Things you're sick of hearing: Single words, cliches, and tired phrases. Don't read if you hate pedantry.

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Y'know. Shit like:

"I just threw up in my mouth a little." (Yeah, it's no longer funny).

"We need to utilize all of our resources." (It's use, fucktard).

"Think outside the box." (Actually, honey, I'm thinking about your box).

"Z is the best. The penultimate X in Y" (Get a fucking dictionary).

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:13 (twenty years ago)

GOING FORWARD

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:15 (twenty years ago)

The next person I hear saying that gets a dead set punch in the face.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:15 (twenty years ago)

"rockist"

― Dr. Z Indahouse (AaronHz), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:16 (twenty years ago)

STRAWMAN

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

fucking seriously annoying.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

'Twenty-four-seven'

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

"arousing curiosity"
"team player"

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

"hipster" as go-to pejorative

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

My boss constantly says "To be honest with you." I hear him say it on the phone twenty times a day. Because, you know, ordinarily he'd be lying his ass off.

― Pears can just fuck right off. (kenan), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:18 (twenty years ago)

That's definately one I dislike for ideologic (err, idiotlogic) reasons more than any other reason. Also: "slippery-slope"

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:19 (twenty years ago)

"hipster" period

― Dr. Z Indahouse (AaronHz), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:19 (twenty years ago)

Any reference to Shakespeare in casual conversation

― Aaron A., Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:20 (twenty years ago)

'nuff said

Because it rarely is...even remotely.

― Zev, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:23 (twenty years ago)

Need I go on?

― Frogman Henry, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:26 (twenty years ago)

"if you will" really gets my father going.
"Obviously" pronounced "Ohhbviously even moreso.
and to send the old man over the edge:

"Literally" when something is neither literal nor figurative.

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:00 (twenty years ago)

"As it were."

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:21 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure that much of this quite classes itself as pedantry. maybe, you shouldn't try to change that.

I think there is an argument for "utilise".

and, probably, one against "definately".

that's pedantry.

as you were.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:29 (twenty years ago)

True enuff for definately. Utilize is accepted US spelling, though.

― Remy (x Jeremy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

"GIDDAY KILLER!"
Often men shout this at my little dog when I take him for a walk, as if Harry should be derided for being cheerful and jaunty and interested in things. They all pretend it's an original joke, too. Often they have a red face and grizzled hair.

― estela (estela), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:38 (twenty years ago)

I didn't mean the z, so much.

I think the word ("utilise"/"utilize") is not unreasonable, in some contexts.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

Pwnd

― lukey (Lukey G), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 09:32 (twenty years ago)

bling
chav

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:05 (twenty years ago)

"The real issue here is"

― Sarah C, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

"We trust this meets with your approval"

NO IT DOES NOT!

― Sarah C, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

Is there a word for when the likes of Apple capitalize a word halfway through eg all that AirPort QuickTime FireWire BullShit? I hate that!

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:11 (twenty years ago)

go-to

― go-to, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:34 (twenty years ago)

I say "as it were" a lot :( I am very very sorry.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:37 (twenty years ago)

"Think outside the box." (Actually, honey, I'm thinking about your box).

my, how charming.

― Miles Finch, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:38 (twenty years ago)

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/medial

(InterCapitalisation or Medial Capitalisation if you're posh. it's not an apple thing - at the very least it was a Java programming thing before then)

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

Currently I am sick of the following words: ambiguous, epiphany and hegemony/ hegemonic.
Yes I run with a nasty group of word wielding thugs....but whatever.

― danielle g. (danielle g.), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:29 (twenty years ago)

those are all good words. you spend too much time with well-educated people.

― Miles Finch, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:30 (twenty years ago)

Gamelan.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 11:32 (twenty years ago)

"Have stocks and shares become shocks and scares?"

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

"Shrek is a great film"

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

"impacted" or "impacted on"

This bugs me because unless what you're referring to is a clogged colon, you should use "affected" instead, since that would be simpler and correct.

― sgs (sgs), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:13 (twenty years ago)

(It's use, fucktard).

