poncey words that you hate

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are there any words that makes you quiver when you hear people use with a straight face?

I'm thinking of business "buzz" words, but it could really be anything.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

belle and sebastian

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:52 (twenty-two years ago)

For some reason i'm growing hate for the word "ascertain".. although it might just be the sound of it.

My friend at uni used to hate the word "logistics", so i made a point of using it repeatedly during my project presentation. (and probably impressed the examiners)

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"absolutely" where "yes" will do.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

oh god! yes! and inappropriate uses of "myself"!

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

jus

What is the point?!

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

"Poncey" haha

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"I would be remiss if..."

― weather!ngda1eson, Thursday, 8 January 2004 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

but vicky we save literally dozens of pounds a year by omitting the T

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:06 (twenty-two years ago)

jus is French isn't it?

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

It is, but I get sick of tv chefs and foodies talking about pouring the jus over the dish etc. It's juice/gravy/sauce and they sound like total utter ponces, which is exactly what they are

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Utilise

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Touch base

― robster (robster), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

guestimate.

― jed_ (jed), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

restructure

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:25 (twenty-two years ago)

imagineer

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:25 (twenty-two years ago)

ostensibly (my ex boss used it ALL THE TIME)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

flexiday

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:29 (twenty-two years ago)

How can you tell their not just saying "juice", Vic? Or are the pronouncing it "jus" like "puss"?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"ipod"

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

'mission statement'

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

they're pronouncing it ju (as in a soft french style j, not a hard j)

― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

'vision statement'

― robster (robster), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

'on the money' ;)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't stand it when ponces (normally mps) pronounce "restaurant" without the 't' on the end (i.e. the french way). Then again, I'm one of the annoying people who says "volksvagen", "budveiser" and "kraftverk", but those are proper/company names not words that have been in use in the english language for hundreds of years.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"touch base" = ugh, i agree.

also, "yehyeh" instead of yes.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't stand it when ponces (normally mps) pronounce "restaurant" without the 't' on the end (i.e. the french way).

it's the cockney way too innit.

oh god touch base.. my boss uses that and also he says "truth" when he agrees with what people are saying.. he's also googling me right now.

― kan see (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

truth

― kan see's boss (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

― kan see (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Synergy.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 8 January 2004 12:03 (twenty-two years ago)

all of you back to work right now

― everybody's boss (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Medsun. You know, that stuff doctors give you a prescription for.

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 8 January 2004 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

other dire business words:
- 'My only concern is...'

- 'Yes, I take that on board' (=Ha ha! I'm not listening to you at all)

― M Carty (mj_c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:09 (twenty-two years ago)

'We need to look at this in the round'

'We need a proper debate before taking action'

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:14 (twenty-two years ago)

used to hate 'allegedly'.
and 'actually' which is awful in conversation.
not that either is poncey.

'behoove' really gets me. and 'holistic'. i've used all of these i think, at work, to blind people to what i'm saying. so they have their uses.

― Enrique (Enrique), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, I hear what you're saying, but....

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:16 (twenty-two years ago)

'sweet'...meaning 'that's nice'.

not poncey, but very silly.

'nice' is very possibly poncey, but should be used more often, because, well, it is nice.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Anything that has to deal with slang....I don't mind the first 5 times...it's the next 5 million times said by 250 million others.

― questionallthings, Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

fo' sheezy, dogg

― Enrique (Enrique), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

innit

― chris (chris), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

People qualifying the word unique:

That is so unique

Oh that is almost unique

Those two things are unique

That is very unique

I mean something either is or it isn't there is no middle ground.

― Davel (Davel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

stretegic partnerships.

too bad they're my job. :(

― colette (a2lette), Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

'soup to nuts'

― kephm, Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

'soup to nuts' is grebt!

― Enrique (Enrique), Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

not when you have a boss that uses it at every meeting

― kephm, Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

give us an example

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

‘Although past phases of the stretch project have provided a high level of automation to the actual stretch calculation for level 1 beneficiaries the calculation for level 2 benefeciaries is still very manual. This will be covered 'soup to nuts' when robin returns from vacation’

― kephm, Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i get it now

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"guys."

