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 5216 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree”
WHAT ?

― calstars, Friday, 29 March 2019 16:45 (three weeks ago) Permalink

lol

― flappy bird, Friday, 29 March 2019 16:56 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Biopic doesn't rhyme with myopic, ppl.

It's "BUY oh PICK." Just like if you said "bio" and then "pic" right afterwards.

Not "by YOP ick".

Please.

― Gunther Gleiben (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:00 (three weeks ago) Permalink

This has been well-covered

― A funny tinge happened on the way to the forum (wins), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:02 (three weeks ago) Permalink

also it's funny to say it wrong

― mark s, Friday, 29 March 2019 18:07 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Increasingly bugged by people increasingly prefacing all requests and demands with "I need you to" or (a million times worse) "I'm gonna need you to"

― mick signals, Friday, 29 March 2019 18:16 (three weeks ago) Permalink

IS there a way to issue commands like this that doesn't rankle tho?

the very worst is obviously "how busy are you right now?"

but there's a whole spectrum of badness.. "if you could (x) that would be graaaaaaate"

― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:22 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Good old "Can you clean the bathrooms before you leave today?" or "Please clean the bathrooms before you leave today" do not rankle. "Make sure to" is okay. "It's your day to clean the bathrooms." "The bathrooms need cleaning; do it before you leave."

Directness is a virtue.

― mick signals, Friday, 29 March 2019 18:35 (three weeks ago) Permalink

"If you get a chance, can yo wipe the toilet clean with your tongue? Only if you can. Thanks!!! xoxo"

― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:36 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Directness is a virtue.
otm, viva plain language for most immediate communicative purposes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:45 (three weeks ago) Permalink

my mom is a proponent of 'how would you like to _________?'

i, of course, would prefer not to

― mookieproof, Friday, 29 March 2019 18:46 (three weeks ago) Permalink

my partner and her sister especially ask "Are you going to ____?" when they'd like me to do something and I try not to be deliberately dense but like, I don't know the future!

― moose; squirrel (silby), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:53 (three weeks ago) Permalink

these requests are couched in politenesses because it beats getting their heads bitten off for asking directly
still, usually the "politeness" is excessive and unneeded, reading to the receiver as passive aggressive
it's a tactic that is not particularly effective in doing what it sets out to do if it lands the speaker in here :(

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Friday, 29 March 2019 18:57 (three weeks ago) Permalink

If the task is clearly not one of my many recognized responsibilities, my wife usually opens with "would you do me a favor?" to which my standard reply is "it depends on what it is". Occasionally she'll substitute, "can I ask you to do me a favor?", to which my standard reply is "of course you can ask, but I'm not sure if I'll do it". I now accept this little dance as standard operating procedure and it doesn't irk me as much as it used to.

― A is for (Aimless), Friday, 29 March 2019 19:10 (three weeks ago) Permalink

mick's bathrooms example suggests they are thinking of a professional situation tho, where yr boss in fact expects automatic compliance w these sorts of requests but chooses instead to phrase them as if you are a pair of yeoman farmers moved only by their own wills, and whether it's to assuage some personal discomfort of their own or to chip in on the maintenance of a superstructure it is annoying.

― difficult listening hour, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:14 (three weeks ago) Permalink

wait no i was conflating mookieproof's mom w mick's bathroom owner. rly what i want to complain about is "do you want to".

― difficult listening hour, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:16 (three weeks ago) Permalink

I was indeed thinking of professional bathrooms, where the boss-peon power dynamic makes any indirectness sound passive-aggressive, as LL said.

In personal relationships, there's more leeway in phraseology. If my spouse said to me, "I'm going to need you to not leave your shoes on the kitchen counter," the formal tone would sound hostile, while "Do those need to be there?" is fine.

Depends I guess on whether you fundamentally like or hate each other.

― mick signals, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:27 (three weeks ago) Permalink

"Agree to disagree" is fine to my ears, it means "mutually accept for the moment that we disagree, rather than continuing to debate and to fail to sway each other from our opposed positions"

― mick signals, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:29 (three weeks ago) Permalink

I consider "agree to disagree" to mean "agree that this is getting us nowhere, so let's stop", except it is shorter and easier to say.

― A is for (Aimless), Friday, 29 March 2019 19:33 (three weeks ago) Permalink

I don’t know when I hear this it’s less “we’ve reached an impasse” and more “I am unilaterally ending this rather than concede your point.”

There a great Curb where Larry refuses to agree to disagree.

― d'ILM for Murder (Hadrian VIII), Friday, 29 March 2019 19:39 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Usually in an agree to disagree moment, the person who suggests it is trying to assert power over the other person.

