Words, usages, and phrases that annoy the shit out of you...

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"bird" instead of "girl" or "woman". AAAAAARGH.

― Melly E (Melly E), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

When people call each other 'babe' and the completely inappropriate use of the word 'literally'. Also can I add at this point, even if it may not be entirely relevant, the unjustifiable grammatical error in Rachael Stevens' song 'Sweet Dreams My LA Ex' : "accuse me of things I never done." And I've listened hard for "I've never done" to try and give her the benefit of the doubt but she doesn't say it.

― barbara wintergreen, Monday, 29 December 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"Begging the question" and "chomping at the bit." The first is almost always used incorrectly, and the second should be "champing," Goddamn it.

― Salmon Pink (Salmon Pink), Monday, 29 December 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

or "bits"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 29 December 2003 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

'any way shape or form'. Most heard in full-media-glare denials of misdeeds. Used by dodgy sportsmen who have been 'coached' by their minders for the occasion. It immediately strips the first dozen layers of credibility from whatever statement is being made.

'poetic justice'. Used by the lazy to describe all 'justice' the speaker approves of, instead of a particular type. The adjective is rendered meaningless.

Agree re 'bird' for woman/girl, and lament its threatened return. Stinks of 'I'm being un-PC, where's my medal?'. Also the C-person uses it, which kinda ends the argument.

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Monday, 29 December 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

optics

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

also photonic inplace of optic

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

"the....(insert superlative)...in pop."

― barbara wintergreen, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

To return to the top of the thread, I still after 20 odd years gag on 'outreach' as a VERB....

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

the mightily empty "i could care less" variant on being unable to do the same

― ermes marana, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

People who pronounce the word "presentation" as "PRE-sentation".

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:29 (twenty years ago)

since i was reading some VICIOUS anti- rachael ray sentiment last night and i'm still feelin' the love: "E.V.O.O. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL"

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:32 (twenty years ago)

"YUM-O"

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:33 (twenty years ago)

cf.

― gear (gear), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:34 (twenty years ago)

Also: 'fridge,'

Wait, huh? Fridge is the thing you put food in, whats wrong with it?

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

Saying "it impacted on me" instead of "it had an impact on me"... well that's annoying enough but, just recently, I've heard people say "it impacted me" - which surely would only make sense if the speaker was a molar?

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 09:10 (twenty years ago)

'fridge,'

I'm picturing him saying things such as "Would you like me to remove another beverage from the refrigerator for you, whilst we watch some association football?"

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:29 (twenty years ago)

bougie, instead of bourgeois. heard it four times last week.

― naus (Robert T), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:38 (twenty years ago)

"Chav"

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:39 (twenty years ago)

bourgie?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:42 (twenty years ago)

"Yes, sir, I am bougie, I am bougie... etc."

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

"what the...?"

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:46 (twenty years ago)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bougie

― naus (Robert T), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:53 (twenty years ago)

"He's on fire"

As used to describe a footballer running into a streak of good form

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:57 (twenty years ago)

chav, prole, "get one...", but most of all commercials selling relatively expensive goods such as electrcal gubbins, fitted kitchens and the like where people say only "one-nine-nine-nine" instead of "nominally under two thousand quid". do you think not actually saying the proper number is fooling me?!!?!!

― stelf)xxx, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:01 (twenty years ago)

"Raft"

When used in phrases like "a raft of policies" or "a raft of new measures" - why?!?!??!!?

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

which surely would only make sense if the speaker was a molar?

Or a colon.

COINKY-DINK, "guestimate," and any time someone ends an interrogative sentence with "at," as in "Where's my keys at?" or "Where's your head at?"

― pullapartgirl (pullapartgirl), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:22 (twenty years ago)

"let's unpack that (concept/policy/statement/generalisation)"

"hating on"

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Oh! Oh! This one REALLY annoyed me the other day:

"Action" used as a verb. (Especially with regards to some annoying little thing I had already been doing.) "Can you please action this?" Actually, no I can't. Action is a noun. If you would like me to DO it, then just ask. Argh.

Especially when coming from the same irritating marketing bods who last week asked me to "manage the relationship" with one of our suppliers. Fuck. Right. Off.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

oh i used to have a PA in the cubicle next to me for a while that said 'diarise' as in 'sure, john is free on tuesday morning, i'll diarise it'. aaaaarrrrggghh

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:26 (twenty years ago)

"Boss"

A term of address directed at Turkish shopkeepers by 13 year old boys and directed by Turkish shopkeepers at everyone else. The most annoying ever.

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:27 (twenty years ago)

I'm not your fucking boss!!!!!!!!!!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

"Madam" when used by shop assistants. This kept happening to me yesterday.

DON'T MADAM ME, YOU LITTLE...!!! OK, according to Watching The English, this means that they have socio-status assessed me as middle class or higher. But it irritates me because it makes me feel old.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:30 (twenty years ago)

i like most of these. i just like variety. i do hate 'action', 'impact on, etc, though.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:30 (twenty years ago)

dude, i call people 'boss'.