"Fucktard", that's one.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

teh

― Stevem On X (blueski), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

hstencil

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

haha

― Stevem On X (blueski), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

"As it happens"

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 13:12 (twenty years ago)

Re the 'think outside the box' one at the start of this. Since I do suffer that phrase in my office at times, and people also talk about 'putting ticks in boxes', I did at one time suggest we go for an ambitious combination, and strive to put ticks outside of boxes. Sadly it didn't catch on.

I once worked this into an email as a joke that I'm not sure the recipients got: "...the bottom line is that I don't think it would be best practice to launch it at the end of the day, so my game plan is...". Four phrases from the bullshit bingo thing you see around.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 13:36 (twenty years ago)

thanks for touching base

― Stevem On X (blueski), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

"that is wrong on so many levels"

― Cathy (Cathy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

"Get over it"/"Snap out of it"

― The Phantom of the Operating System (kate), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

perfect storm

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

"Begs the question" when "raises the question" is meant.

"i.e." when "e.g." is meant, and vice versa.

"Addy" for address.

― The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

"get a grip"

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

"below zero"

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

"literally", when it clearly isn't.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

"it's a french irregular verb."

― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:20 (twenty years ago)

"... European countries are so much more *civilized* in their drinking habits..."

― Miles Finch, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

"taking things to a whole `nother level" or "next level"

"dawg"

"tony" as an adjective

McDonald's referred to as "Mickey D's". This was old in 1986.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

(on phone) "What can I do you for"

unbelievably this is still in regular use in my office.

― Bidurd, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

"socialist"

("Mickey D's" is acceptable in the context of being rhymed with "licky these" in a song by the Coup)

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

"random"
most things you describe are not random.

― dewey, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

adding to sgs: 'impactful' wtf is that supposed to mean?

DESTROY: RED STATE/BLUE STATE

― Dude, are you a 15 year old asian chick? (jingleberries), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

also, "Ported" transported? deported?

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

"I just want to make sure we're on the same page"

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

bi-curious

― phil-two (phil-two), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

because they really mean bi-desperate

― phil-two (phil-two), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:59 (twenty years ago)

"Clearly." I am getting angry just thinking about it.

― aimurchie, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

radical Shiite Muslim cleric
brand, branding, brand penetration, etc.
any substitute for 'their' as a singular pronoun ("his or her", etc)

― Augustine (Augustine Bearse), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

any substitute for 'their' as a singular pronoun ("his or her", etc)

Prithee explicate.

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:18 (twenty years ago)

"Get over it"/"Snap out of it"

Add me to that one. GAHH. People who say 'get over it' are people for whom thinking is too difficult.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

"wheelhouse"

as far as i know this may just be an LA phenomena, but everybody who thinks they're Somebody says wheelhouse all the fucking time and it drives me nuts. i'm pretty sure it started with agents.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:21 (twenty years ago)

Wheelhouse! How's it used?

― Stephen X (Stephen X), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:33 (twenty years ago)

red state, blue state

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

they say wheelhouse like... "Hey, we need to get this deal in the wheelhouse! What's up, bitch?! You're my dawg, right? Right? Take it to the fucking wheelhouse baby!"

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

Or, "I wanna work with this guy so that I that I can have that in my wheelhouse. You know, just... for me."

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

"my bad" is no apology

― Snappy (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I used the throw up in my mouth line last night or something on here. I didn't mean for it to be funny but I hated myself for using it anyway. I wish firearms were easier to get here.

― Bryan (Bryan), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:27 (twenty years ago)

Yeah "my bad" is annoying. Also, "how embarrasment" ,but thats a specifically Australian one.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:31 (twenty years ago)

On that note Im getting sick of "not happy Jan" as well, even though I still say it :/

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:32 (twenty years ago)

Two years ago EVERY time ANYONE got sick some wanker'd go 'oh, SARS?' It wasn't even funny the first time.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:33 (twenty years ago)

oh shit i didnt realize someone else had already beat me to the red state/blue state punch.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:34 (twenty years ago)

After a couple of job interviews, I'm ready to disembowel anyone using:

"think outside the box"
"join our team"
"we like to think of ourselves as a family"

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:41 (twenty years ago)

Also "metrics" (as in "the metrics of this marketing campaign are..."

