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

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Lately, "veggies" has been bugging the shit out of me... too flip, too Australian sounding. Also, "At the end of the day..." is being heavily abused by politicos... a new catch-phrase with no meaning.

Now, a small cadre of philistines in my office has been using the word "outreach" as a NOUN... "Were you able to establish some outreach with the printers?" etc.

What language abuses have been rubbing you raw lately?

― andy, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:18 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

"TURN BACK YOU POXY FULE"

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:35 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

what?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:36 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

That seems like it'd be right up your alley, TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:36 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

My friends got into saying "P-word" as a jokingly PC way of saying "pussy" .. i.e. - "so-and-so is a p-word." I tried to explain that it's a real pussy move to be afraid of saying pussy and hypocritical of anyone then to call anyone else a p-word. I think it fell on deaf ears.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:37 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

my p hurts!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:37 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

If my dad wants to agree with something you've said, he says "This is true." It really, really gets me annoyed, for no other reason than overuse as far as I can think.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:21 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

"Have a Cool Yule!" - I haven't actually heard this lately but because of the season I remembered this the other day and darkly mulled over its wankiness.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:26 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

using "Cool Yule" seems like it should automatically warrant a knife in the face.

― El Santo Claus (Kingfish), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:36 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

My father met Cheech Marin while drunk and got his autograph. My father is not the autograph type, but kept it because it is a small bar napkin that says "BE COOL FOOL, CHEECH." A man of few words, that Cheech.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:38 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I cant stand it when I hear someone say 'impactful' is that even a word? Impact is not a property, its created.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:45 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

It must say something about ILX that this is the most repeated topic of all time:

Four Words: Use Other Words Please
"Use other words please."
Commonly used phrases that inexplicably bug you
Most irritating cliche/phrase/expression
"Taking Things to a Whole `Nother Level!"
words that annoy
Words that should earn the author a slap
PROVERBIAL and other tip offs to poor writing

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:48 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I'm getting really pissed of with american interpretations of 'Liberal', 'Libertarian' and 'Conservative'

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:52 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I also get upset about "N-Word" as well. If you're using it in a critical context, people will understand that. If you're not, then you should have the conviction to let people hear it if you want to say it.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:54 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I hate "touch base" and "metrosexual"

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:55 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

OH come on, let's touch bases.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:57 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Yeah, "metrosexual" is possible the lamest noun of the new millenia.

― andy, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:00 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Or is it an adjective? I don't know.

― andy, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:00 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

If my dad wants to agree with something you've said, he says "This is true." It really, really gets me annoyed, for no other reason than overuse as far as I can think.

-- caitlin (wpsal...) (webmail), December 23rd, 2003. (caitlin)

Oh yes, yes yes. I second that one. And the people who say it, say it over and over.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:02 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

But Ed, those words have different interpretations in almost every country in which they are used.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:03 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I blame the consolidation of global political power and the diminution of class mobility on people who write in the passive voice.

I also have a horror of people who write prolifically in all caps.

― felicity (felicity), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:07 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

"It must say something about ILX that this is the most repeated topic of all time..."

This is true.

But, this is a topic that should be dealt with routinely and harshly... the only way we can correct the language and suppress it's organic growth is by exposing and banning every new usage as it occurs... Isn't that what the French do?

― andy, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:14 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Least favorite (mis)usage ever - "ON accident..." it's BY accident you fucking moron!!

Also: 'fridge,' girls who refer to each other as 'girl,' proactive...i'll be back when i think of more....

― roger adultery, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:47 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I know, oops, but still it pisses me off.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:54 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

The recurrence of this topic is always accompanied by the recurrence of complaint about its recurrence.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 01:00 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Space. All this crap about needing space. Fuck off, then.

― Roderick the Visigoth. (Jake Proudlock), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:19 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

All girls must now refer to one another as "guy"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:30 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

ok?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:30 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Using "Sexy" in a business environment that has nothing to do with sex. As in "this is a very sexy proposal for our company". Well, I guess, if ripping people off is what turns you on.

― BrianB (BrianB), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 05:26 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

'exact same'.