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 8 January 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Pushing the envelope"

― Davel (Davel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"yeah?"

― Phoebe Dinsmore, Thursday, 8 January 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"what?"

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Archel, I guess it means completely, the whole through (like the courses in a meal ...)

― Mooro (Mooro), Thursday, 8 January 2004 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

do people really have nuts at the end of the meal though? or does that refer to having nuts at the pub after the meal?

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Who ends a meal with nuts???!

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

er xpost obv

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

squirrels

― robster (robster), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

*all furiously compose very rude answer to Archel's question*

my answer to the orig question is "latest and greatest." like "soup to nuts" it's something that might work once, as a kind of joke to lighten the conversation, but develops into a grating managerial compulsion

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"proverbial"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

The prefix 'pseudo' is always very annoying.
I never like it when people use a much longer or more supposedly clever-sounding word when a shorter more common one will do fine. Especially if the word they choose is actually inappropriate (like saying infer when you mean imply or transportation when you just mean transport).

I'm very guilty of using all kinds of irritating phrases and words in conversation and that's probably why I hate it so much. I often say ridiculously pretentious things without meaning to, and I can try and pretend it's all done with self-irony, but I don't think that makes me any less of a twat.

― Cathy (Cathy), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate the word "hippie".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Shut up, hippie.

PROVERBIAL and other tip offs to poor writing

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 8 January 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"i shit you not"

― sazabob, Friday, 9 January 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"dollars to donuts"

― sazabob, Friday, 9 January 2004 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

That word the Queer Eye guys always use, I dont even know how to spell it. Zhuju or something? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT WORD. Why cant they say "muss up your hair" or something. Argh.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 9 January 2004 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"business solutions"

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 9 January 2004 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Davel, I agree, 'pushing the envelope' sends me screaming from the room.

Anybody....what the hell is the origin of it? In what circumstances is it particularly daring to push an envelope?

I have siminar problem with 'cut the mustard', although that one I have been known to use. As mustard is a semi-liquid substance, is it possible to 'cut' it? Why, assuming 'yes' to prev question, would you want or need to? What does the ability or otherwise to do it demonstrate?

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Friday, 9 January 2004 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

to push the envelope is to extend the boundaries that surround you innit (sorry chris)

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 9 January 2004 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Cut the mustard was originally about passing muster, wasn't it?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 9 January 2004 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it might be about giving up mustard, which all true and doughty Englishmen would find hard.

Or putting mustard in a cut, which would hurt. And thus prove worthiness.

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 9 January 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"i shit you not"

-- sazabob

Even worse is 'I shit thee not'. And all other Ye Merry Englande-isms.

Literally, especially if mis-used. My best friend does this all the time, I love her like a sister, but it makes me want to strangle her.

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 9 January 2004 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Literally?

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 9 January 2004 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks everybody. Now you mention it I vaguely recall hearing something about muster/mustard years ago from a radio language expert.

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Friday, 9 January 2004 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Even worse is 'I shit thee not'. And all other Ye Merry Englande-isms.

Hey! Nichole's really nice in person.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 9 January 2004 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Cutting mustard = using it together with something that makes it less strong?
You cut grease with an acidic food, eg. duck with orange, lamb with mint sauce, washing up with fairy liquid etc.

It's not really a poncey thing, but I hate it when people use very + superlative. It happens a lot on property TV programmes. Also I hate WOW FACTOR, aaaaargh! Also, I hate people talking about 'property' rather than 'home', implying they have their flat or house for financial gain, rather than so they can have somewhere comfy where they can drag the duvet through to the living room and snuggle up and watch telly.

I am a big ball of hate today.

― Madchen (Madchen), Friday, 9 January 2004 12:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I really like Nicole too. Look, I've just had a go at my best friend.