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

people say pretentious, ridiculous, or whatever, p.s., aka, remember when, too bad...., honestly, and many many more

― Sabrina Kaiser, Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:57 (twenty years ago)

____ _____...not so much

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 3 February 2005 01:00 (twenty years ago)

'anyways'

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 3 February 2005 01:01 (twenty years ago)

this reminds me I missed Life in Hell's forbidden words list for '05.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 3 February 2005 01:02 (twenty years ago)

"that is not ok"

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 3 February 2005 01:08 (twenty years ago)

"YOU CAN DO IT"

Actually I still like that one. Someone shouted it at Safin during the final and I was gleeful.

― estela (estela), Thursday, 3 February 2005 01:20 (twenty years ago)

"Now we're cooking with gas!"

― kate/papa november (papa november), Thursday, 3 February 2005 02:42 (twenty years ago)

"until such time"

― Aaron A., Thursday, 3 February 2005 02:51 (twenty years ago)

I have worked with several people who think that instead of "fleshing out" ideas that we should be "flushing it out". I can't stand either phrase but at least get it right.

"My bad" is so idiotic and annoying.

Where did the "I threw up in my mouth" thing come from?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 3 February 2005 07:27 (twenty years ago)

jess i think

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Thursday, 3 February 2005 07:30 (twenty years ago)

i think the "i threw up in my mouth a little" thing came from the movie dodgeball.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 3 February 2005 07:30 (twenty years ago)

I looked to see if that Life in Hell was online earlier but alas I could not find it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 3 February 2005 07:42 (twenty years ago)

affect/effect

bought/brought

The latter is a peculiarly English thing I think and it annoys the hell out of me. There's no need for it! "I brought a CD in HMV today." Jesus...

― Crackity (Crackity Jones), Thursday, 3 February 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

Dodgeball is newish, though - that phrase has done the rounds.

I have always hated the word "uni" as an abbreviation for university, but that's my problem.

There's a bloke I know who's sharp, bright, passionate and motivated and he thinks the 1st person plural imperfect of "to be" is "we was". I so so so want to correct him!

I used the word "actioning" earlier. It totally fitted the context, but that's no excuse. Please kill me.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

I hate the word "canoodle."

― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

Mark, is your friend a footballer? They have their very own verb tenses that no one else uses.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

'lend/borrow'

Seriously, why are these two mixed up as often as they are?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:33 (twenty years ago)

Martin, funnily enough no, but he's on the AFC Wimbledon board!

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:36 (twenty years ago)

the use of the word 'loaned' instead of borrowed:
'i loaned that book off 'im...'

'back in the day' (which seems to have died a while ago anyway - good)

'whatever'

'talk to the hand' and all anatomical variants of such

'what ppl want is *choice*...' as used in contexts such as choosing yr own hospital and course of complex and dangerous medical treatment and then yr own fuxoring coffin

* AARGH beaten to the loan/borrow thing by x-post time !*

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure that an AFC Wimbledon connection counts, Mark. (Sorry, only joking! You'll probably be above my beloved Bristol Rovers in five or ten years.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

a "mere" 8 million years ago

― Chilly (Chilly), Thursday, 3 February 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

'Yous' as in :
yous gots jabs.

The joy's of working with unemployed gangsta's.

― danielle g. (danielle g.), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

"our corporate vision..."

"this companies mission statement..."

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:31 (twenty years ago)

"old school"

"dude" (especially at the start of a sentence)

"paradigm shift"

"spin" (as in political spin)

"what's really good?" (as the new "what's up?"

"middle America"

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

Oh yeah, and:

using "party" as a verb ("I like to party")

calling someone "hot"

"anytime minutes"

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

I hate:

I'm all about
I should of done it
Definately
'No problem' instead of 'you're welcome'

Get over yourself
'Everyday' instead of 'every day'
'Revert' instead of 'return' or 'reply'
"What part of [X] do you not understand?"

