There’s no doubt that words are powerful things that can leave a lasting impression on those with whom you interact.

In fact, saying an idiom incorrectly or screwing up your grammar is akin to walking into a meeting with messy hair.

That’s according to Byron Reese CEO of the venture-backed Internet startup Knowingly, which recently launched Correctica, a tool that scans websites looking for errors that spell checkers miss.

And the business world is no exception. “When I look for these errors on LinkedIn profiles they’re all over the place — tens of thousands,” he says.

Correctica recently scanned a handful of prominent websites and you might be surprised at how many errors it found. Here’s Reese’s list of the some of the most commonly misused words on the web.

1. Prostrate cancer

It’s an easy misspelling to make, just add an extra “r” and prostate cancer becomes “prostrate” cancer which would translate to “cancer of lying face down on the ground.” Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Mayo Clinic websites include this misspelling.

2. First-come, first-serve

This would suggest that the first person to arrive has to serve all of the others. The actual phrase is “first-come, first-served” to indicate that the participants will be served in the order in which they arrived. Both Harvard and Yale got this one wrong.

3. Sneak peak

A “peak” is a mountain top. A “peek” is a quick look. The correct expression is “sneak peek” which would mean to have a secret or early look at something. This error appeared on Oxford University’s site as well as the National Park Service website.

4. Deep-seeded

This should actually be “deep-seated” to indicate that it is firmly established. Though “deep-seeded” could theoretically make sense, indicating something is planted deep in the ground, this is not the correct expression. Correctica found this error on the Washington Post as well as the White House site.

5. Extract revenge

To extract something is to remove it, like a tooth. The correct expression is “exact revenge” which means to demand revenge. The New York Times as well as the BBC made this error.

6. I could care less

“I couldn’t care less” is what you would say in order to express maximum apathy toward a situation. Basically you’re saying, “It’s impossible for me to care less about this because I have no more cares to give. I’ve run out of cares.” Using the incorrect expression “I could care less” indicates “I still have a few cares left to give, would you like some?”

7. Shoe-in

“Shoo-in” is a common idiom which means a sure winner. To “shoo” something is to urge it in a direction. As you would “shoo” a fly out of your house, you could also “shoo” someone toward victory. The expression started in the early 20th century, relating to horse racing and broadened to politics soon after.

It’s easy to see why the “shoe-in” version is so common, perhaps derived from the door-to-door sales practice of moving a foot into the doorway to make it more difficult for a prospective client to close the door. But “foot in the door” is an entirely different idiom.

8. Emigrated to

With this one there is no debate. The verb “emigrate” is always used with the preposition “from,” whereas immigrate is always used with the preposition “to.” To emigrate is to come from somewhere, and to immigrate is to go to somewhere. “Jimmy emigrated from Ireland to the United States” means the same thing as “Jimmy immigrated to the United States from Ireland.” It’s just a matter of what you’re emphasizing — the coming or the going.

9. Slight of hand

“Sleight of hand” is a common phrase in the world of magic and illusion, because “sleight” means the use of dexterity or cunning, usually to deceive. On the other hand, the noun “slight” means an insult.

10. Honed in

First, it’s important to note that this particular expression is hotly debated. Many references now consider “hone in” an alteration of “home in.” That said, it is still generally accepted that “home in” is the more correct phrase. To home in on something means to move toward a goal, such as “The missile homed in on its target.”

To “hone” means to sharpen. You would say, “I honed my resume writing skills.” But you would likely not say, “The missile honed in on its target.” When followed by the preposition “in,” the word “hone” just doesn’t make sense.

11. Baited breath

The term “bated” is an adjective meaning suspense. It originated from the verb “abate,” meaning to stop or lessen. Therefore, “to wait with bated breath” essentially means to hold your breath with anticipation. The verb “bait,” on the other hand, means to taunt, often to taunt a predator with its prey.

A fisherman baits his line in hopes of a big catch. Considering the meaning of the two words, it’s clear which is correct, but the word “bated” is mostly obsolete today, leading to the ever-increasing misuse of this expression.

12. Piece of mind

This should be “peace” of mind, meaning calmness and tranquility. The expression “piece of mind,” actually would suggest doling out sections of brain.

13. Wet your appetite

This expression is more often used incorrectly than it is used correctly — 56% of the time it appears online, it’s wrong. The correct idiom is “whet your appetite.” Whet means to sharpen or stimulate, so to whet your appetite would mean to awaken your desire for something.

14. For all intensive purposes

The correct phrase should be “for all intents and purposes.” It originates from English law in the 1500s that stated “to all intents, constructions and purposes,” which basically means “officially” or “effectively.”

15. One in the same

One in the same would literally translate that the “one” is inside of the same thing as itself, which makes no sense at all. The proper phrase is “one and the same,” meaning the same thing or the same person. For example, “When Melissa was homeschooled, her teacher and her mother were one and the same.”

16. Make due

When something is due, it is owed. To make due would mean to make owed, but the phrase to “make do” is short for “to make something do well” or “to make something sufficient.” When life gives you lemons, you make do and make lemonade!

