There are regular purposes (like the kind that propel us to buy milk and wash the car), and then there are the "intensive" purposes (that make us decide to tie helium-filled weather balloons to a lawn chair and have a sail). You've probably heard of these "intensive purposes" in a context similar to this one: "For all intensive purposes, Larry's the team leader here." If the purpose was regular would someone else have been team leader? Was Larry brought on because of this super-special, "intensive" purpose? The correct phrase is the rather mundane "intents and purposes" but you'll very rarely hear it used as such.

submitted by Tara Liloia

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