I was amused to see the Tipping Point guy (whose name I can't remember) musing on 'thinking outside the box'. He reckons that if everyone in your organisation needs to think outside the box, you should question your box.

"Question your box"

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

I keep correcting bosses when they use corporate buzzwords. I explain to them that if language is the logos of thought, how can you think ouside of cliches if you can't talk outside of cliches? But they never listen to me. They just keep going forward outside the box in a blue sky impacting my deliverables. Cunts.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 3 February 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

I fucking HATE the expression "I should cocoa"

What the fuck does it mean anyway?
Admittedly I very rarely hear this expression, sometimes some dick wipe says it on t.v and it sets my teeth on edge. Is it english? american? I've no idea but I want to punch it's fucking mouth in.

― Rumpkin, Thursday, 3 February 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

at the end of the day...

straight-acting

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 February 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

xpost

I still can't get past "wheelhouse"; it sounds like something a sociolinguist made up and introduced into the language stream to see how far it'd go.

"That dude totally lenscapped me just now." "We've got to get some lenscap on this project if we're going to make our quarterlies."

― Stephen X (Stephen X), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

Wait, why are references to Shakespeare wrong?

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

i've only heard wh in a baseball context -- "That pitch was right in his wheelhouse" -- dating back to the '70s.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:13 (twenty years ago)

I hate when people use "literally" in the correct way even more than when people use it incorrectly. Actually, It's much worse when people go out of their way to try and not use a cliche or incorrect phrase. It's like they think of themselves as trying to save the language. I say let it progress into new territories.

― A Nairn (moretap), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

i think the "i threw up in my mouth a little" thing came from the movie dodgeball.

No, that's why I was asked. When I saw the Dodgeball trailer I remember thinking "hey, that line is from something else and it's still not funny." I've thankfully never heard that wheelhouse thing. I think it would make me throw up in ... oh nevermind.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:51 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

"Activist Judges"

― diedre mousedropping (Dave225), Monday, 25 April 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

Inserting "the fact" before you make a perfectly obvious statement.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 25 April 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

"needless to say" speaks for itself

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Monday, 25 April 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

you're all nazis.

(i hate "guestimate.")

― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 25 April 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

"Romp" as used by British tabloids.

"The exception that proves the rule"

"I suppose you could do better/if you don't like it don't watch it"

― Fergal (Ferg), Monday, 25 April 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

"The exception that proves the rule" would be fine if anyone ever used it remotely correctly.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 25 April 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

In one of those "I-can't-believe-they-were-paid-to-do-this" tests... Urgh, I can believe it, especially as it's increasingly rampant!

"The exception that proves the rule"
I hate that, too. As Ambrose Bierce wrote, it's not the exception that proves the rule, but instead it's "the exception that TESTS the rule."

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Monday, 25 April 2005 20:12 (twenty years ago)

No it isn't. What the phrase derives from is when a stated exception proves an unstated rule. "Ladies are permitted in the smoking lounge on Thursdays" is the sort of thing.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 25 April 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

Misuse of "begging the question" gets on my tits as well but deep down I suspect it's a lost cause and that I'm being too pedantic.

― Fergal (Ferg), Monday, 25 April 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

No it isn't. What the phrase derives from is when a stated exception proves an unstated rule. "Ladies are permitted in the smoking lounge on Thursdays" is the sort of thing.
That's what it is? See, you were right...no-one knows how to use it correctly!

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Monday, 25 April 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

I also heard that proof once had a similar meaning to test as in "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"

But I don't know if Ambrose Bierce is a very authoritative source.

― isadora (isadora), Monday, 25 April 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

"To be sure ..."
"Irregardless"
"Market-based"

― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

im pretty sure Ambrose Bierce is THE authoritative source for all things ILX.

― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

person 1: "i had such a bad day today..."
person 2: "ugh, me too"
person 1: "no, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

(don't fucking tell me what i do and don't understand, dick)

― joseph (joseph), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:38 (twenty years ago)

This isn't so much a grammar thing as a longtime corporate naming trend -- the creation of new compound words. As in:

UNIMERICA MEDIFUCK HEALTHDENTIAL ELECTRICORP

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

I'm guilty of many of the cliches on this thread -- it's just what happens to you when you live and work in New Jersey. 8 years ago, I'd never have guessed that my typical goodbye phrase (to strangers, anyway) would be "Have a good one!"

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

Synergy.

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

"Have a good one!"
"Oh definitely, any minute now -- had a handful of prunes for breakfast!"

xpost

― Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:06 (twenty years ago)

George, every time I say it, I die a little inside.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I cringe every time I hear phrases/words like these come out of my mouth, but I'm just mimicing the people in my environment (that is, I just do it in an office situation, which, thankfully, I'm only in a few hrs a week.) But it seems that people like to say and hear familiar phrases, especially at work or in acquaintance-type situations. It's weird, but look at any "in my workplace this happens and these people say stupid things and I'm 459% funnier/smarter/cooler than they are" threads and one will see further proof that the rule literally proves the rule 24/7 as utilized in middle america. cheers, have a good one.

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:09 (twenty years ago)

What I say: "THANKSBUDDEEHAVAGOODONE"
What I think: "YEACHCHH!!! What a retarded way of saying goodbye! But what if I sound patronizing even saying it? Does the toll collector think about what an elitist I am as I drive away?"

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:12 (twenty years ago)

Yet some people can genuinely pull off "Have a good one!" I guess it's coming from a good place, it's Who They Are or something. My good place makes me say things like "Thanks, Man." and "Cool, cool, have a good day too." in those situations, so I don't know what I'm channelling there except the 70s...

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:31 (twenty years ago)

Google throws up (ha!) a few results that suggest "I threw up in my mouth a little" is from Austin Powers - does that sound right?

I thought it was from Heathers.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:38 (twenty years ago)

As for tired phrases, this is more generalist but I hate elevator chitchat. Every time I get in the lift, bunches of beige office workers (mostly IBM staff) have these inane 30 second non-conversations like "I'm fine - FOR A MONDAY!" and "how was your weekend?". GAH SHUT UP MORONS.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:40 (twenty years ago)

Occasionally I talk to my main freelance client's boyfriend and he closes by saying, "Take care." This has alway seemed too intimate a thing to say to someone you barely know.

― Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:41 (twenty years ago)

-- Trayce (spamspanke...), April 26th, 2005.

Yes, but at least one of those office drones was probably you once.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

people saying 'good tiiiimes!' has been really shitting me lately

― gem (trisk), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

He should say "take care, dude" to lighten up the intimacy of it.
xpost

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Pft, I still am a drone :). But I really don't like office small-talk.

In fact when people ask me how I am, I tell them! "I feel pretty cruddy today actually, see I have this cold...". They walk away after that =)

People get used to my daftness fast wherever I work ;)

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:46 (twenty years ago)

My brother's top two hated phrases are "good tiiiimes" and "cheers" (but he hasn't heard British people say Cheers, which is much better than in N.American voice or email form.) But who still says "good tiiimes"??

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

um lots of my friends? they're kinda backward

― gem (trisk), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:48 (twenty years ago)

Ah, maybe they're saying it ironically? (because that's what it came back to about a couple years ago and then it stopped completely. But it's not like I catalogue these things. er, no.)

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

saying 'at this time' when 'now' works perfectly well. I first heard this on WWF wrestling in 1990, but thanks to the wonders of customer service, it's fucking everywhere.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

Wheres "good tiiiimes" come from? I dont think I have ever heard anyone say that!

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

of course they're saying it ironically! it is used (by them) to describe 'bad times'. it still shits me though. it's pretty isolated where i live, maybe it just took a long time to reach us.

― gem (trisk), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

ummm i don't even know it's origin! probably some movie like 'dude where's my car' i guess

― gem (trisk), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:52 (twenty years ago)

Jeff Spicoli?

― Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:53 (twenty years ago)

I think by ironically I meant yet *another* level of irony beyond 'bad times'! Bad times but making fun of using the term good times to describe these bad times. It's complicated! I have no idea where it's from. Except maybe that tv show Good Times. Lately I've been saying "For fuck's sake!" which just popped into my head the other day and is, I realize, stolen from my something my mom used to say. Probably in the 70s...

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:57 (twenty years ago)

"could care less"

Has everyone been lobotomized? When did this become acceptable? Guaranteed to make me grind my teeth and imagine committing heinous acts of violence every time.

― Aramyr, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:59 (twenty years ago)

I'm sure it's been mentioned already, but "postmodern".

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:07 (twenty years ago)

"that's so postmodern it's surreal!"

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

Proving that a little education is not necessarily a good thing.

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:18 (twenty years ago)

"Totally Robyn! It's like something out of a movie!"

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:18 (twenty years ago)

"At this point" has to be one of the most redundant things you can put into a sentence. And people say it ALL THE TIME. Americans, mostly.

― webber (webber), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:36 (twenty years ago)

instead of "at this point" or "at this time" or "at the moment" people should always just say "now"?

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:41 (twenty years ago)

why even bother saying "now"? let's just assume everyone is talking about this point/time/moment, unless otherwise specified.

we'll get rid of all useless details, not now but sooner or later.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

which is it?

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

"At this point" is not redundant, it's just usually extraneous.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:46 (twenty years ago)

Not to get even more pedantic, but a lot of the cliches brought up on this thread are the cliches of discussions about cliches.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:47 (twenty years ago)

extraneous? or superfluous?

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:48 (twenty years ago)

I mean when people just throw it in to the sentence when it would make just as much sense to leave it out.

Something like, "at this point I'm considering buying a stereo," or "at this point Arsenal are the best team in the league". I guess you can argue that it is relevant because you are making the distinction between now and all other times, but come on, everyone knows what you mean. You don't have to throw it in every second sentence. I dunno, it just irritates me.

xpost

― webber (webber), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:48 (twenty years ago)

Superfluous is a more accurate word.

xpost

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:50 (twenty years ago)

It also irritates me when people say "off of" instead of just "off". I have no real rationality behind my hatred though.

― webber (webber), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:51 (twenty years ago)

you're wrong of.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:52 (twenty years ago)

"off of" always sounds great when coupled with "anythink"

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:53 (twenty years ago)

i love to hate it when muscleheads (especially reality tv varieties) invariably saying "let's DO this" to preface small events like leaving an apartment, getting out of a car, finishing a meal, etc.. it's like it makes them feel like MEN OF ACTION or something.

― Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:55 (twenty years ago)

i like this "Ambrose Bierce" phrase - i'm going to start saying it instead of goodbye.

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:55 (twenty years ago)

hahaha, Kim, that's awesome! "Let's DO this thing!"

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:29 (twenty years ago)

I have caught myself saying 'it's not rocket science' (Example:'Making a green salad is not rocket science') over and over lately. I HATE that phrase, why am I saying it?

― moley, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

you should adapt it. instead say "it's not audio engineering!"

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:50 (twenty years ago)

xposts: In the parlance of my circle of friends, those guys are known as "chiefs." They're also about 75% of the male population of the town we know as Broboken.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:50 (twenty years ago)

Audio engineering is not rocket science.

― moley, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:56 (twenty years ago)

"XUTFUL FGGLIUGL was so bad-- i seriously wanted to kill myself"
"If the bank is closed i am seriously going to kill myself"

how many times can you kill yourself in one day?

― rebecca s (rebecca S), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 03:10 (twenty years ago)

I've just thought of one I'm suprised no one thought of til now:

"DOH!".

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 03:43 (twenty years ago)

There's nothing wrong with that.

I hate the word 'facilitator'.

― The Horse of Babylon's Butler (the pirate king), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 06:44 (twenty years ago)

haha yeah, "Let's just DO it man!"

