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) Permalink

"TURN BACK YOU POXY FULE"

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

what?

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

my p hurts!

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

I hate "touch base" and "metrosexual"

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

OH come on, let's touch bases.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ok?

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

'exact same'.

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

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

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

or "bits"

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

optics

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

also photonic inplace of optic

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

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

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

"YUM-O"

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

cf.

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

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

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

"Chav"

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

bourgie?

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

Skipping 5557 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

worth pointing out that lots of ppl are ~really bad~ at picking apart subtleties of language and very often -perhaps understandably- feel personally attacked by usages of language that are not 100% literal

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:43 (one week ago) Permalink

Also: possible cultural variations.

― pomenitul, Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:46 (one week ago) Permalink

Ezra Pound came to this conclusion as well.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:52 (one week ago) Permalink

I don't object to literalism or florid metaphor either. I keep reposting this sentiment but it's really just grating to see anyone write anything that anyone else has ever written before. Not that I'm not guilty of doing that; surely we all are. But I already have enough deja vu without people resorting to stock sentiments.

ilx injoke phrases are good not bad though

― don't mock my smock or i'll clean your clock (silby), Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:53 (one week ago) Permalink

xp hm I'm probably obliged to take the opposite stance as Ezra Pound on anything

― don't mock my smock or i'll clean your clock (silby), Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:53 (one week ago) Permalink

Cratylus would have loved for 100% literalism to be achievable and I concur. But I've yet to encounter it anywhere, including (perhaps even especially) in imagism.

― pomenitul, Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:55 (one week ago) Permalink

being densely, anarchically literal is fun and funny as Amelia Bedelia proves

― don't mock my smock or i'll clean your clock (silby), Thursday, 13 June 2019 15:57 (one week ago) Permalink

Yeah, that makes sense. But there's another reading of that scenario... most people are actually pretty damn good at picking up subtleties of language, as long as they are the subtleties of their in-group. Feeling personally attacked by having to make efforts to understand others is not a linguistic problem, it's a kind of privilege. Taking the time to figure out other sociolects you frequently encounter isn't super hard, but "this is too hard for me to learn" is a great excuse to be lazy and let others continue to do the hard work of understanding.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 13 June 2019 16:12 (one week ago) Permalink

i should aha make clear aha that i am decidedly not of the on group to which i refer

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Thursday, 13 June 2019 16:32 (one week ago) Permalink

Dialectical counterpoint: when everything is ironic, nothing is.

― pomenitul, Thursday, 13 June 2019 16:40 (one week ago) Permalink

hahaha, no, no reference implied to anyone here!

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 13 June 2019 17:02 (one week ago) Permalink

'the exact same'

― meaulnes, Saturday, 15 June 2019 19:00 (one week ago) Permalink

Going waaaaaaaay back, here's a couple of jokes me and my brother made up:
Q: What do you call a Glaswegian rock 'n' roll singer who is a recovering alcoholic?
A: Chuck Bevvy.
That was mine, this was my brother's:
Q: What do you call a Glaswegian impressionist?
A: Zack Same.
I'm sure there's more I can't remember right now.
― Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 August 2016 10:10 (two years ago) Permalink

― John Harris is a Guardian columnist (Tom D.), Saturday, 15 June 2019 19:11 (one week ago) Permalink

I really hate "stuck the landing".

― ☮ (peace, man), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 19:51 (five days ago) Permalink

"Double-click" as a synonym to "follow through". E.g., "I will double-click on you later this week."

― Sassy Boutonnière (ledriver), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 20:14 (five days ago) Permalink

excuse me what?

― don't mock my smock or i'll clean your clock (silby), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 20:26 (five days ago) Permalink

yeah im sorry nobody has ever heard that and been free to post on a message board after, even with a kind judge its eight to ten for manslaughter

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 21:09 (five days ago) Permalink

i don't have the bandwidth to double-click on you right now

― forensic plumber (harbl), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 22:14 (five days ago) Permalink

Weird, when I've heard people say "double-click", they used it to mean dig deeper into a topic, also horrible.

― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Wednesday, 19 June 2019 23:15 (five days ago) Permalink

Well it means that too. But specifically the double-click-on-a-human usage is what punks my pancake.