17. By in large

The phrase “by and large” was first used in 1706 to mean “in general.” It was a nautical phrase derived from sailing terms “by” and “large.” While it doesn’t have a literal meaning that makes sense, “by and large” is the correct version of this phrase.

18. Do diligence

While it may be easy to surmise that “do diligence” translates to doing something diligently, it does not. “Due diligence” is a business and legal term that means you will investigate a person or business before signing a contract with them, or before formally engaging in a business deal together. You should do your due diligence and investigate business deals fully before committing to them.

19. Peaked my interest

To “pique” means to arouse, so the correct phrase here should be “piqued my interest,” meaning that your interest was awoken. To say that something “peaked my interest” would mean that it looked at my interest.

20. Case and point

The correct phrase in this case is “case in point” which derives its meaning from a dialect of Old French. While it may not make any logical sense today, it is a fixed idiom.

Worried that poorly functioning spell check will make you look bad? Run things like your resume, blog posts and the content of important emails through Correctica’s “Proof it Free” tool.

– http://www.businessinsider.com

That’s according to Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of People Operations at Google.

Bock recently gave a talk at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, in which he discussed the value of taking power away from managers, especially when it comes to performance evaluations.

Because most everyone tries to impress their boss by highlighting their accomplishments and downplaying their shortcomings, managers may have a distorted view of their employees’ performance.

“When you’re a manager, your employees have an incentive to be less than truthful because they want to be successful in your eyes,” Bock said. “You control their pay, their promotion, [and] their self-esteem to an extent.”

That’s why Google relies heavily on peer feedback, Bock said. He believes coworkers are generally less biased than managers.

In fact, Bock writes in his book “Work Rules!” that peer evaluation is a key part of performance reviews at Google. Googlers and their managers select a group of peer reviewers, including employees who are junior to them. Each reviewer is asked to list one thing the person should do more of and one thing they could do differently.

Presumably, this process also makes it harder for managers who have an unnecessarily negative view of employees’ performance to hurt their careers, if their coworkers think they’re doing a good job.

Ultimately, employees at Google know that their opinions of their coworkers will be heard and valued when leadership is determining things like promotions and compensation.

The goal at any company, Bock said, should be “creating a relationship where your employees have an incentive to be honest with you.”

– http://www.businessinsider.com

But despite the fact that we’re glued to our reply buttons, career coach Barbara Pachter says plenty of professionals still don’t know how to use email appropriately. In fact, because of the sheer volume of messages we’re reading and writing each day, we may be more prone to making embarrassing errors — and those mistakes can have serious professional consequences. Pachter outlines the basics of modern email etiquette in her book “The Essentials Of Business Etiquette.” We pulled out the most essential rules you need to know.

Vivian Giang and Rachel Sugar contributed to earlier versions of this article.

1. Include a clear, direct subject line.
Examples of a good subject line include “Meeting date changed,” “Quick question about your presentation,” or “Suggestions for the proposal.”

“People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line,” Pachter says. “Choose one that lets readers know you are addressing their concerns or business issues.”

2. Use a professional email address.
If you work for a company, you should use your company email address. But if you use a personal email account — whether you are self-employed or just like using it occasionally for work-related correspondences — you should be careful when choosing that address, Pachter says.

You should always have an email address that conveys your name so that the recipient knows exactly who is sending the email. Never use email addresses (perhaps remnants of your grade-school days) that are not appropriate for use in the workplace, such as “babygirl@…” or “beerlover@…” — no matter how much you love a cold brew.

3. Think twice before hitting ‘reply all.’
No one wants to read emails from 20 people that have nothing to do with them. Ignoring the emails can be difficult, with many people getting notifications of new messages on their smartphones or distracting pop-up messages on their computer screens. Refrain from hitting “reply all” unless you really think everyone on the list needs to receive the email, Pachter says.

4. Include a signature block.
Provide your reader with some information about you, Pachter suggests. “Generally, this would state your full name, title, the company name, and your contact information, including a phone number. You also can add a little publicity for yourself, but don’t go overboard with any sayings or artwork.”

Use the same font, type size, and color as the rest of the email, she says.
5. Use professional salutations.
Don’t use laid-back, colloquial expressions like, “Hey you guys,” “Yo,” or “Hi folks.”

“The relaxed nature of our writings should not affect the salutation in an email,” she says. “Hey is a very informal salutation and generally it should not be used in the workplace. And Yo is not okay either. Use Hi or Hello instead.”

She also advises against shortening anyone’s name. Say “Hi Michael,” unless you’re certain he prefers to be called “Mike.”

6. Use exclamation points sparingly.
If you choose to use an exclamation point, use only one to convey excitement, Pachter says.

“People sometimes get carried away and put a number of exclamation points at the end of their sentences. The result can appear too emotional or immature,” she writes. “Exclamation points should be used sparingly in writing.”

