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

"from the makers of Plus-Gas and Gunk" as the adverts used to say

I have a middle-aged co-worker who calls her clients “extra” all the time. (I also once heard her refer to her son as her “flesh baby” so she’s maybe not a representative sample.)

I feel like I hear “a lot/too much” as a self-description among women in my social circle, re: worries that their personalities are exhausting for their friends/romantic partners.

"If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best."

“flesh baby” to distinguish him from her spectral baby

probably to distinguish him from her [ew] "fur baby"

Q: What did the outdoor car park say to the garage?
A: Sorry, I know I'm a lot.

Omg at flesh baby.

I feel like I hear “a lot/too much” as a self-description among women in my social circle, re: worries that their personalities are exhausting for their friends/romantic partners.

Yes, feeling like a burden for no real reason is sadly a thing for a lot of women. I’ve def used this in this context about myself. :(

F Kogan's "superwords" to thread

sounds as enticing as "superfoods"

"minimalist" instead of "minimal"
"minimalistic" instead of "minimalist"
it's, like, the opposite of minimal

but doesn't minimalisitic refer specifically to *minimalism*? these words different meanings, I think

words *have* different

https://frinkiac.com/meme/S05E22/1063428.jpg?b64lines=QUgsIFlPVVIKIEZMRVNIIE1PVEhFUiBVU0VEIFRPCiBCUklORyBNRSBQVURESU5HLg==

"parse" when applied to anything other than a sentence written in an ancient language.

I'll take it over 'unpack'.

you can blame software development for popularizing both of those, especially parse

http://i64.tinypic.com/14x2dr9.png

there are a lot more entries but i wasn't going to screenshot the entire thing. "parse" used both literally and figuratively has been in usage for centuries and is an excellent word.

yeah parse is great. unpack is awful but it's not a software word either: it's a twee college word. for litcrit, not rars. dfw was always using it.

sometimes he'd have to "bracket" something, so he could unpack something else.

I thought differently having posted and, yes, "unpack" is more of a lit analysis thing

operationalize

also, two phrases/figures of speech I hate: "herding cats" and "the juice isn't worth the squeeze"

but I digress

“This little thing is absolutely to die for, so I’m just over the moon,” a beaming Prince Harry told reporters outside the couple’s residence near Windsor Castle.

disgusting

what is it, a cronut?

"herding cats" is a great simile, being both vivid and visual. it's just overused, mainly because it communicates a particular kind of problem quickly and easily. we won't be getting rid of it any time soon.

Harry being 100% literal there and revealing some dark secrets imo

"creatives" still kills me, I hate it.

Good one. I fucking loathe it.

"creatives" is bad but "creators" (esp. referring collectively to the writers and artists of comic books, e.g. "comics creators") is actually worse!

I only know one Creator and that's Yahweh

Yahweh or the highway

Ooh baby i love yahweh

"content creators"

'Content sire'.

makers

'Dreamers of dreams.'

"merch"

'signage'

Yeah, 'murch' is kind of horrible.

'man up'

there is no worse phrase

This lovely piece of prose was tailor made for this thread

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/university-assessment-committee-erotica

https://i.imgur.com/RabvpCN.png

One I'd never heard before, and god was it annoying: "asks" as a noun. They were talking on the sports call-in about Mike Babcock's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and one guy said that he'd just had a sit-down with management where he likely had to agree to a number of asks. Not requests, not conditions, but asks.

maybe he wanted to get a number of responds

Definitely the newest and latest annoy.

Clemenza, I envy you that you haven't had to spend at least the last ten years in corporate offices listening to big asks.

Education-speak is a monstrosity unto itself (even, or especially, at the elementary level where I am), but you're right, I'm sure I've been spared plenty.

Clemenza, I envy you that you haven't had to spend at least the last ten years in corporate offices listening to big asks.

"sweaty mess"