"Let's DO it, man. Let's just get outta here, go down to Ralph's, grab a TWELVE pack, come back, kick back, watch the GAME, just fuckin make it HAPPEN, you know what I'm sayin? Let's fucking DO THIS THING."

HIGH FIVE

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 07:01 (twenty years ago)

"For the most part..."
"In terms of ..."
"With regards to ..."

― diedre mousedropping (Dave225), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

xpost Yeah man! Let's Get 'er done!

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:13 (twenty years ago)

"In order to..."

― beanz (beanz), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:15 (twenty years ago)

"Let's not reinvent the wheel.."

#1. - Rediscover the wheel.
#2. - Shut the fuck up.

― diedre mousedropping (Dave225), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

"Across the board"
"Raft" as in "A raft of measures"

― beanz (beanz), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

this is the worst thread on ILX.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:30 (twenty years ago)

'Making a green salad is not rocket science'

If you're making a rocket salad, this is one of the only times this is acceptable!

I subvert. "It's not brain science" - DO YOU SEE?

Also (stolen from People Like Us) "Sing from the same goalpost."

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

very sick of the use of "uber-". uber-hipster, etc. It can stop, now.

― pauls00, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)

Being called "mate" or "buddy" by people I know slightly. It's fine by strangers (well, not fine exactly, but it's just another social trope, I can live with it), but once the basics of a (business, friendly) relationship are formed, in my head it takes on a forced, prematurely chummy, pretentious slant. Ugh.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

Not to get even more pedantic, but a lot of the cliches brought up on this thread are the cliches of discussions about cliches.
How cliche! And even the word "cliche" is cliche!

*gasp*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!! *fires blanks into the audience*

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

fuck uber.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

ive got 3 today; 'smoke down', 'teh' and 'heh'

lame as uber-fuck!

― katharine (katharine), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:49 (twenty years ago)

i worked for a large international corporation for 6 years and they loved to make up their own words and phrases. the latest one (before i left) was 'lets socialise that!' - used when referring to something the rest of the staff should know about.

― katharine (katharine), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

If you work above a certain level in a large American marketing corporation and you bring somebody new in and have to write a bio for the mass email to introduce them to the company, including the word "passionate" or "passion for" in their bio is de rigeur. "Dave has a passion for outbound telemarketing." "Jane is passionate about Hispanic advertising." The duller the object of the "passion," the more important it is to mention it.

― Bnad, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

"good tiiiimes" is a Strangers With Candy reference.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

"compelling"

fuck this word is overused in marketing. "compelling content." "compelling graphics." don't tell me something is fucking interesting.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

kudos

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

"tony" as an adjective

wut?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

"throbbing acid-tinged basslines"
"pulsating electro" and
"squelchy techno bleeps".

― scnnr drkly (scnnr drkly), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

It also irritates me when people say "off of" instead of just "off". I have no real rationality behind my hatred though.

I hate this, too. But there is a rationality there: the "of" is perfectly unnecessary.

Nor do I like the word "buddy" -- I'm not even talking about being addressed as "buddy" as much as referring to your friends as your "buddies." Like, "I've got a buddy comin' in from out of town this weekend" or "A buddy of mine works the door at this bar in Logan Square." This one is irrational, it just sounds stupid.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 21:17 (nineteen years ago)

"The name of that baseball player was... um... oh, shoot. I've gone brain-dead."

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

"WHAT-NOT"

"DOUCHE"/"DOUCHEY-DOUCHE"

"YEAH, NO"

― ath (ath), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 21:35 (nineteen years ago)

i hate it when you're reading a profile of a female actor/artist/activist/whatever and they start out by saying "X is funny, smart..." i seriously think i've seen that exact combination of words like 40 times.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

Coldplay

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

"the lovely and talented..."?

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

The guy who hosts the sports show here described a student-athelete as being "a thoughtful young man", and I automatically recalled Jack Nicholson's backhanded compliment during the reception scene of About Schmidt.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:07 (nineteen years ago)

"tony" as an adjective

Can someone please explain that to me?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:13 (nineteen years ago)

FACTOID

― Safety First (pullapartgirl), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:16 (nineteen years ago)

democracy, liberty, freedom

― someone let this mitya out! (mitya), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:17 (nineteen years ago)

"Tony" means kind of fancy pants and elegant, right?

― Safety First (pullapartgirl), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:17 (nineteen years ago)

This thread is getting really fucking tony!

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:18 (nineteen years ago)

haha xpost/1

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:18 (nineteen years ago)

Can someone please explain that to me?

What's to explain?

tony also toney adj (1877): marked by an aristocratic or high-toned manner or style

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:18 (nineteen years ago)

Well I'm not sick of hearing it, because I've never heard it before.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:18 (nineteen years ago)

I hear it frequently in describing affluent suburbs, like "the tony suburb of Winnetka."

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:26 (nineteen years ago)

Yes. Whenever one is tempted to use toney as an adjective, one ought to say high-falutin' in its stead.

― Aimless (Aimless), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:45 (nineteen years ago)

I think this is one of those tony American things.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:45 (nineteen years ago)

All token stand-ins for sarcasm, such as "whatever, "as if" and "not!"

"Centrist". Actually all political labels. Especially "third way" as it is used by those fools in the Democratic party.

"market-based solutions," because it is usually used by people who understand markets less than I do, which is scary.

I love the phrase, "Now we're cooking with gas!" I do.

I also like to say,"Somebody's got a case of the Mondays," but that's more of an act of agression than anything else. I think it's a fine way to say, "Fuck you!"

― Fluffy Bear (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 23:46 (nineteen years ago)

"curated" as applied to someone choosing bands for a concert.

― joygoat (joygoat), Thursday, 4 May 2006 02:31 (nineteen years ago)

schadenfraude

"the take home message is ..."

― badg (badg), Thursday, 4 May 2006 04:43 (nineteen years ago)

Also, "how embarrasment" ,but thats a specifically Australian one.

I was doing work for AAPT and was configuring some software that used an SMS gateway to send a message to subscribers, and the message they'd supplied me contained that expression. I pointed out what seemed to be an obvious typo and I was scorned for not being au fait with their bullshit advertising campaign!

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 4 May 2006 04:50 (nineteen years ago)

Hahahah. Didn't you ever see the Effie ads? I was so embarrased to be working for AAPT when they came out *cringe*. You should have seen the internal office promotions. My god. My bosses - male and female - dressed up in big hair wigs, faux wooly chests, gold medallions, white jumpsuits, the works. It was totally cringe-inducing :(

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 4 May 2006 04:51 (nineteen years ago)

kudos

You can just go and get fucked!

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 4 May 2006 04:55 (nineteen years ago)

wasn't how embarrassment a kylie mole thing anyway? i dunno how effie got mixed up with that..

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Thursday, 4 May 2006 04:55 (nineteen years ago)

Didn't you ever see the Effie ads?

Nope, never caught 'em. I didn't have a TV at the time... actually, I still don't. I feel sorry for you and that office situation, though.

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 4 May 2006 04:56 (nineteen years ago)

me too, though it would be worse to have someone painted silver who was pretending to be a statue in your office.

― estela (estela), Thursday, 4 May 2006 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

fifteen years pass...

i love me some [x]

― unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Friday, 1 April 2022 08:29 (three years ago)

made-up compound insult words like asshat, fucktard, cockwomble, etc

takes one to know one pal

― unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Friday, 1 April 2022 08:31 (three years ago)

& all facebook tag group type witticisms should be punishable by ducking stool/tank of cat poo

― unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Friday, 1 April 2022 08:33 (three years ago)

of course i dislike shit like "the conversation(/issues) around [x]" etc but surely this has been said at least once (thread's too long to read the whole thing)

― unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Friday, 1 April 2022 08:36 (three years ago)

"I think it's time we begin to surface some of these issues"

― Luna Schlosser, Friday, 1 April 2022 11:49 (three years ago)

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