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

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To my ear, "pled" is about as correct as "syllabi."

That is, I understand the arguments in favor, but it seems just too stilted for normal use. For almost every audience, I'd prefer a more conversational choice.

I will finish what I (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 9 February 2018 03:21 (six years ago) link

I was taught pled either in civics class or mock trial and I wonder what was up with that

mh, Friday, 9 February 2018 03:35 (six years ago) link

pled/pleaded drives me insane -- I can never remember which one to use when and I'm a fucking lawyer

Fedora Dostoyevsky (man alive), Friday, 9 February 2018 03:47 (six years ago) link

He pled "innocent" to the capital crime he was charged with and during the sentencing he pleaded for his life.

A is for (Aimless), Friday, 9 February 2018 04:05 (six years ago) link

syllabuses?

i work in one of the least orthodox higher education environments known to me and mankind and even we say syllabi

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Friday, 9 February 2018 04:48 (six years ago) link

i was at a gig once where the singer was talking about someone being hung and the guy behind me kept yelling 'hanged!' and shaking his head

anyway that's how I remember the difference

kinder, Friday, 9 February 2018 05:28 (six years ago) link

Twas poor form of him indeed to go so far as to mime it

Alderweireld Horses (darraghmac), Friday, 9 February 2018 08:21 (six years ago) link

couldn't see a thread for malapropisms so i'll park this here. sales guy just emailed me to explain some pricing inconsistencies on his company's website - apparently they were due to "some clichés on the system"

faust apes (NickB), Friday, 9 February 2018 10:32 (six years ago) link

That’s beautiful.

kim jong deal (suzy), Friday, 9 February 2018 12:21 (six years ago) link

sounds like he's got a bad platitude

Badgers (dog latin), Friday, 9 February 2018 12:29 (six years ago) link

here's a malapropism story for you:

a friend of mine worked in a fabric shop in Glasgow called Remnant Kings. they had a chaise longue in the window of the shop that they used to re-upholster periodically in a fabric that they were trying to punt. my friend was working behind the counter one day when some older Glasgow women were having a look at that piece of furniture. One of the women came up to my friend at the counter and said:

"Excuse me, hen, can you tell me the name of the fabric you've got covering your Champs-Élysée?"

Heavy Messages (jed_), Friday, 9 February 2018 23:24 (six years ago) link

I have thought of that story so often that when I see a chaise-longue now I can't remember what it's really called.

Heavy Messages (jed_), Friday, 9 February 2018 23:30 (six years ago) link

LOL. It might have been my mother, she was never out of that shop, back in the day.

Video reach stereo bog (Tom D.), Friday, 9 February 2018 23:37 (six years ago) link

For a while I had a delightfully malaprop-prone boss who came up with lots of things like that. I'd sometimes have to hold a folder in front of my face during meetings.

One of my favorites was "Man, I hate poppyseed bagels. The Rembrandts get stuck in your teeth."

I will finish what I (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 9 February 2018 23:37 (six years ago) link

probably Tom!

Heavy Messages (jed_), Friday, 9 February 2018 23:39 (six years ago) link

In some respects I feel bad for laughing because it was a great job and she was a great boss. And _usually_ you could figure out what she meant.

"For Christmas, let's do a Yankee Candle swap!" Okay, not actually what it's called but I know what you mean.

Sometimes, though, I was just stumped.

"Are you excited about the papple visit?"

"The what?"

"The papple visit." Took a while before it was clear that she was talking about the Pope coming to Nationals Stadium.

I will finish what I (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 10 February 2018 00:01 (six years ago) link

"Absorb" as used by my friend recently wjn she told me to "absorb the lesson". Probably should find friends who don't thrive on breezy ass language

kolakube (Ross), Saturday, 10 February 2018 00:20 (six years ago) link

*when

kolakube (Ross), Saturday, 10 February 2018 00:21 (six years ago) link

Papal probably

Mordy, Saturday, 10 February 2018 00:47 (six years ago) link

the paypal visit

mh, Saturday, 10 February 2018 01:05 (six years ago) link

it's like you're always stuck in dentures heeeere

kinder, Saturday, 10 February 2018 21:57 (six years ago) link

“I’m just gonna leave this here”