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

I don't want you to think that I obsess over it, but "obsessing over something" as opposed to "being obsessed with/about something"

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

People saying 'momentarily' when what they mean is 'in a moment'.

'Whilst'

― estela (estela), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

oh yeah i fkn hate 'whilst' and 'amongst'.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:39 (twenty years ago)

i like whilst too! it's kinda romantic, like 'betwixt'.

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

'betwexit' is ok, a girl i liked used it instead of between all the time. but whilst can fuck off.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

"The plane will be taking off momentarily"

"AARRGGHHH!!! I certainly hope it will be taking off longer than that - we're flying to London!"

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

'betwexit' = betwizzle, obv

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

i bet you all hate 'innit', too. i can't help it! *weeps*

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:48 (twenty years ago)

u say innit, only to piss people off, though, geez.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:50 (twenty years ago)

everyone on this thread: get one grip

― Britain's Jauntiest Shepherd (Alan), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

People who say or write 'cliche' when they mean 'cliched'–it's becoming very common and it really annoys me.

― estela (estela), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:52 (twenty years ago)

everyone on this thread: get one grip

"No can do"

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

I agree with the original poster about 'veggies'.

― estela (estela), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

Today I'm hating 'power off' and 'power down'. I've heard them said far too many times this morning.

'If I can just ask you to power off your machine'.

What's wrong with switch off?

― Rumpie, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

"Thanking you" instead of "Thank you". Aaaaaarggggggghhhh!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 12595 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i think i've just about had it with people zhuzhing things up

― Angine de Postecogloutrine (NickB), Tuesday, 14 July 2026 12:48 (two days ago)

"Snuggles"

― pax ramona (Matt #2), Tuesday, 14 July 2026 16:05 (two days ago)

or similar

― pax ramona (Matt #2), Tuesday, 14 July 2026 16:05 (two days ago)

"lives rent free in your head"

enough of this.

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 15 July 2026 14:55 (yesterday)

agreed, it's the sort of taylor swift-coded "revenge on my haters" language that sounds ridiculous when used by adults

― . (jamiesummerz), Wednesday, 15 July 2026 15:34 (yesterday)

That one is very past expiry

― If your ass is a Bible, 213 will regulate (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 15 July 2026 15:36 (yesterday)

I seriously wonder what some of the boring net trolls will have on their tombstones.

Here lies ThomasRoe04371136t

He annoyed 47 people

― If your ass is a Bible, 213 will regulate (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 15 July 2026 15:39 (yesterday)

for better or worse, "lives rent free in your head" succinctly and graphically describes a worrisome obsession with the words and actions of someone else. it's only bad when it's used to dismiss a legitimate concern, which, of course is the bread and butter of facile internet debaters. to coin a phrase, it's a mixed bag.

― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Wednesday, 15 July 2026 17:08 (yesterday)

That one is very past expiry

you could say it’s two thousand and late

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Wednesday, 15 July 2026 17:09 (yesterday)

Is Guy Picciotto indirectly responsible for the whole "rent in my mind' construct? I read an interview with him recently where he sorta begrudgingly acknowledged this

― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 15 July 2026 22:38 (yesterday)

for better or worse, "lives rent free in your head" succinctly and graphically describes a worrisome obsession with the words and actions of someone else. it's only bad when it's used to dismiss a legitimate concern, which, of course is the bread and butter of facile internet debaters. to coin a phrase, it's a mixed bag.

no it's lazy and bad and people should stop saying it

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 15 July 2026 23:44 (yesterday)

"lives rent free in your head"

Yes this, and I'm also getting tired of "Is (subject/person) in the room with us right now?"

― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 15 July 2026 23:53 (yesterday)

That one annoys me because a lot of people who use it don't get what it means

― If your ass is a Bible, 213 will regulate (Neanderthal), Thursday, 16 July 2026 00:03 (twelve hours ago)

"Show us on the doll where (subject) touched you" is awful and should join that trash bin

― marzipandemonium (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 16 July 2026 00:04 (twelve hours ago)

commas

― Wichita Referee's Assistant (darraghmac), Thursday, 16 July 2026 00:05 (twelve hours ago)

whoa that might be for the 'punctuation you despise' thread

― Andy the Grasshopper, Thursday, 16 July 2026 00:07 (twelve hours ago)

no i mean the printed word itself

― Wichita Referee's Assistant (darraghmac), Thursday, 16 July 2026 00:10 (twelve hours ago)

Thry got me in a comma

― If your ass is a Bible, 213 will regulate (Neanderthal), Thursday, 16 July 2026 02:10 (ten hours ago)

it's serious

― mookieproof, Thursday, 16 July 2026 02:14 (ten hours ago)

"i'll see your X and raise you Y"
nnng

― massaman gai (front tea for two), Thursday, 16 July 2026 06:33 (six hours ago)

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