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

"eat a bag of dicks"

Still acceptable on Archer.

haha no should i

― marcos, Tuesday, April 5, 2016 10:06 AM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Y.........
es

"This option concentrates efforts on restoring the High Road as the key economic generator, linked to a smaller live work area in the current Cultural quarter, but with an offer that would complement High Road retail with a range of cultural, entertainment and community focused offers ... The Mall would be retained, but targeted façade, lighting and programming changes brought into effect to upgrade the 1970's character of the offer. This would include curating outdoor markets, popup street food events and other happenings alongside the re-skinning of the building, and the better management of the service yards, which impact negatively on near-by residential areas. A greater mix of uses is anticipated on the rejuvenated High Road.

lol my job is fixing stuff like this. i try to be understanding and i don't hold personal grudges against whoever wrote it, but like as the language of institution it gets to me on a level that's actually too deep for the word "annoy". it just is so ugly, i guess like the council's new buildings will be.

outdoor markets, popup street food events - these things must be good, right - everyone wants outdoor markets and streetfood events even if they're run by your local council and have a dirty banner flapping in the rain and a few carnival chip vans with "ABC Catering" written on the side.

I do hold grudges. I just can't believe how badly written it is and that someone gets paid good money for writing it. It's mind-boggling. There are 41 pages of it as well.

I don't get where this 'offer' usage came from. It seems very widespread in local government but is obviously connected to some kind of marketing jargon. 'Quarter' has been around for a while, of course, and is much used by estate agents, as well. I really don't like 'curating' just to mean selecting things or putting on events; it just seems pretentious when referring to organising these kinds of street events like farmer's markets and so forth.

'offer' is used by pub companies etc too

The people who write stuff like that must be deeply insecure about the value of what they do compared to the compensation they receive for dong it.

It's as if they know they are suspended above the hard ground of reality and must constantly flap their arms as hard as they can to stay aloft.

Oh totally, it's jargon used to create the illusion of technical knowledge or skill. Jargon which by its existence props up jobs and job titles, waste and wasteful projects, weak legislation and delays.

As well as the obvious need to alienate the public and prevent them from understanding what their taxes are or aren't paying for.

I haven't worked in a council but based on experience in government I can imagine that for someone writing local council blurbs, the concept of serving the public (let alone writing for them) is so alien as to be disturbing and threatening. They work for each other.

Pulled from the annoying co-workers thread:

A co-worker regularly says "verbage" instead of "verbiage," and now multiple other co-workers are doing it, too. I feel like I finally understand that William Burroughs line about language being a virus.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Tuesday, April 5, 2016 5:55 PM

Unfortunately, "verbage" has been acceptable usage in the printing biz going back almost 20 years, ime.
― Honor thy pisstake as a hidden intention. (WilliamC), Tuesday, April 5, 2016 5:59 PM

"Foilage"

"umbriage"

smoke a little herbage, engage in a little verbage

The term is "doobage," I believe.

"doobiage"

"Frontbutt"

"Yaaaaas Kween!" as a young white people thing is Broad City's fault, isn't it.

Oh totally, it's jargon used to create the illusion of technical knowledge or skill. Jargon which by its existence props up jobs and job titles, waste and wasteful projects, weak legislation and delays.

there's an interesting chapter in Steven Pinker''s 'A Sense Of Style' (which is excellent btw) where he discusses this phenomenon, where language appears to be deliberately designed to put readers off. Very often, he argues, it's not completely deliberate but down to a so-called 'curse of knowledge'.

I've never read his stuff but I know he is a revered figure among people who do my job.

"Yaaaaas Kween!" as a young white people thing is Broad City's fault, isn't it.

― human life won't become a cat (man alive), Friday, April 8, 2016 3:14 AM (16 hours ago) Bookmark

100%

it's more or less ruined the show too

That and Hillary Clinton have made me not want to watch it again.

not familiar with "Yaaaaas" but it was probably stolen from this guy

http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2010/118/4779_127259428817.jpg

That and Hillary Clinton have made me not want to watch it again.

lol ok the hillary cameo made you not want to watch it again.

not familiar with "Yaaaaas" but it was probably stolen from this guy

not the same thing at all

less "annoy" and more "outright infuriate" is the condescending, dismissive 'take yr meds' zing some people use on someone who is mildly upset.

grosser when the person actually has a legitimate grievance. grossest when the person on the receiving end actually takes SSRIs or any kind of meds for their condition - "lol mental illness, amirite", essentially.

How do we feel about "momager"? Kris Jenner tried to copyright the word.

Snapchat
Instagram

#adulting

― Jeff, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 6:14 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/12932764_10153376523541246_490151049916844113_n.jpg?oh=85bae54e8b5fbdde2dbf37838da03215&oe=5778B66C

news flash: even adults hit snooze sometimes

Funny thing is that I haven't worn a bra since I was in grade school.

people not from the south who say "y'all" drive me kinda nuts

My stepdad from Chicago would pick up the phone and say "Howdy!" and I was always "please do not do that..."

None of those stickers are things I would particularly associate with being an adult.

Beyond taking full responsibility as the master of your own actions and their consequences, I'm not sure there are any per se "adult" acts.

c on t

?

heyo

lol

people not from the south who say "y'all" drive me kinda nuts

― k3vin k., Monday, April 11, 2016 2:34 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm not from the south but I spent a number of my formative childhood years living in the south. So although the accent may be gone, some of the vernacular has stuck. Hope that's all right with y'all.

People who say "take yr meds" as a dismissive condescending way of mocking someone who is angry or upset. Moreso when said person actually takes antidepressants

Not "annoy" as much as "makes me see red"

As a southerner I say y'all all the time with no affectation. everyone does here. but when I'm around non-southerners I do get self-conscious about it and sometimes blank, unable to think of a substitute. sometimes "you guys" just sounds even worse

less "annoy" and more "outright infuriate" is the condescending, dismissive 'take yr meds' zing some people use on someone who is mildly upset.

grosser when the person actually has a legitimate grievance. grossest when the person on the receiving end actually takes SSRIs or any kind of meds for their condition - "lol mental illness, amirite", essentially.

― Neanderthal, Sunday, April 10, 2016 9:03 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

People who say "take yr meds" as a dismissive condescending way of mocking someone who is angry or upset. Moreso when said person actually takes antidepressants

Not "annoy" as much as "makes me see red"

― Neanderthal, Monday, April 11, 2016 7:22 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dude. take your meds.

^ I said from three states away.

I...thought the first post yesterday didn't go through! Christ I'm losing it

I have a southern friend (who professionally is a composition and rhetoric professor so is an aficionado of language and writing) and evangelizes for "y'all" as the ideal short, informal, non-gendered term for any group of people.

Evangelism for "y'all" is hardly necessary, since it already has tens of millions of devoted users and is readily understood by tens of millions more who do not choose to use it. I'd say it is pretty well established.

like Jesus

what is "y'all", is that short for "yogurt all"

From the south, hate yall. We didn't say y'all where I'm from either, too lazy for that. Just yall.

'Y'all' has real utility. It's a quick and easy way of addressing 'all of you' in a world where no equally succinct construction exists.

Is there an abbreviation for "all of y'all"?