7. Be cautious with humor.
Humor can easily get lost in translation without the right tone or facial expressions. In a professional exchange, it’s better to leave humor out of emails unless you know the recipient well. Also, something that you think is funny might not be funny to someone else.

Pachter says: “Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written. When in doubt, leave it out.”

8. Know that people from different cultures speak and write differently.
Miscommunication can easily occur because of cultural differences, especially in the writing form when we can’t see one another’s body language. Tailor your message to the receiver’s cultural background or how well you know them.

A good rule to keep in mind, Pachter says, is that high-context cultures (Japanese, Arab, or Chinese) want to get to know you before doing business with you. Therefore, it may be common for business associates from these countries to be more personal in their writings. On the other hand, people from low-context cultures (German, American, or Scandinavian) prefer to get to the point very quickly.

9. Reply to your emails — even if the email wasn’t intended for you.
It’s difficult to reply to every email message ever sent to you, but you should try to, Pachter says. This includes when the email was accidentally sent to you, especially if the sender is expecting a reply. A reply isn’t necessary but serves as good email etiquette, especially if this person works in the same company or industry as you.

Here’s an example reply: “I know you’re very busy, but I don’t think you meant to send this email to me. And I wanted to let you know so you can send it to the correct person.”

10. Proofread every message.
Your mistakes won’t go unnoticed by the recipients of your email. “And, depending upon the recipient, you may be judged for making them,” Pachter says.

Don’t rely on spell-checkers. Read and re-read your email a few times, preferably aloud, before sending it off.

“One supervisor intended to write ‘Sorry for the inconvenience,'” Pachter says. “But he relied on his spell-check and ended up writing ‘Sorry for the incontinence.'”

11. Add the email address last.
“You don’t want to send an email accidentally before you have finished writing and proofing the message,” Pachter says. “Even when you are replying to a message, it’s a good precaution to delete the recipient’s address and insert it only when you are sure the message is ready to be sent.”

12. Double-check that you’ve selected the correct recipient.
Pachter says to pay careful attention when typing a name from your address book on the email’s “To” line. “It’s easy to select the wrong name, which can be embarrassing to you and to the person who receives the email by mistake.”

13. Keep your fonts classic.
Purple Comic Sans has a time and a place (maybe?), but for business correspondence, keep your fonts, colors, and sizes classic.

The cardinal rule: Your emails should be easy for other people to read.

“Generally, it is best to use 10- or 12- point type and an easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman,” Pachter advises. As for color, black is the safest choice.

14. Keep tabs on your tone.
Just as jokes get lost in translation, tone is easy to misconstrue without the context you’d get from vocal cues and facial expressions. Accordingly, it’s easy to come off as more abrupt that you might have intended — you meant “straightforward,” they read “angry and curt.”

To avoid misunderstandings, Pachter recommends you read your message out loud before hitting send. “If it sounds harsh to you, it will sound harsh to the reader,” she says.

For best results, avoid using unequivocally negative words (“failure,” “wrong,” or “neglected”), and always say “please” and “thank you.”

15. Nothing is confidential — so write accordingly.
Always remember what former CIA chief General David Petraeus apparently forgot, warns Pachter: Every electronic message leaves a trail.

“A basic guideline is to assume that others will see what you write,” she says, “so don’t write anything you wouldn’t want everyone to see.” A more liberal interpretation: Don’t write anything that would be ruinous to you or hurtful to others. After all, email is dangerously easy to forward, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

– http://www.businessinsider.com

The research began in 1976, and involved nearly 210,000 people. With all the follow-ups over the years, the study includes 4.7 million person-years of data. The scale meant it took several generations of scientists to complete the study. Hu, a researcher and professor at Harvard Medical School, himself joined in 1996. The enormous amount of data was useful, because coffee is an extraordinarily complicated drink.

“Coffee is certainly a very complex beverage,” Hu told INSIDER. Besides caffeine, it contains hundreds, perhaps thousands, of bioactive compounds. So it’s very difficult, perhaps impossible, to tease out the effects of individual compounds or chemicals.”

Coffee’s health benefits derive from not just a few compounds, but more likely the synergistic effects of many different compounds, minerals, and antioxidants. And while most people think of caffeine when they think of coffee, both regular and decaf coffee have the same effects when it comes to blood diseases and diabetes.

Hu noticed that it’s really hard to study coffee because so many coffee-drinkers smoke.

“We found that the health benefits of coffee are more pronounced, or evident, in people who don’t smoke,” Hu said. “In other words, smoking actually masks the potential health benefits of drinking coffee, and it’s really important to separate the effects of coffee from smoking.”

In addition to Hu’s new study — which had ten co-authors in total — previous research shows that drinking coffee regularly is associated with a decreased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and liver disease, including liver cancer. It’s also associated with a decreased risk of depression and suicide, helps the body metabolize blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity, and can even reduce inflammation.

Hu cautions that not everyone’s body responds to coffee in the same way — as with anything, drink in moderation according to your health habits.

– http://www.businessinsider.com