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 (fifteen years ago) link

"TURN BACK YOU POXY FULE"

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

what?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:36 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:36 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

my p hurts!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:37 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

"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 (fifteen years ago) link

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

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

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:52 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

I hate "touch base" and "metrosexual"

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 23:55 (fifteen years ago) link

OH come on, let's touch bases.

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

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

― andy, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:00 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― andy, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:00 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:03 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

"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 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:54 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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

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

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

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:30 (fifteen years ago) link

ok?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:30 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

'exact same'.

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

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

― Melly E (Melly E), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 21:10 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

"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 (fifteen years ago) link

or "bits"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 29 December 2003 20:34 (fifteen years ago) link

'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 (fifteen years ago) link

optics

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:00 (fifteen years ago) link

also photonic inplace of optic

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:10 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― barbara wintergreen, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:19 (fifteen years ago) link

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 (fifteen years ago) link

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

― ermes marana, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 01:47 (fifteen years ago) link

one year passes...

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

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

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 (fourteen years ago) link

"YUM-O"

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

cf.

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

Also: 'fridge,'

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

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

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 (fourteen years ago) link

'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 (fourteen years ago) link

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

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

"Chav"

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

bourgie?

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

Skipping 5721 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

it's happening again

https://i.imgur.com/exV8GZZ.png

― I don't get wet because I am tall and thin and I am afraid of people (Eliza D.), Friday, 2 August 2019 12:27 (three weeks ago) link

keep it in the cigar box, people!

― ☮ (peace, man), Friday, 2 August 2019 13:27 (three weeks ago) link

gear's roommate to thread

― Criss Angel Raw: The Mindfreak Unplugged (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 2 August 2019 13:29 (three weeks ago) link

guessing that lady learned in English in India, where that usage of "cum" is more common than it is here in the US (for obvious reasons)

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Friday, 2 August 2019 13:51 (three weeks ago) link

not annoyed but v bemused at the emergence of "slapper" (in the US) to denote a song that slaps

― rob, Friday, 2 August 2019 15:56 (three weeks ago) link

Knee-slapper.

― pomenitul, Friday, 2 August 2019 16:00 (three weeks ago) link

not annoyed but v bemused at the emergence of "slapper" (in the US) to denote a song that slaps

this term has been around for over 20 years

― Οὖτις, Friday, 2 August 2019 16:01 (three weeks ago) link

Was blissfully unaware of its British & Irish meaning.

― pomenitul, Friday, 2 August 2019 16:06 (three weeks ago) link

ok some searching reveals you're right Outic, though it seems to have migrated from (bay area?) rap usage to more general application--I encountered it twice today. And if you are aware of the other meaning, this sub-headline is a little startling: https://www.thefader.com/2019/08/01/rosalia-j-balvin-con-altura-song-of-the-summer-el-guincho-frank-dukes

― rob, Friday, 2 August 2019 16:09 (three weeks ago) link

keep it in the cigar box, people!

― ☮ (peace, man), Friday, August 2, 2019 6:27 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

😭

― president of deluded fruitcakes anonymous (silby), Friday, 2 August 2019 16:20 (three weeks ago) link

guessing that lady learned in English in India, where that usage of "cum" is more common than it is here in the US (for obvious reasons)

It’s common in the uk too but it should be hyphenated, not that love seat-cum-bed might not still get the odd snigger but it will read as the non-sexual usage to anyone

― 2019OK plus bennu (wins), Friday, 2 August 2019 16:32 (three weeks ago) link

Also when ppl innocently fall into that trap it belongs in “words, usages and phrases that delight the shit out of you” obv

― 2019OK plus bennu (wins), Friday, 2 August 2019 16:35 (three weeks ago) link

English place names are a source of infinite delight:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorlton-cum-Hardy

― pomenitul, Friday, 2 August 2019 16:36 (three weeks ago) link

in the UK you'd just call this a spunk bed

― akm, Friday, 2 August 2019 19:08 (three weeks ago) link

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorlton-cum-Hardy

Penistone takes the unsoggy biscuit

― lefal junglist platton (wtev), Saturday, 3 August 2019 08:08 (two weeks ago) link

"woof" < "oof"

not that it matters... they're both trash

― flappy bird, Monday, 12 August 2019 05:23 (one week ago) link

stochastic

oh look a new term that still isnt going to do anything

― phil neville jacket (darraghmac), Monday, 12 August 2019 16:14 (one week ago) link

new term

Yes but no.