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 9 January 2004 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"man"

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 9 January 2004 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

improv

― chris (chris), Friday, 9 January 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Anna: Even worse is 'I shit thee not'. And all other Ye Merry Englande-isms.

Even yet still more worse when it is incorrect: "When thou heareth this..." ARGH! "-eth" is THIRD person singular, not SECOND! (er, isn't it? Should be "hearest", right?)

dog latin: I'm one of the annoying people who says "volksvagen",
Well, you should say "folksvagen" :p

― OleM (OleM), Friday, 9 January 2004 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

i am so glad i have never heard Nicole say "i shit thee not" , i mean i am sure she is a nice person but i would probably have to strangle her.

― saza bob, Friday, 9 January 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

not so much a word as an expression, I HATE it when people say "let's do lunch" or "I'll do the chicken caesar salad". HMMPH.

― saza bob, Friday, 9 January 2004 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I never really liked the word "sod". Mainly because being American, or just ignorant, i think of grass when it is said. So when someone with an accent tells me to "sod off" and such...i just get confused rather than what the person intended.

― El Spinktor (El Spinktor), Friday, 9 January 2004 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

'theoretically'

One of my bosses uses it constantly, and I want to hit him.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 9 January 2004 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Disheveled.

― El Spinktor (El Spinktor), Friday, 9 January 2004 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)

whatever.

― saza bob, Friday, 9 January 2004 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

"passion for" as in "passion for direct marketing," "passion for office solutions," and "passion for OLAP technology"

Example: "We're glad to welcome Bob Dobbs to the firm. Bob is a ten year industry veteran with a passion for print layout and production..."

"certainly" put gratuitously into a sentence, as in "we'll certainly be able to do that"

― Bnad, Friday, 9 January 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

"Vehicle" in place of car. Unctuous.

― Aaron A., Friday, 9 January 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

'tutty-bye'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 9 January 2004 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

and 'totty' - awful word

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 9 January 2004 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"Natch" - okay if used sparingly I guess. Inherently snarky, tho. "Snarky"...

― Aaron A., Friday, 9 January 2004 21:50 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i used that 'i shit you not' thing the other day and even i cringed.

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 9 January 2004 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Since about 1994, has anybody heard anybody say 'let's do lunch', without irony?

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Friday, 9 January 2004 23:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"okey doke"

prompted by working with a woman who said this instead of "yes", ten thousand times a phonecall, with rhythmic variations each time.

"o-key doke.......okey-dooooooke.......ooooooooooooooooooookidoke, ooooooooooooooooooooooooooookeydoooooooooke, okeydoke, okeydoke, okeeeydoke, okedoooooooooooke".

Like some fucked up mating call.

― Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 10 January 2004 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

well fred nerk, a friend of mine sent me an email before christmas saying we should "do some beers" not a hint of irony and just as cringeworthy....

― saza bob, Saturday, 10 January 2004 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Already mentioned; I am currently losing the fight to stop using the word 'ostensibly'.

― Ferrrrrrg (Ferg), Saturday, 10 January 2004 04:25 (twenty-two years ago)

There is no more excruciatingly irritating recent development in language than the use of the word 'NOT' (yes it is usually in capitals, and spoken as such) at the end of a sentence, indicating for the benefit of the terminally stupid (in the speaker's opinion) that the sentence was Ironic.

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Saturday, 10 January 2004 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

improv
-- chris (cbrassic...), January 9th, 2004. (later)

so do you hate me?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 11 January 2004 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

ha ha

'paradigm shift'

i agree on improper use of 'literally', that drives me crazy. literally.

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 11 January 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

'poncey'
'eclectic'

― mei (mei), Sunday, 11 January 2004 08:18 (twenty-two years ago)

A particular usage here - "Let's do" or "We'll do" in the context of ordering food at a restaurant. "Oh, we'll do the eggplant in garlic sauce then."

― daria g (daria g), Sunday, 11 January 2004 09:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"the".

