An all-new version of the ILX code is being developed. You can test and comment at sandbox.ilxor.com.

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

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (13127 of them)
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 (twenty-two years ago)


"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 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

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

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 00:54 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

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

― Roderick the Visigoth. (Jake Proudlock), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

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

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

ok?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

'exact same'.

― luna (luna.c), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

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

― Melly E (Melly E), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

"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 (twenty-two years ago)

or "bits"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 29 December 2003 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

'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 (twenty-two years ago)

optics

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

also photonic inplace of optic

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

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

― barbara wintergreen, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

the mightily empty "i could care less" variant on being unable to do the same

― ermes marana, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...
People who pronounce the word "presentation" as "PRE-sentation".

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:29 (twenty-one years ago)

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 (twenty-one years ago)

"YUM-O"

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:33 (twenty-one years ago)

cf.

― gear (gear), Thursday, 18 August 2005 07:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Also: 'fridge,'

Wait, huh? Fridge is the thing you put food in, whats wrong with it?

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

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 (twenty-one years ago)

'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 (twenty-one years ago)

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

― naus (Robert T), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"Chav"

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:39 (twenty-one years ago)

bourgie?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"Yes, sir, I am bougie, I am bougie... etc."

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"what the...?"

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:46 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bougie

― naus (Robert T), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"He's on fire"

As used to describe a footballer running into a streak of good form

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)

chav, prole, "get one...", but most of all commercials selling relatively expensive goods such as electrcal gubbins, fitted kitchens and the like where people say only "one-nine-nine-nine" instead of "nominally under two thousand quid". do you think not actually saying the proper number is fooling me?!!?!!

― stelf)xxx, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"Raft"

When used in phrases like "a raft of policies" or "a raft of new measures" - why?!?!??!!?

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:03 (twenty-one years ago)

which surely would only make sense if the speaker was a molar?

Or a colon.

COINKY-DINK, "guestimate," and any time someone ends an interrogative sentence with "at," as in "Where's my keys at?" or "Where's your head at?"

― pullapartgirl (pullapartgirl), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"let's unpack that (concept/policy/statement/generalisation)"

"hating on"

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh! Oh! This one REALLY annoyed me the other day:

"Action" used as a verb. (Especially with regards to some annoying little thing I had already been doing.) "Can you please action this?" Actually, no I can't. Action is a noun. If you would like me to DO it, then just ask. Argh.

Especially when coming from the same irritating marketing bods who last week asked me to "manage the relationship" with one of our suppliers. Fuck. Right. Off.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

oh i used to have a PA in the cubicle next to me for a while that said 'diarise' as in 'sure, john is free on tuesday morning, i'll diarise it'. aaaaarrrrggghh

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:26 (twenty-one years ago)

"Boss"

A term of address directed at Turkish shopkeepers by 13 year old boys and directed by Turkish shopkeepers at everyone else. The most annoying ever.

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not your fucking boss!!!!!!!!!!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

"Madam" when used by shop assistants. This kept happening to me yesterday.

DON'T MADAM ME, YOU LITTLE...!!! OK, according to Watching The English, this means that they have socio-status assessed me as middle class or higher. But it irritates me because it makes me feel old.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i like most of these. i just like variety. i do hate 'action', 'impact on, etc, though.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

dude, i call people 'boss'.

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't want you to think that I obsess over it, but "obsessing over something" as opposed to "being obsessed with/about something"

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

People saying 'momentarily' when what they mean is 'in a moment'.

'Whilst'

― estela (estela), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah i fkn hate 'whilst' and 'amongst'.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i like whilst too! it's kinda romantic, like 'betwixt'.

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:45 (twenty-one years ago)

'betwexit' is ok, a girl i liked used it instead of between all the time. but whilst can fuck off.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Tbf "meat and two veg" long precedes the veggie talk.

― Alba, Tuesday, 20 October 2026 16:04 (two days ago)

xxp Reminds me of when we first moved to the UK and lived one minute away from my son's primary school. My wife would try to take a hot lunch for him and the school were baffled and unhappy at her for daring to do that, they would give her leaflets with advice like "don't just give your kids crisps and a chocolate bar for lunch!" as if she was being somehow a neglectful parent by not wanting him to have cold cheese sandwiches and carrot sticks and a fruit shoot.

― Bob Karol G (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 20 October 2026 16:07 (two days ago)

wait is ai-generated lo fi study beats supposed to be healthy food in this metaphor? that's interesting.

― old helen (map^2), Tuesday, 20 October 2026 17:02 (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

not healthy food but "healthy food"

― Bob Karol G (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 20 October 2026 16:07 (two days ago)

Wordplay I had missed - the use of veggie + tales to get something resembling the full word "vegetables". Sad to say evangelical punning went over my head for so long

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeggieTales

later on the page, this cursed image caption, "Mr. Lunt, Pa Grape, and Larry the Cucumber at the Celebrate Freedom 2007 concert"

― bendy, Tuesday, 20 October 2026 17:00 (two days ago)

also cursed "Junior Asparagus Bedtime Friend"

― bendy, Tuesday, 20 October 2026 17:01 (two days ago)

that's a (sub-optimal) meal deal, imo

I was told that "boy dinner" has a veneer of "post-gym protein load" to it, but my frame of reference was limited to a single millennial friend on this

― always sometimes easy time (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 20 October 2026 17:29 (two days ago)

"Journey."

As in: "In 2007 I began my writing journey..." Yeah, no.