― Sassy Boutonnière (ledriver), Thursday, 20 June 2019 00:32 (four days ago) Permalink

'Deep dive'

― lefal junglist platton (wtev), Thursday, 20 June 2019 05:08 (four days ago) Permalink

nice try but nothing will ever be as bad as 'double click'

― kinder, Thursday, 20 June 2019 11:18 (four days ago) Permalink

its made me twice as sorry as usual to have opened this thread, certainly

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Thursday, 20 June 2019 11:52 (four days ago) Permalink

somehow to some 'cool beans' has become 'cool bananas' :[

― nashwan, Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:09 (four days ago) Permalink

none of this is true, you're putting me on

― Lil' Brexit (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:11 (four days ago) Permalink

cool bananas is good not bad, i am going to use it non-stop

― mark s, Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:17 (four days ago) Permalink

Who approved 'cool beans' in the first place?

― jmm, Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:23 (four days ago) Permalink

feels like a California thing

― Lil' Brexit (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:37 (four days ago) Permalink

love the mouthfeel of cool beans

― forensic plumber (harbl), Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:41 (four days ago) Permalink

http://www.word-detective.com/2009/11/cool-beans/

I think that what we have in “cool beans” is actually an updating, unconscious among its users, of the colloquial US expression “some beans,” which has been used since the mid-19th century to mean “quite something” or “excellent, awesome” (“By golly, you’re some beans in a bar-fight,” 1850).

Aw, I want someone to tell me I'm some beans in a bar-fight.

― jmm, Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:49 (four days ago) Permalink

Hmmm:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=double%20click

― pomenitul, Thursday, 20 June 2019 12:54 (four days ago) Permalink

That's every urban dictionary entry.

― jmm, Thursday, 20 June 2019 13:04 (four days ago) Permalink

cool beans went big with cheech and chong i think

― mark s, Thursday, 20 June 2019 13:12 (four days ago) Permalink

This right here is peak urban dictionary tho:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=challop

― Sassy Boutonnière (ledriver), Friday, 21 June 2019 05:12 (three days ago) Permalink

Cool bananas is Australian slang, has been around since at least the 70s, but has perhaps only recently debuted in the rest of the anglosphere

― Zelda Zonk, Friday, 21 June 2019 05:17 (three days ago) Permalink

The use of “myself” and “yourself” when “me”/“I” or “you” would do the trick.

― michaellambert, Friday, 21 June 2019 06:09 (three days ago) Permalink

Gaun yerself, big man.

― Orpheus Knutt (Tom D.), Friday, 21 June 2019 06:22 (three days ago) Permalink

weve done this

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Friday, 21 June 2019 06:29 (three days ago) Permalink

I blame The Apprentice UK.

― suzy, Friday, 21 June 2019 06:32 (three days ago) Permalink

i blame people of celtic extraction

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Friday, 21 June 2019 06:35 (three days ago) Permalink

Like michaellambert.

― Orpheus Knutt (Tom D.), Friday, 21 June 2019 06:36 (three days ago) Permalink

take the blame away from michaellambert and what have you?

michaelrt

michael RT

hes a plant sent to sow division

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Friday, 21 June 2019 11:36 (three days ago) Permalink

so says meself anyway

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Friday, 21 June 2019 11:36 (three days ago) Permalink

OTM yourself.

― Orpheus Knutt (Tom D.), Friday, 21 June 2019 12:10 (three days ago) Permalink

once saw one of those custom painted bug shields you can get for your child molester van and it said "HIMSELF" (including the quotation marks) in green with shamrocks on either side

― forensic plumber (harbl), Friday, 21 June 2019 22:06 (three days ago) Permalink

little enough of that makes any sense but as its yourself im happy to operate on trust

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Friday, 21 June 2019 22:49 (three days ago) Permalink

like this but "HIMSELF"
https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-43538418999218/bug-shield-lettering-2.gif

― forensic plumber (harbl), Friday, 21 June 2019 22:55 (three days ago) Permalink

[statement.] full stop.

― mookieproof, Friday, 21 June 2019 23:03 (three days ago) Permalink

Did “cool runnings” fall out of favor because of the movie?

― If I were a POLL I’d be Zinging (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 June 2019 02:08 (two days ago) Permalink

I have never heard the phrase “cool runnings” in a context unrelated to the movie

― don't mock my smock or i'll clean your clock (silby), Saturday, 22 June 2019 05:03 (two days ago) Permalink

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