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 11 January 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

minimalist or, god forbid, minimalistic.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 11 January 2004 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

someone at work just used "touch base" and "on the same ball park" in the same sentance.

and he wasn't talking about baseball.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

nor rounders

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

nor softball

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

ballpark figure

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

especially by english people.

i also hate "it's got legs", "run it up the flagpole" etc. bewilderingly i just heard someone use all these phrases in one sentence loudly on a mobile phone. i wanted to kick him repeatedly in the nuts.

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

soup to nuts, even

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

lacuna

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm not especially keen on "ludic", either

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I fully appreciate that.

― Matt (Matt), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

anything french when related to culinary matters or heard outside of france, naturellement...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

passive-aggressive

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 16:17 (twenty-two years ago)

ipso facto

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

ipso facto's a good one, ken. so is the phrase type a personality . Oh, and penultimate used incorrectly. And alright instead of all right.

― The Second Drummer Drowned (Atila the Honeybun), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hang fire"

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"from a ******* perspective"

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

For some reason, it wasn't till my early twenties that I found out that 'all right' wasn't just a mistake. 'Alright' doesn't mean that all's right, so it seems appropriate that it be one word. I write 'all right' now though, because I have no courage of conviction.

How the hell is 'alright' supposed to be poncey, though?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

If you say it in a husky voice with a faux french accent.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, you are quite right.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Woman at Glasgow Airport on Monday - 'at this time, Easyjet flight blah blah is boarding'.

At this time? You mean 'now'? Or have you turned into an American wrestler doing some trashtalking?

― Dave B (daveb), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I think someone needs to start a "poncey words you LOVE" thread.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

That sounds like a job for the Ponze.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I have mental image of N. in a black leather jacket doing a rather limp-wristed thumbs-up and saying "ehhhhhhhh!".

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 26 February 2004 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Doesn't everyone have that mental image?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I fucking hope not.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 26 February 2004 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I have mental image of N. in a black leather jacket doing a rather limp-wristed thumbs-up and saying "ehhhhhhhh!".

You got it right, Jerry. It's The Ponz though, no 'e'.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 27 February 2004 03:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"Tony" used as an adjective to describe chic and/or up & coming.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 February 2004 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

http://ibs.theatermania.com/news/images/561a.jpg

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 27 February 2004 03:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Basically

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 27 February 2004 03:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"Basically" can, in my view, be effectively swapped out with "essentially." Does that make sense, on a basic level?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 27 February 2004 04:03 (twenty-two years ago)

'Basically' is now poncey?? I deplore the low bar for which ponciness is set in the modern world/

― The Ponz (nickdastoor), Friday, 27 February 2004 13:09 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not poncey at all - although David Beckham begins every other sentence he speaks with the word! It gets rather annoying.

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 27 February 2004 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

In Dave the B's case it's an unnecessary word because his audience will assume any thought process of his is basic by definition.

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Friday, 27 February 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

A friend of mine constantly says "eep". What does eep mean? It also sounds weird.

Also, my doctor always uses "deviate" instead of "turn". And he uses it 40 times per sentence! It's really annoying.

― natasha lushina, Friday, 27 February 2004 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

my little brother says 'oh my!' a lot. I guite like it and am stealing it forthwith.

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 27 February 2004 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

'reduction', as in 'balsamic vinegar reduction'.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 27 February 2004 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

for some reason the phrase "balsamic vinegar reduction therapy" seems extremely familiar. i think i might've heard it in a dream.

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Friday, 27 February 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I don't like the word "poncey. "

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 28 February 2004 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, my doctor always uses "deviate" instead of "turn". And he uses it 40 times per sentence! It's really annoying.

Is your doctor the evil twin of a member of Travis?

I don't know where exactly "eep!" comes from but Calvin and Hobbes et al use it as an exclamation of terror!

e.g. *calvin shows susie a worm
susie: EEEEP!!!!!

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 1 March 2004 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Reduction is just a cooking term that means 'boil the heck out of it until it's about half as much as it was when you started'. It's not poncey or nouveau.

