "break tradition." I saw 190,000 entries for "break tradition" in Google just now against 108,000 for the traditional idiom. Anyway, the modified idiom doesn't sound so bad, and I fancy that I might unconsciously use it myself when I'm in a rush to file a news story.

bridex

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2010, 03:36:16 AM »
Hi, Joe.  I was just wondering if "blessing in the sky" is actually carabao english for "blessing in disguise."  What do you think? 

Brian

Joe Carillo

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2014, 09:13:21 AM »
This response is terribly belated, but in retrospect and for the record, my answer is a resounding "Yes!" The idiomatic expression "blessing in the sky" must have really been its originator's carabao English for "blessing in disguise."

solid9

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2016, 06:21:14 PM »
This one below made me laugh,

"Taal Volcano is beginning to erect."

lol
If you saw my grammar is wrong, then correct me if I'm wrong. This is why I'm here to learn English.

SomEeN

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Re: 70 English idiomatic expressions sometimes bungled by Pinoys
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2016, 12:35:31 AM »
This one below made me laugh,

"Taal Volcano is beginning to erect."

lol

LOL, maybe somebody dropped some Kamagra in that Volcano? :D :D

anyway, Jose Carillo, thanks, I really didn't know some of those..
« Last Edit: February 10, 2017, 03:45:47 AM by SomEeN »