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

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

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

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 years ago) link

"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 years ago) link

or "bits"

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

'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 years ago) link

optics

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

also photonic inplace of optic

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

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

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

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 years ago) link

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

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

one year passes...

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

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

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 (nineteen years ago) link

"YUM-O"

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

cf.

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

Also: 'fridge,'

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

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:01 (nineteen years ago) link

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 (nineteen years ago) link

'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 (nineteen years ago) link

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

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

"Chav"

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

bourgie?

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

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

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

"what the...?"

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

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

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

"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 (nineteen years ago) link

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 (nineteen years ago) link

"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 (nineteen years ago) link

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 (nineteen years ago) link

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

"hating on"

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

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 (nineteen years ago) link

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 (nineteen years ago) link

"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 (nineteen years ago) link

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

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

"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 (nineteen years ago) link

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 (nineteen years ago) link

dude, i call people 'boss'.

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

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 (nineteen years ago) link

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

'Whilst'

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

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

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

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

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

'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 (nineteen years ago) link

"The plane will be taking off momentarily"

"AARRGGHHH!!! I certainly hope it will be taking off longer than that - we're flying to London!"

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:47 (nineteen years ago) link

'betwexit' = betwizzle, obv

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:47 (nineteen years ago) link

i bet you all hate 'innit', too. i can't help it! *weeps*

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:48 (nineteen years ago) link

u say innit, only to piss people off, though, geez.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:50 (nineteen years ago) link

everyone on this thread: get one grip

― Britain's Jauntiest Shepherd (Alan), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:51 (nineteen years ago) link

People who say or write 'cliche' when they mean 'cliched'–it's becoming very common and it really annoys me.

― estela (estela), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:52 (nineteen years ago) link

everyone on this thread: get one grip

"No can do"

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:53 (nineteen years ago) link

I agree with the original poster about 'veggies'.

― estela (estela), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:53 (nineteen years ago) link

Today I'm hating 'power off' and 'power down'. I've heard them said far too many times this morning.

'If I can just ask you to power off your machine'.

What's wrong with switch off?

― Rumpie, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:54 (nineteen years ago) link

"Thanking you" instead of "Thank you". Aaaaaarggggggghhhh!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Skipping 10513 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I'm convinced this woman I've been seeing recently is using AI to compose text messages, too 'uncanny valley'

― Andy the Grasshopper, Monday, 11 November 2024 19:53 (one week ago) link

I'm convinced this woman I've been seeing recently is using AI to compose text messages, too 'uncanny valley'

Tell her that you prefer voice memos lol

― sarahell, Monday, 11 November 2024 19:59 (one week ago) link

"boiling the ocean" is one I've heard for many years

― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Monday, 11 November 2024 20:02 (one week ago) link

Ahh, okay... it was new to me

― Andy the Grasshopper, Monday, 11 November 2024 20:10 (one week ago) link

It’s been current in Britain for awhile in work contexts. I like it, it’s useful

― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Monday, 11 November 2024 20:54 (one week ago) link

Well, we don't have to boil the ocean.

We may have to drink from the firehouse.

But we should beware of drinking our own bathwater.

We need to figure out the long pole in the tent. Cover down. Answer the mail. Salute the flag.

Careful about the sharks in the water, and the wolf that's closest to the wagon.

― abreast of what's afoot (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 12 November 2024 12:56 (six days ago) link

*firehose, dammit

― abreast of what's afoot (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 12 November 2024 12:57 (six days ago) link

don't drink your own bathwater, but always eat your own dogfood

― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Tuesday, 12 November 2024 13:06 (six days ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AsQtt3wmPc

― biting your uncles (Tom D.), Tuesday, 12 November 2024 13:25 (six days ago) link

“Whisper it, but….”

There was a particularly ludicrous version of this in the Telegraph this week, soundly ridiculed by its own readers:

“Whisper it, but the Middle East may be on the brink of peace”

― Bob Six, Tuesday, 12 November 2024 14:01 (six days ago) link

oh that's great news tho

― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 12 November 2024 14:05 (six days ago) link

Surely the Telegraph was wittily harking back to Tacitus's "they make a desert and call it peace".

― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Tuesday, 12 November 2024 18:57 (six days ago) link

Saying some was “not on my bingo card” has had its time and now must go.

― Sam Weller, Thursday, 14 November 2024 07:39 (four days ago) link

*something

― Sam Weller, Thursday, 14 November 2024 07:39 (four days ago) link

Beginning a post with "(profession) here."

― John Backflip (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 14 November 2024 07:55 (four days ago) link

Ha, I almost posted that here a few days ago. 'Art historian here...'

― Sam Weller, Thursday, 14 November 2024 08:16 (four days ago) link

I've never heard of "not on my bingo card"!

― biting your uncles (Tom D.), Thursday, 14 November 2024 09:18 (four days ago) link

Obv it wasn't on your bingo card

― badder living thru Kemistry (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 14 November 2024 09:30 (four days ago) link

Bingo player here

― nashwan, Thursday, 14 November 2024 10:31 (four days ago) link

Bingo.

― biting your uncles (Tom D.), Thursday, 14 November 2024 10:46 (four days ago) link

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