― luna (luna.c), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 20:47 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

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

― Melly E (Melly E), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 21:10 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

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 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

"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 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

or "bits"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 29 December 2003 20:34 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

'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 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

optics

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:00 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

also photonic inplace of optic

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:10 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

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

― barbara wintergreen, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:19 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

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 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

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

― ermes marana, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 01:47 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

one year passes...

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

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

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

"YUM-O"

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

cf.

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

Also: 'fridge,'

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

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

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

'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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

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

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

"Chav"

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

bourgie?

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

Skipping 4463 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

using "pissed" to mean angry, instead of "pissed off"! pissed, used as an adjective unaccompanied by a preposition, means drunk. this is non-negotiable.

― A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 00:19 (six days ago) Permalink

i like the use of "it is what it is" in the kacey musgraves song "it is what it is"

― flamenco blorf (BradNelson), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 00:25 (six days ago) Permalink

“offering up” instead of “offering”

― karl wallogina (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 02:37 (six days ago) Permalink

adding "up" to most verbs tbh ("I need to change up my car").

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 02:45 (six days ago) Permalink

Was thinking about the 'up' as an Americanism - as in 'slow up'. But the 'down' in 'slow down' is superfluous too!

― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 03:21 (six days ago) Permalink

"slow up"? is that regional?

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 04:16 (six days ago) Permalink

"slow up" is pretty rare ime, but not unheard of. as a kid, the accepted way to ask some other kids to let you catch up who were outdistancing you was to yell "HEY! WAIT UP!"

― A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 04:34 (six days ago) Permalink

oh yea wait up for sure

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 19 June 2018 04:44 (six days ago) Permalink

brad otm

― sunburst N snowblind (Ross), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 06:16 (six days ago) Permalink

I think 'slow up' is an occasional southern US thing? I don't know - I've heard it a few times. https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/slow-down-v-slow-up.940985/

― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 06:49 (six days ago) Permalink

offering up has a specific connotation ime

― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 07:18 (six days ago) Permalink

Yeah, more like surrendering something, maybe?

― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 08:00 (six days ago) Permalink

its a sacrifice to a higher cause, yeah

specifically a hurt or suffering (afaict whether or not twas asked for or not, you can offer it up the way youd swap a gift for store credit iirc)

― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 08:10 (six days ago) Permalink

Though I suppose I've heard it in the sense of 'The restaurant offers up a wide variety of dishes etc.', which seems to have less of the sacrificial element.

― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 08:12 (six days ago) Permalink

well it adds a frisson until the food arrives at the very least non

― tired culché (darraghmac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 08:21 (six days ago) Permalink

offering up has a specific connotation ime

i keep seeing it in the context of companies “offering up” products and services

― karl wallogina (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 09:14 (six days ago) Permalink

awesome sauce

― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:38 (five days ago) Permalink

stop it now

― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:38 (five days ago) Permalink

thought that one finally died. just let me believe that, okay?

― rip van wanko, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:42 (five days ago) Permalink

OK.

― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:44 (five days ago) Permalink

it didn't go away, it just morphed into Shut The Front Door! Shut. The Front. Door!

― obviously DLC (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:46 (five days ago) Permalink

first time I heard STFD I thought it was hilarious, and I still kinda do! guess I haven't been bludgeoned to death with it yet

― rip van wanko, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:47 (five days ago) Permalink

Are ppl saying that now? I mean I've heard it but rarely. It feels very old fahioned to me.

― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:54 (five days ago) Permalink

tbh i don't know what people say these days, i spend most of my life in the same 25 ft radius

― obviously DLC (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 19:57 (five days ago) Permalink

first time I heard it was just, idk, 6-7 years ago. is it old?

― rip van wanko, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 20:11 (five days ago) Permalink

sick of heartbrokenness

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 20:39 (five days ago) Permalink

^ terrible

― mind how you go (Ross), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 20:50 (five days ago) Permalink

add heartsick, brokenhearted

anything having to do with the state of one's own heart that is not literally about heart disease

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 20:52 (five days ago) Permalink

I always liked the Germanic flavor of "heartsick" it's so radiantly non-Latinate! The Old English heortseoc actually meant literal heart disease but we ruined it

― com rad erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:21 (five days ago) Permalink

"Shut the front door" sounds like something mormon teenagers would say.

