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

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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-one 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-one 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-one years ago)

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

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

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

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

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

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

ok?

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

'exact same'.

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

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

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

or "bits"

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

optics

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

also photonic inplace of optic

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

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

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

"YUM-O"

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

cf.

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

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

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

"Chav"

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

bourgie?

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

"what the...?"

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

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

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

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

"hating on"

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

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

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

dude, i call people 'boss'.

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

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

'Whilst'

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

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

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

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

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

Skipping 11715 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Too right.

― Webinar in Wetherspoons (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 October 2025 19:52 (one week ago)

Yeah, agree. Question, answer, done.

― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Thursday, 23 October 2025 19:52 (one week ago)

Send a winking smiley

― This dark glowing bohemian coffeehouse (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 23 October 2025 19:57 (one week ago)

Best Regards,
Your Name
Important Title

Live, Love, Laugh - Bob Marley

― sarahell, Thursday, 23 October 2025 19:59 (one week ago)

-rhonda

― tuah dé danann (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 October 2025 20:03 (one week ago)

Thank you

for the thank you card

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:12 (one week ago)

I decided early on that I would be a cheers guy and have never given it a second thought because it cannot possibly matter

― fact checking suz (wins), Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:16 (one week ago)

I rotate between "All the best," "All best," and "Very best."

"Best" just isn't enough.

― jmm, Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:19 (one week ago)

Best,

M. Johnson-Watt

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:23 (one week ago)

I had a colleague at a prior job who would usually send me Big Lebowski gifs/memes in lieu of “thank yous”

― brimstead, Thursday, 23 October 2025 21:24 (one week ago)

One of my colleagues uses a hyphenated 'thank-you' in every context ('Thank-you!') and it bugs me.

― Sam Weller, Monday, 27 October 2025 11:56 (four days ago)

OH GOD

It’s as if they’re making their thanks all sing-song and it just looks ridiculously incorrect.

― einstürzende louboutin (suzy), Monday, 27 October 2025 12:14 (four days ago)

I use "much appreciated" or "appreciate your help" as a sign off quite a lot, I guess mainly because most of the time when I send an email it's to a part of the wider digital civil service that I depend on to perform their role in order to help me or my team do things.

Sometimes I appreciate them hugely and other times involving them is more a necessary evil, depending who it is, but I still use this all the same.

― LocalGarda, Monday, 27 October 2025 12:25 (four days ago)

For Great Honour!

Tracer Hand

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 27 October 2025 12:28 (four days ago)

When I sign off with "all the best" I am always thinking about

https://i.postimg.cc/Vk8gqx6j/image.png

― sent a message through the Internet but it rejected (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 27 October 2025 12:31 (four days ago)

Something very satisfying about a well timed “many thanks.”

In my job I’ve noticed a kond of tic during meetings that when somebody finishes a 10-minute presentation that they clearly slaved over the senior person present will say “Thank (x) that’s really helpful” in lieu of anything specific and then move on and it just makes my skin crawl. It’s meant kindly I’m sure but it feels like such a hand wavey response

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 27 October 2025 12:31 (four days ago)

i mean “Thanks (x)”

and kInd, obv

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 27 October 2025 12:32 (four days ago)

that's why I never put any effort into my presentations

― fluffy tufts university (f. hazel), Monday, 27 October 2025 14:00 (four days ago)

For Great Honour!

i wish work were like this tbh

― she freaks, she speaks (map), Monday, 27 October 2025 14:51 (four days ago)

that's why I never put any effort into my presentations

― fluffy tufts university (f. hazel), Monday, October 27, 2025 2:00 PM (fifty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

yeah for real. the only way i can actually do stuff like this is to try and have fun with it.

― she freaks, she speaks (map), Monday, 27 October 2025 14:54 (four days ago)

but usually i can just steal somebody else's work.

― she freaks, she speaks (map), Monday, 27 October 2025 14:54 (four days ago)

I just do my Q&A at the beginning and count on someone's complaints about the process I'm explaining to carry me through my allotted time

― fluffy tufts university (f. hazel), Monday, 27 October 2025 15:14 (four days ago)

good idea, i think i'll steal it.

― she freaks, she speaks (map), Monday, 27 October 2025 15:25 (four days ago)

yeah thanks f hazel that’s really helpful

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 27 October 2025 16:11 (four days ago)

hmm i like that idea

― beige accent rug (Hunt3r), Monday, 27 October 2025 16:40 (four days ago)

it only works at places with really dysfunctional software and processes, so... everywhere

― fluffy tufts university (f. hazel), Monday, 27 October 2025 17:17 (four days ago)

I end up in the opposite position… having to rush because my allotted time was cut short by excessive grounding exercises and intros.

― sarahell, Monday, 27 October 2025 17:36 (four days ago)

But sometimes I will do Q&A at the beginning because there’s too much to cover as is and I don’t want to be the tedious person explaining things no one gaf about

― sarahell, Monday, 27 October 2025 17:38 (four days ago)

the goal is to have a powerpoint that explains everything but burn up all the presentation time by letting people rant about the subject of the powerpoint, then just say "good Q&A! I'll email everyone the presentation for review". this may vary by workplace but where I am an in-person meeting is guaranteed to be full of people who want to air grievances and they are ready to go when you ask for questions.

― fluffy tufts university (f. hazel), Monday, 27 October 2025 17:41 (four days ago)

See I am just trying to get them to understand things so they don’t do stupid things

― sarahell, Monday, 27 October 2025 17:59 (four days ago)

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