take quarter for give quarter Michael Jackson's attorney is vowing that the legal team will "take no quarter" in defending the pop superstar. (CNN) If you give no quarter you make no allowances, or take no prisoners.

take route for take root, routed in for rooted in A route is a direction; when things take root they grow in the earth.

talismen as plural of talisman, shamen as plural of shaman The “man” component has nothing to do with blokes.

taught for taut The people you teach are taught; if your nerves are stretched tightly, they’re taut.

taunt for haunt Wondering if teenage angst has come back to taunt them. Guardian July 20, 2004 To taunt is to tease; to haunt is to return as a ghost.

tender for early The champagne flowed freely, with scant regard for the tender hour. Guardian November 23, 2005 Your tender years area your early years when you're a tender shoot.

tender hooks for tenter hooks Tenter hooks are for stretching canvas over a frame.

tenuous for wobbly Connections can be tenuous, or you can have a tenuous hold on something. It means "thin, fine, easily broken".

terrier for chamois Haslam's terrier-like ascent of British society. Times Feb 28 09 Terriers grip, chamois mountaineer.

the ploy thickens (Guardian)     It's the plot that thickens.

 

The Forsythe Saga Galsworthy's series was about the Forsyte family. See Miss Havisham (not Haversham).

the joke was not lost on for the joke was lost on The joke was not quite lost on the Tube bosses, who have said that they will not provide the voiceover artist with any more work. Times November 26, 2007 A station announcer put bad-taste spoof announcements on her website and got the sack - i.e. her bosses did NOT get the joke.

There's the nub for there's the rub "Ay, there's the rub," said Hamlet. He was pointing out the place where an ill-fitting shoe rubs. He meant "Ah, there's the difficulty." A nub is a small protuberance, or the main point; a hub is the centre of a wheel.

thesbian for thespian Thespis was the Greek goddess of the theatre and had nothing to do with the Isle of Lesbos, home to poet Sappho.

throws for throes in the throws of A throw is a thing you cover your sofa with instead of getting it cleaned; throes are spasms of anguish.

till time immemorial for from time immemorial You can't not remember something that hasn't happened yet.

tinged for tainted Tinged means faintly coloured; tainted means contaminated.

tinker for tinkle If you tinker with something you fiddle about with it; if something tinkles it makes a light bell-like noise.

tinkle the ivories for tickle When you tickle the ivories - piano keys - tinkling may result.

titivate for titillate Titivation is tarting up; titillation is excitement.

Toile de Joie, Touile de Joie for Toile de Jouy Toile is a material; toile de Jouy (material printed with 18th century pastoral scenes) comes from Jouy in France. It has nothing to do with filles de joie, who are French ladies of the evening.

tome or text for holy writ, scripture or creed Director Kevin Smith says of the film: "It doesn't attempt to hold out answers ... no-one can mistake it for any sort of tome or text." BBC Mar 8 00 A tome is a large book; a text is anything written; a creed is something you believe in.

toothsome for toothyToothsome means tasty; a toothy person needs to see an orthodontist.

tote for tout Where Eliza Doolittle toted her wares. Guardian Aug 16 07 You tote something in a tote bag; if you tout it you offer it for sale.

touched a cord for struck a chord on the piano or guitar

tricked out for carried off A part Kidman tricked out with aplomb  Guardian 12/9/08 Tricked out means over or unnecessarily decorated.

troupe for troop I am tired of endless couples trouping through my bedroom. Liz Jones in the Evening Standard Sept 27, 2005 A troupe is an ensemble of actors; to troop is to move in a body. 

trove for hoard Treasure trove is something you've found or trouvé.

tryst for relationship A tryst is an appointment. What you do once you've met is your own affair.

tumultuous for troubled, violent Merriam Webster says that tumultuous means "disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with uproar and confusion of voices".