― Dan I., Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:22 (five days ago) Permalink

Ha! I think I'm right about that one!

― Dan I., Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:23 (five days ago) Permalink

if you hear someone say awesomesauce it's only a matter of time before they say amazeballs. it's endearing at sufficient remove

― com rad erry red flag (f. hazel), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:24 (five days ago) Permalink

https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1404632

It's Napoleon Dynamite isn't it, along with "flippin'" etc., it's all Napoleon Dynamite

xpost

― Dan I., Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:25 (five days ago) Permalink

"Shut the front door" sounds like something mormon teenagers would say.

― Dan I., Wednesday, June 20, 2018 5:22 PM

lol

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:25 (five days ago) Permalink

if you hear someone say awesomesauce it's only a matter of time before they say amazeballs

i literally forgot those two were separate things

― obviously DLC (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:25 (five days ago) Permalink

decine of western civ: awesomesauce is in the OED

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 21:54 (five days ago) Permalink

I have experienced heartsickness/heartbrokenness, as the word is used in the emotional sense, not in a medical sense. It was during the time when our desperate struggle to take care of our daughter was reaching its nadir and the only apparent remedy that might bring anything resembling peace would be death, either mine or hers.

fwiw, it felt like a peculiar sensation more or less where the heart is located, somewhat behind the sternum, not quite an ache, but more a sense of painful loss and emptiness that rarely went away except in sleep. My physical heart muscle did not seem to be connected to it, other than sharing a similar space. Some weeks after I began to notice it, occurred to me that I was "heartbroken", a word that made perfect sense to me at the time. It still does.

― A is for (Aimless), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 22:55 (five days ago) Permalink

Oh. That is very moving, A.

― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 23:23 (five days ago) Permalink

but LL is probably correct to say it is overused hyperbole in almost all cases

― A is for (Aimless), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 23:26 (five days ago) Permalink

famous example: "the heartbreak of psoriasis". hell, I have psoriasis and heartbreak isn't even in the same country.

― A is for (Aimless), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 23:30 (five days ago) Permalink

exactly -- i'm not saying it's not real, just saying it's an overused and cheap cliche

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 23:55 (five days ago) Permalink

I wrote a couple sonnets recently and it turns out all metaphors and most three-word phrases are cliches. :(

― valorous wokelord (silby), Wednesday, 20 June 2018 23:57 (five days ago) Permalink

I can't really imagine that kind of pain, Aimless, I hope you never experience it again.

― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, 21 June 2018 02:13 (four days ago) Permalink

‘Shut the front door’ is associated with ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ because Guy Fieri says it more often than ‘flavortown’.

― suzy, Thursday, 21 June 2018 07:28 (four days ago) Permalink

I picture Elaine saying it on Seinfeld. I’m glad I don't watch any Guy Fieri shows.

― He said captain, I said wot (FlopsyDuck), Thursday, 21 June 2018 12:13 (four days ago) Permalink

^ Yes! I'm certain that Elaine said it at least a couple times. I have no idea if it's old or not it just sounds like it is somehow.

― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Thursday, 21 June 2018 14:31 (four days ago) Permalink

We're probably getting into overly-prescriptive, distinctly 'my problem' territory here, but I keep hearing people at work say 'squash' when they mean 'quash' and it's driving me nuts.

― Rep. Bob Excellentfrappuccino (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 13:17 (three days ago) Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20hgQa-mkVQ

― womp womp that sucker (Tom D.), Friday, 22 June 2018 13:27 (three days ago) Permalink

That undercuts the impact my much-beloved retort, 'no, YOU'RE the door!'

― Rep. Bob Excellentfrappuccino (Old Lunch), Friday, 22 June 2018 13:32 (three days ago) Permalink

Flippin' eck, Tucker.

― Tim, Friday, 22 June 2018 15:06 (three days ago) Permalink

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