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

But my interest in the matter is that taking ANY side on the issue at all is toxic to English writing on the whole - both usages are fine, neither are even slightly ambiguous, and all taking sides does is alienate a big swath of the population and make them reluctant to contribute their own writing to the world.

this is so weird. why would you even open this thread in that case. like are we allowed to have harmless opinions on a thread about annoying usage without being called toxic and obnoxious

i haven't really had time to keep up with the thread but just wanted to be clear that i don't to come to this thread or anywhere for that matter with the sincere intention of telling ppl how to use english correctly, nor do i have any reverence for style guides. and looking back at my posts, if i failed to convey a playful tone, or later on got lost on a tangent about style that made sense in my head but that i only formulated here elliptically, then apologies for coming across like somebody who's interested in actually doling out proscriptions. i do appreciate your dogged descriptivism around the board, even if in this thread of all places it seems to me that it's probably okay to share grumpy thoughts once in a while without worrying that others will take them too seriously. my point, if i had one, was really just about people who evidently are invested in sounding erudite, and whether or not holding them to their own (often nonsensical) standards can work as a tactic for deflation. i wasn't trying to suggest that those standards are worth taking very seriously, or that people who don't adhere to them aren't worth reading/listening to

Bazekali peepl orta tork rite innit.
Uvvawize how dya no vey fink rite.

but it always raises an eyebrow when a writer chooses this word, presumably to sound highbrow

people who evidently are invested in sounding erudite,

Kind of a weird thing to project onto ppl using a fairly common word

“my brother in christ” does seem to be ubiquitous right now and I also hate it

you hate it in this, the year of our lord 2024

otoh I'm pretty sure I have been guilty of some variation of this at times:

One that's been annoying me lately is "technical term" followed by some colloquialism, ie "Her behaviour was certainly unusual, I believe the technical term is 'batshit crazy'".

― Zelda Zonk, Sunday, 3 March 2024 07:08 bookmarkflaglink

have we done verbs yet

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

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This thread-title and post count could be a dril tweet

I don’t think I have seen this one yet, but in various online meetings, during introductions people will say “popcorn” as a verb. And I am not sure where this usage came from but it is annoying because it makes me envision all the meeting attendees faces at the center of kernels of popcorn like some demented Love Boat credit sequence.

I doubt any of those people could do the popcorn if called upon, so they should shut up.

how do they use it as a verb?

yeah, I want to start using this in zoom meetings

always good to have some linguistic strategies for making people want to end zoom meetings

I'm tired of 'circling back' and 'pumping the brakes,' I need some new meaningless jargon

“pumping the brakes” is bad but the verb “brakecheck” to describe trying to lockup a tailgater still feels current.

how do they use it as a verb?

Gross

I've heard it used at in-person meetings as "I'm going to ask a question, and let's just popcorn some answers" meaning you want to hear from a bunch of people around the room really quickly.

Hi I am Jeff, they/them pronouns

Again I ask, why do people who use they/them pronouns not also use the royal we to refer to themselves?

i've never been sure why it takes two slashed pronouns

like with she/* or they/* is there something extra the denominator will impart?

I will popcorn it over to Kathy

Fuck me Ive never heard this usage and this is hilarious.

Corporate world (and I say it as someone in one) is a fucking joke.

yeah that's a new one on me... will get a thrill when it finally makes its way to my institution!

if ever i try to use this ironically please popcorn me in the nuts

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

Do cinemas have popcorn machines that pop from kernels. Just wondering where the widespread image to tie to the word comes from. I thought microwave and oven pop it yourself varieties were within containers so you wouldn't see process.
I thought brainstorm was the given term.

Again I ask, why do people who use they/them pronouns not also use the royal we to refer to themselves?

because they/them in this context is not plural

If popcorn is a product that is encountered ready popped in a bag of butterkist or whatever brand or heated in a stand in a cinema where do you get the cognitive link? Thought you'd need one for the term to work. You used to get clear plastic topped machines where you saw the process, popcorn blizzards.
If I'm getting the usage right. You want a fresh idea from a random member of the group popping up like the popped corn you used to see when that was the process. But metaphor falls flat without the image surely?

We make popcorn at home in a pot on the stove. The pot has a glass lid, so we can see the kernels popping. It does often look as though the first kernel to go has caused a chain reaction, even though you know it hasn't.

Husband claims that in his giant tech corporation, they use popcorning to refer to the rate at which people are joining an online meeting. When the popping-in of new people slows to an acceptable level, they start the meeting. "Just waiting for the popcorning to stop before we start." But this makes no sense to me either, because why not just say "waiting for the corn to stop popping?"

disappointing that it doesnt mean that people just sit there bopping along while the hot butter tune plays

unperson no one says "we" because "I" isn't gendered... surely..?

because they/them in this context is not plural

right but what about he/his, she/her. What is the extra info that the bit after the slash provides? no one says "he/her" (although that would be wild and i would be here for it if so)

i mean.. let's really double click on this

for uncommon ones like zi/zir, the bit after the slash is informative.

Thinking of popcorned. I was wondering what else popcorn did that other things didnt that other things might be named after. Beyond lying there in a sugary or salty buttery coating like.
Was the inserting one's member into the bottom of a cardboard container full of the stuff to give your date a surprise ever other than fiction and a bit rapey.

Husband claims that in his giant tech corporation, they use popcorning to refer to the rate at which people are joining an online meeting. When the popping-in of new people slows to an acceptable level, they start the meeting. "Just waiting for the popcorning to stop before we start." But this makes no sense to me either, because why not just say "waiting for the corn to stop popping?"

This actually makes it a lot less puzzling, thanks!

ahh that makes sense and I almost like it in that context

I do like it

I just like popcorn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1IwDLkw_uw

My dad used to sing that when making popcorn.

See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjxNnqTcHhg

I don't know if this is why it became routine to mention two pronouns, but some people use "she/they" or "he/they" so they need to include both.

I haven't heard "popcorn" as a verb yet, but I'm familiar with "popcorn" style meetings or organized conversations, where you're encouraged to jump in and speak whenever you feel like, as opposed to raising your hand and waiting for the chair to call on you in order.

Looking around, it looks like in the business world, there's a slightly more formal method where "popcorn style" means one person speaks and then designates the next speaker, as sarahell mentioned in the original post. So I guess people took the method name and decided they had to now say "I'm popcorning" lol

No-one actually says "Let a man come in..." then?

people use "they/them" or "he/him" because pronouns in English are marked for case, and those are the two forms of their pronoun of choice (subject and object forms anyway... English has the possessive as well but the convention omits that because only their is different from objective form in the possessive*). if my pronouns are "she/her" that means when referring to me, you use those pronouns in their respective cases: "she is coming to the meeting later", "email her to ask why she isn't at the meeting".

we've been using "they" as both the third person singular and plural for hundreds and hundreds of years, so having your pronouns be "she/they" isn't all that strange. I think the novel ze/zim xe/xim ungendered pronouns are interesting but are a really hard sell.

*the possessive in English also isn't really a case the way the other two are, because /s is a (start your comedy engines) clitic

make that 's

and I guess I also meant "having your pronouns be she/them" sorry just woke up

So like

“She told me to mail it to them once it was ready”

instead of

“She told me to mail it to her once it was ready”

?

I obviously support everybody being called whatever they want but does anyone really do this particular move?

No, I guess if you’re unsure you refer to the person as they/them in both instances. Always assumed she/they means a person who is comfortable being called either. My brother is he/they but I’ve never asked him about it.

(Also, pronouns discourse on ilx? 💀)