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)

Skipping 129 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

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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