Have you heard anyone use the phrase, “It’s a doggy dog world”? The idiom is actually, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world.”
How about, “For all intensive purposes.” Nope. The phrase is supposed to be, “For all intents and purposes.”
I once heard a public speaker promise to help us separate the gold from the floss. You’re supposed to separate the gold from the dross. Unless you’re a dentist.
If you get annoyed at grammar nerds, don’t make me your escape goat. And not just because the term is “scapegoat.” I don’t think the correct use of grammar is a mute point, though it may be a moot point. (Or a moo point, if you’re a Friends fan.)
“One misused phrase may be more accurate than intended”
But one misused phrase may be more accurate than intended. I often hear people say it’s time to “call in the Calvary.” What they mean to say is it’s time to “call in the cavalry.” The cavalry is a division of soldiers you hope will arrive when things get desperate. “Calvary” is the hill on which Jesus died.
I’ve decided I like the misspoken phrase. To battle our shame and guilt, to battle our fear of death and judgment, call in Calvary. Trust the sacrificial work of Jesus to remove the sin that separates you from God.
If you want to learn more about this, watch our Good Friday service online, and join our Easter Celebration this Sunday!
The Good Friday service premieres at noon on April 2, on our website, on our Facebook page, or our YouTube channel. After that, you can watch it at any time. On Easter Sunday, instead of our normal start time of 10am, we’ll have two services at 9am and 11am. Join us on campus or meet with us online at either hour.
Let’s celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death!
--Tom
Sign up here to receive Tom Goodman’s weekly devotional in your email inbox. Tom serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter.