A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

mistaken about something • mistaken in
 something
mistaken about something —is used of smth. concerning
which one makes a mistake: I was mistaken about her age. I
thought she was over fifty.
mistaken in something —
1
. is used of an erroneous statement,
supposition, etc.: The ancients were mistaken in their belief
that the earth was flat. 2. = mistaken about something: “The
papers have been greatly mistaken in my age,” said the di -
vorced wife of the late Samuel Breakwell to a reporter.
mix oil and water • pour oil on troubled waters
mix oil and water —try to make two very different people
or things exist together: There are works which try to combine
the technical stuff with personal narratives. Unfortunately, in
Veit’s case, it’s mixing oil and water.
pour oil on troubled waters —do smth. to make a tense situa -
tion more peaceful: Friends are a blessing — they pour oil on
troubled waters, drag you to parties and make you feel loved.
mix something up with something • mix
 something with something
mix something up with something —
1
. combine or blend a
substance with another substance: I mixed the contents up
with water and followed the directions on the bottle. 2. mis-
takenly identify one thing with another: They mixed up my
name with that of my sister. They then said it was impossible
to change the names on the ticket…
mix something with something —
1
. = mix something up with
something 
1
: Mixing paint with the liquid glue requires a little
trial and error, so start with just one color of paint. 2. carry
out or consider different activities at the same time: Having
been badly burned in a previous relationship, Mark never
mixes business with pleasure.