― stopping by billy woods on a snowy evening (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 12:15 (yesterday)

i’ve got your boy dinner right here

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 21 October 2026 12:16 (yesterday)

aka my “post-gym protein load”

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 21 October 2026 12:16 (yesterday)

Fped

― And the former was the Brew Crew, while the latter was the Rays; (gyac), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 12:29 (yesterday)

lol

― Art Cow (Cow_Art), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 12:41 (yesterday)

Junior Asparagus Bedtime Friend = 20th century schizoid man … now I am cursed.

― sarahell, Wednesday, 21 October 2026 17:38 (yesterday)

I also hate “journey.”

I won’t justify the “protein” language but as a total jock who often needs to protein load, I understand it to a certain degree, and it doesn’t annoy me.

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 19:15 (yesterday)

I will say that I resent the projection that people who care about what they put into their bodies are “joyless” and don’t know how to “enjoy life.” Maybe the idea that just eating whatever shit you want is “enjoying life” is a actually the disordered thinking.

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 19:18 (yesterday)

i know the internet has moved well past this but i still feel a pedantic twinge when someone uses "TERF" to describe a transphobe who isn't a radical feminist

― c u (crüt), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 19:23 (yesterday)

"I won’t justify the “protein” language but as a total jock who often needs to protein load, I understand it to a certain degree'

LOL the entire historical thred about this. i assume it's long abandoned one, tho i don't know or care. the people who spend a huge amount of their efforts to chase results that are useful only in the last 5% of performance bettter be fucking PRO, as they said in the teens.

as far as shorthanding food into protein carb fat or nutritional sectors, fine. it's not un-useful in the big picture, but it's used for daily application that is often just delusional.

― i am beyond the number of fingers (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 20:51 (yesterday)

I will say that I resent the projection that people who care about what they put into their bodies are “joyless” and don’t know how to “enjoy life.” Maybe the idea that just eating whatever shit you want is “enjoying life” is a actually the disordered thinking.

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 20:18 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Not meant as a personal attack, it is the entire culture (I'm thinking UK here but USA seems to be similar) that has a fucked up relationship with food, we are all to some extent products of our culture.

― Bob Karol G (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 21:02 (yesterday)

...i.e., yogurt

― Paprikachu (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 21:04 (yesterday)

Hunt3r I don’t know or care about the historical thread.

I bicycle close to 45 mi/week, climb and strength train 3-4 days a week, all told. All available literature points to .7g/1g of protein per pound of body weight with the amount of exercise I do, and I often find it hard to reach the lower end of that if I don’t resort to supplements. But sure, laugh away and be a dismissive dick

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 21:29 (yesterday)

LOL the entire historical thred about this. i assume it's long abandoned one, tho i don't know or care. the people who spend a huge amount of their efforts to chase results that are useful only in the last 5% of performance bettter be fucking PRO, as they said in the teens.

as far as shorthanding food into protein carb fat or nutritional sectors, fine. it's not un-useful in the big picture, but it's used for daily application that is often just delusional.

― i am beyond the number of fingers (Hunt3r)

why do you care?

― stopping by billy woods on a snowy evening (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 21:31 (yesterday)

love me some tactical protein

― brimstead, Wednesday, 21 October 2026 22:26 (yesterday)

a) tabes and all, i’m sincerely sorry to seem a dick— it’s a general comment about me if course we needn’t pretend.

b) knowing the generals and following from there is great, totally still do that. when my 20 y/o kid bought a food scale lately i forced a talk.

c) alfred, i think you know, let’s don’t pretend. it’s because of me chasing performance i did a lot of orthorexic shit in the 90s.

when you’re weighing your portions, you BETTER be chasing the last couple %. and by then your physio should be doing it for you.

and for all my sincere apologies— and they are sincere— there’s shit i laugh at. been there too much. partially a laugh at me.

― i am beyond the number of fingers (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 22:33 (yesterday)

seems like there could be a better thread for this line of chat... unless we wanna talk about 'fiber-maxxing', then you're in the right place

― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 21 October 2026 22:41 (yesterday)

I am actually not bothered by the categories tbh … thinking about aging and medical problems that require dietary changes… like, if you are used to eating red meat or lol BACON SAUSAGE etc and don’t know what else contains protein… it can be helpful… or, y’know, being reminded that potatoes are starchy carbs … also portion control idk … though I am certain that in some contexts this would annoy the shit out of me

― sarahell, Wednesday, 21 October 2026 23:02 (yesterday)

starchy carbs

O no another platty jubes

― Paprikachu (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 23:04 (yesterday)

c) alfred, i think you know, let’s don’t pretend. it’s because of me chasing performance i did a lot of orthorexic shit in the 90s.

With all due respect, I didn't know -- this is the kind of detail that gets lost on ILX after three decades.

― stopping by billy woods on a snowy evening (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 23:08 (yesterday)

Hunter, I get it. I have had problems with disordered eating my whole life— for reference, I was 215 in December of my freshman year of high school, and 118 by April of my sophomore year. At the moment I am
hitting what I need to but getting everything right, especially as my metabolism has slowed (I am 42), has been very fucking tiresome. Sorry to have lashed out.

― out of the cradle endlessly party rocking (the table is the table), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 23:09 (yesterday)

you’re all super kind thx. I remember like 25+ yrs afo how i was gonna meet my protein recommendations i was like “yo that shit’s impossible even with greek yogurt in a funnel yo.”

― i am beyond the number of fingers (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 23:37 (yesterday)

“ago” plus other errors.

― i am beyond the number of fingers (Hunt3r), Wednesday, 21 October 2026 23:37 (yesterday)

also tabes, upon late review those numbers are real hard to read, sorry again. i sure hope you’re well, happy, and content. i know battles similar or overlapping to those, that’s all.

― i am beyond the number of fingers (Hunt3r), Thursday, 22 October 2026 02:35 (ten hours ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.