Thursday, July 3, 2014

Which Is It ?

On the TV show "Psych" the main character, Shawn Spencer, has many catchphrases, which he mostly says to his sleuthing partner Burton "Gus" Guster.  One of my favorites is a line he uses when there is an insignificant argument over word choices or semantics.  Shawn will say "I've heard it both ways."  To which Gus will often respond "No you have not!"  And then I just laugh and laugh.  But it got me thinking ...

Is it "flesh it out" or "flush it out"?
- In meetings at work or church I often hear people use both of these phrases, and I'm not sure which one is actually the most correct for the situation.
When I hear "flesh it out" my first reaction is that sounds gross, what are we human anatomy scientists?!  But then it also makes sense, especially if we're talking about an idea that needs more depth or details being spelled out.
But then "flush it out" really sounds more appropriate when you're trying to get rid of something like dirt in your eye or poor performance results.  I suppose it too also sounds gross.

Is it "supposedly" or "supposably"?
- There's a funny scene from an episode of Friends where one of the characters, Joey, finds himself saying the word "supposably" to himself multiple times to see if it sounds right.
I know what supposedly is and when it should be used but I always thought supposably was a made-up or incorrect word ... but it actually is a variation on the word "suppose" so it has it's place in our lexicon.

I wonder what other phrases or words are out there that would generate the response "I've heard it both ways."


Song Of The Day:
Since this post references Psych, one of the best ever shows on TV, and they regularly reference the 1980's, it's only appropriate to share a great 80's tune.  I've chosen "What You Need" by INXS for two reasons: I haven't heard it in a long time - and - it contains examples of some lyrics that could be heard both ways.  LOTS of songs are like this actually, but that's another post for another day.

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