Fedora Dostoyevsky (man alive), Wednesday, 21 February 2018 03:30 (six years ago) link

oh my god otm. that one has sort of died off though thankfully

flappy bird, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 03:32 (six years ago) link

that was sort of supplanted by "Boom." which was really only a twitter phenomenon and has also died off

flappy bird, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 03:32 (six years ago) link

yeah not only mic drop but that guy too, whoever he is (bootleg seth meyers?)

flappy bird, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 03:34 (six years ago) link

i've been told he's on 'silicon valley' and is okay but i don't care, i want to kill him

mookieproof, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 03:35 (six years ago) link

hell yeah

flappy bird, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 03:36 (six years ago) link

"burgle" as a verb is a back formation from the noun "burglar", I think, so "burglarize" also kind of makes sense.

mahb, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 09:44 (six years ago) link

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes"

― erudite beach boys fan (sheesh), Saturday, October 29, 2016 1:36 PM (one year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This one drives me up the fucking wall.

how's life, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 10:05 (six years ago) link

that's a new one to me
what does it mean, aside from being totally dismissive?

i loathe all glib canned responses like that
i think i loathe glibness in general

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 21 February 2018 13:40 (six years ago) link

Basically it means that if you engage in risky behavior, you should expect negative consequences. In context, there's also an implication that you deserve the negative outcomes.

how's life, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 13:54 (six years ago) link

mess with the bull, you get the horns amirite?!
it sounds like a dismissive shitty thing to say

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 21 February 2018 13:57 (six years ago) link

I would only say that to an actual bullfighter

scotti pruitti (wins), Wednesday, 21 February 2018 13:58 (six years ago) link

not all back formations are created equal

ogmor, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 14:01 (six years ago) link

There is, for example, a subreddit by that name that mostly shares varying degrees of 'fail video' type antics. But I've also heard it used in real life regarding someone who OD'd on heroin.

how's life, Wednesday, 21 February 2018 14:01 (six years ago) link

jesus
that's cruel
why is everyone such an asshole

weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 21 February 2018 14:05 (six years ago) link

Like everything else, gammon is now done lads

Planck Blather (darraghmac), Saturday, 24 February 2018 18:29 (six years ago) link

I've noticed a lot of people using "macguffin" as insta-snark, like it should be immediately understood as a pejorative - kinda don't think Hitchcock was dissing his own films when he started using it?

scotti pruitti (wins), Saturday, 24 February 2018 19:02 (six years ago) link

Just standard hatred of the scotch I'm afraid

Planck Blather (darraghmac), Saturday, 24 February 2018 19:09 (six years ago) link

maybe they are confusing macguffins with mcmuffins

A is for (Aimless), Saturday, 24 February 2018 19:15 (six years ago) link

[location of latest tragedy]Strong

mookieproof, Saturday, 24 February 2018 20:23 (six years ago) link

Otm^

flappy bird, Saturday, 24 February 2018 21:57 (six years ago) link

I prefer Je Suis

flappy bird, Saturday, 24 February 2018 21:57 (six years ago) link

Je Suis Comet Ping-Pong

this machine slightly inconveniences fascists (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 24 February 2018 22:18 (six years ago) link

When did 'work spouse' start, and how do we make it stop?

Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Monday, 26 February 2018 12:47 (six years ago) link

Work divorce

Simpson L. (darraghmac), Monday, 26 February 2018 13:03 (six years ago) link

"Everything happens for a reason."

Jazzbo, Monday, 26 February 2018 14:05 (six years ago) link

The use of "around" effectively in substitution for "about" when referring to subjects of popular discourse, as in "conversations around" a topic. Though, to the extent that it may derive mistakenly from the notion of "talking around" a subject rather than really confronting it, it may be ironically accurate much of the time.

Also, the use of "clean" as a culinary term, the personal-objectionability of which has migrated from fake-food and healthy-lifestyle generally-false advertising to usage as a flavor descriptor.

Moo Vaughn, Monday, 26 February 2018 16:31 (six years ago) link

Work divorce

― Simpson L. (darraghmac), Monday, February 26, 2018 1:03 PM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Who gets the kids?

Moo Vaughn, Monday, 26 February 2018 16:32 (six years ago) link


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