― pomenitul, Monday, 12 August 2019 16:16 (one week ago) link

maths is meant to annoy ppl

― mark s, Monday, 12 August 2019 16:18 (one week ago) link

yes but yes but no but look

― phil neville jacket (darraghmac), Monday, 12 August 2019 16:21 (one week ago) link

Stochastic af.

― pomenitul, Monday, 12 August 2019 16:21 (one week ago) link

as an american i enjoy "maths," it's cute

― flappy bird, Monday, 12 August 2019 17:00 (one week ago) link

do you do a lot of mathematic urself

― phil neville jacket (darraghmac), Monday, 12 August 2019 17:23 (one week ago) link

Stochastic af.

Good enough for Xenakis, good enough for me tbh.

― Euripedes' Trousers (Tom D.), Monday, 12 August 2019 17:54 (one week ago) link

xp No I'm horrible at it

― flappy bird, Monday, 12 August 2019 22:18 (one week ago) link

We tripped the light stochastic

― Rumspringsteen (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 12 August 2019 22:31 (one week ago) link

'automatic', in the context of, or as a misappropriated synonym for 'instant'. i seem to see this a lot - perhaps when someone is explaining the rules of a game: "that's an automatic lose". no! stop!

― meaulnes, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 14:33 (one week ago) link

Another interpretation is that people are using "automatic" instead of "instant" because automatic also carries the sense of something happening due to systemic conditions instead of the result of a volitional act. Anyone who has experience dealing with, say, Amazon customer support, can intuitively understand the frustration of being subject to the automatic while being promised the instant.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, 13 August 2019 16:21 (one week ago) link

when you're writing and You Do This Thing instead of "this thing"

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 16:49 (one week ago) link

Sorry, This Thing is very current and is good not bad

― president of deluded fruitcakes anonymous (silby), Tuesday, 13 August 2019 16:55 (one week ago) link

fb otm itt over the past 48h.

― pomenitul, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 16:57 (one week ago) link

It's An Annoying Tic Popularized By David Foster Wallace That Is Insufferably Precious

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 17:03 (one week ago) link

this book from 1975 is amazing and Ballard rightly considered it one of the best books about politics ever written
https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fweb2.uwindsor.ca%2Fcourses%2Fleddy%2Fcreitz%2Fmajipoorbibliography_files%2Fmajipoor26.jpg&f=1

― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 17:05 (one week ago) link

The cool kids are saying "automagically."

― Rumspringsteen (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 13 August 2019 17:41 (one week ago) link

that does sound cool

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 17:48 (one week ago) link

"this thing" and This Thing have different uses

― ogmor, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 18:56 (one week ago) link

[ x ] is a Big Deal
vs.
[ x ] is a "big deal"

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 19:37 (one week ago) link

are we okay with dis ting

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 20:06 (one week ago) link

Depends

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 20:18 (one week ago) link

ok but how about dat ting

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 13 August 2019 20:23 (one week ago) link

not until you're old der

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Tuesday, 13 August 2019 20:41 (one week ago) link

not all capitalisation is Ironic Capitalisation

― ogmor, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 21:08 (one week ago) link

Millions of German speakers agree.

― pomenitul, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 21:14 (one week ago) link

And Emily Dickinson.

― pomenitul, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 21:14 (one week ago) link

not all capitalisation is Ironic Capitalisation

Obv

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 21:22 (one week ago) link

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, December 23, 2003 11:45 PM (fifteen years ago)

Visionary post.

― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Tuesday, 13 August 2019 22:52 (one week ago) link

"In a rapidly changing world/society/environment, ...." or other trite filler lines to that effect.

― ninthyoung, Wednesday, 14 August 2019 23:57 (one week ago) link

Also not a fan of those standard form funny phrases people add to their tweet, like "thanks for coming to my ted talk" after the message or something like that. If you don't have the confidence to let your thing stand on its own then it's probably no worth tweeting.

― ninthyoung, Thursday, 15 August 2019 00:03 (one week ago) link

DM overtaking PM, seemingly overnight, is an inexplicable irritant.

― pomenitul, Thursday, 15 August 2019 15:18 (one week ago) link

"checks notes" is especially bad xp

I agree pomenitul

― flappy bird, Thursday, 15 August 2019 18:13 (one week ago) link

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