― suzy, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:42 (three weeks ago) Permalink

― mick signals, Friday, March 29, 2019 12:27 PM (seventeen minutes ago)

there's gender dynamics in play but I respond much better to orders than hints

― moose; squirrel (silby), Friday, 29 March 2019 19:45 (three weeks ago) Permalink

like "Do those need to be there?" I don't know the answer to that question.

― moose; squirrel (silby), Friday, 29 March 2019 19:46 (three weeks ago) Permalink

this is a boring thing to say but probably when it comes to requests different ppl respond to differently to different approaches maybe

― mark s, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:48 (three weeks ago) Permalink

we shd call this "winsing the thread"

― mark s, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:49 (three weeks ago) Permalink

best if we all check in w each other

― moose; squirrel (silby), Friday, 29 March 2019 19:49 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Silby dear, let's just talk about this at home

― mick signals, Friday, 29 March 2019 19:56 (three weeks ago) Permalink

we shd call this "winsing the thread"

I don’t know what this word, usage or phrase means tbh

But if it’s a bad thing to do to a thread then this thread deserves to be winsed obv

― A funny tinge happened on the way to the forum (wins), Friday, 29 March 2019 20:05 (three weeks ago) Permalink

there's a poorly formed example in the post immediately preceding

― mark s, Friday, 29 March 2019 20:20 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Is it a recent trend to blurb or review a book by calling it "wise"? Have people always done this? Really annoying, usually at the end of a list of compliments like "this was heartwarming, funny, down to earth and wise".

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 30 March 2019 13:12 (three weeks ago) Permalink

probably not that recent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Wisdom

― mark s, Saturday, 30 March 2019 14:05 (three weeks ago) Permalink

"you deserve better"

― groovemaaan, Monday, 1 April 2019 09:10 (three weeks ago) Permalink

You deserve better than 'you deserve better'.

― pomenitul, Monday, 1 April 2019 09:19 (three weeks ago) Permalink

"funds" instead of "money" (eg "please send funds for my upcoming book project")

― groovemaaan, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 11:22 (one week ago) Permalink

Prefer dosh.

― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 11:23 (one week ago) Permalink

Lettuce

― Gunther Gleiben (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:07 (one week ago) Permalink

Filthy lucre

― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:13 (one week ago) Permalink

Lorne Greene

― Boles to the Wolds (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 13:15 (one week ago) Permalink

spondoolies

― Lil' Brexit (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 14:12 (one week ago) Permalink

this was the response to a recent work request: "this will be efforted"

― mookieproof, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 14:14 (one week ago) Permalink

gross

― d'ILM for Murder (Hadrian VIII), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 14:19 (one week ago) Permalink

here's one i've heard around the office a few times: "i just ran out of time"

oh you mean you never got around to it. gotcha

― Lil' Brexit (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 16:19 (one week ago) Permalink

"this will be efforted"

Like "have a good one," calls to mind literal defecation

― mick signals, Wednesday, 10 April 2019 17:43 (one week ago) Permalink

whoops here comes another efforting

― Lil' Brexit (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 10 April 2019 21:58 (one week ago) Permalink

/Directness is a virtue./
otm, viva plain language for most immediate communicative purposes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language🕸

Agree 100% but that wiki entry needs some plain language subediting ("Plain language strives to be easy to read, understand, and use.")

― lefal junglist platton (wtev), Thursday, 11 April 2019 06:25 (one week ago) Permalink

How come you have to strive if it’s easy to use?

― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, 11 April 2019 09:06 (one week ago) Permalink

tippy toes

― meaulnes, Saturday, 13 April 2019 00:40 (one week ago) Permalink

More silly than annoying...The sports call-in was handicapping the Raptors-Magic series. One guy kept bringing up Orlando's "length"--must have said it three or four times. I'm only a casual basketball fan, but does this mean they have a deep bench (i.e., good players lined up down the bench)? Or does it mean they're a tall team? Depth and height are good words. They're quite enough.

I'm going to back away from any other possible meanings.

― clemenza, Saturday, 13 April 2019 00:56 (one week ago) Permalink

In the context of professional basketball, "length" refers to whether a player has longer arms than would be average for a person of their height. A common way to phrase this desirable abnormality would be to say, for example, that a 6' 10" player has the "wingspan" of someone 7' 2".

― A is for (Aimless), Saturday, 13 April 2019 03:18 (one week ago) Permalink

agreed but i personally hate referencing forwards/centers as 'bigs' even more

― mookieproof, Saturday, 13 April 2019 03:20 (one week ago) Permalink

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