The other day I heard someone utter “hone in on”—something we addressed here, by the way—and, for reasons still unclear to me, it got me to wondering: how many people mistakenly write shoe-in when they mean shoo-in?
It’s a common mistake, according to Professor Paul Brians, helped in no small part by sites like this. Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (18th edition) sets the record straight:
Shoo-in In American English, one who is certain to win, especially in a political election. The image, which originated in horseracing in the 1930s, is of a competitor in a rigged race who merely needs to be encouraged across the finishing line with a shout of ‘Shoo!’ in order to win. The phrase, despite the frequent misspelling ‘shoe-in’, has nothing to do with shoes.
So there you have it: a little English, a little history, and the ability to go forth and write with confidence. You’re welcome.