― Madchen (Madchen), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

no, exactly, it's a word that does exactly waht it means.

now Jus on the other hand........

― chris (chris), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Should cooking terms in foregin that have a perfectly acceptable English translation ever be used outside a restaurant of said nationality?

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

that's taking it a bit far, I mean I love it that my local sandwich shop sells me all those panninis

― chris (chris), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

When a joke's funny once, it's funny every time.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

repetition is the key to good comedy.

Hey Mark, we had chicken on our pizza yesterday!

― chris (chris), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I too have had chicken on a pizza lately and it was num. Have to do better than that, cabs.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Ham and pineapple?

― Madchen (Madchen), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

no, even I wouldn't go that far, but I am going to have some brushetta tonight

― chris (chris), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought we'd have some chicken pasta, or some lovely seafood pasta, making sure we don't forget the cheese on top ;-)

― Vicky (Vicky), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Lam0rs.

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

ooh or some nice tuna and pesto pasta, that would be scrummy.

― chris (chris), Monday, 1 March 2004 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Reduction is just a cooking term that means 'boil the heck out of it until it's about half as much as it was when you started'. It's not poncey or nouveau.

a-level chemistry warped my mind though - whenever people talk about reduction in cookery programs i have to really remember they're not talking about reducing oxygen bonds in molecules, gaining electrons or something (it's been a while since a-level)

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 1 March 2004 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Woman at Glasgow Airport on Monday - 'at this time, Easyjet flight blah blah is boarding'.

That bugged me when I heard it on the plane the other day. I really would like to know why that's the preferred terminology -- why "now" would freak someone out or prove incomprehensible to certain passengers. Any theories?

Also, why "motorcoach" over "bus"?

― jody (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 1 March 2004 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

BTW, I don't believe cooking terms are poncey -- if you can say in one word ("reduction," "deglazing," "caramelizing") what it would otherwise take 15 to say, why not?

"Jus" is slightly poncey but it refers to something pretty specific; "gravy" can mean a few different things, and I think giving "pan drippings" or "meat juice" a proper culinary name awards it a kind of dignity, makes it all sound less sloppy and haphazard.

― jody (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 1 March 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I really would like to know why that's the preferred terminology

This isn't an answer, only related, but there's a term -- which I can't remember and have been googling all sorts of possibilities for, for months now, to no avail -- for a sort of dialect, a pattern of phrases and constructions which tend to be made by people who are trying to speak in a formal grammar that doesn't come naturally to them. (The idea's that most of these constructions are prescriptively incorrect, and others are just awkward; the term reflects that, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is.) A lot of business-speak babble fits into this, and mixing up "of" and "'ve," and so on. It's a couple steps away from the false-Latin perceptions that have would-be pedants telling people to say "cacti," "octopi," and "syllabi."

Anyway, point being, "at this time" is one of the constructions -- whether it's because stiltedness comes off as more correct, or "more words more better," or because "now" slips through the grammatical filter because it's one of those words that doesn't fit easily and obviously into the parts of speech as they're usually learned, I don't know.

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 1 March 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Meme.

― Amity (Amity), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Avatar, atavistic

― Amity (Amity), Tuesday, 2 March 2004 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

today I learned "grellow" and I hate it, not because it is unnecessary (grey + yellow) but because it sounds disgusting. Grellow. It sounds like a cross between grime + tallow or a disease you might catch from a sailor's whore in the south pacific.

― remy bean, Thursday, 14 July 2011 12:42 (fourteen years ago)

I can't picture what this color would be! Along those lines though - "geige" grey beige.

― (｡◕‿‿◕｡) (ENBB), Thursday, 14 July 2011 12:45 (fourteen years ago)

greige even

― (｡◕‿‿◕｡) (ENBB), Thursday, 14 July 2011 12:46 (fourteen years ago)

http://mydesigndump.blogspot.com/2010/07/grellow.html

― remy bean, Thursday, 14 July 2011 12:53 (fourteen years ago)

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