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| Hearsay: |
Wired reports that Oxford researchers have put their massive melons to good use and come up with a list of the world’s most annonying phrases. I would add one more to make it 11: any phrase that begins with “A top 10 list of”. Any more that particularly bother you?
The great hierarchy of verbal fatigue includes:
1 – At the end of the day
2 – Fairly unique
3 – I personally
4 – At this moment in time
5 – With all due respect
6 – Absolutely
7 – It’s a nightmare
8 – Shouldn’t of
9 – 24/7
10 – It’s not rocket science
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November 7th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I would add “It is what it is” to that list. What does that expression add to any conversation?
November 7th, 2008 at 11:44 am
How about “It is what it is”… :)
November 7th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Going forward.
Personal belongings.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Closure.
Empowerment.
Continued on.
(Okay, that last one is the copyeditor in me.)
November 7th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Paradigm shift.
Zeitgeist.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
As I was saying…
November 7th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
“You do the math.”
(I personally want to kill when I hear it.)
November 7th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Utilize.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Actually, I love “with all due respect”, even though I never get to use it. It’s the only way to call someone a jackass in a formal public situation and get away with it.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
If you have the good fortune, like George, to live in Newfoundland you will tormented by the Premier of the Province and members
of his Cabinet continually saying “on a go forward basis”. It’s become a verbal tic for the entire executive branch of Government.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
“On a go-forward basis” — oh, absolutely get rid of that one. What a lame expression. What’s learning from history using that language? Examining things on a go-backward basis?
November 7th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I use 6 and 7 far too much.
“I just think that…” is irritating, because it’s short for “despite everything you just said I will continue to believe that…”
November 7th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
No problem.
It’s all good.
Whatever.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
navigate this
I always picture an old man in a sou’wester…
November 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
your mom
oh…maybe i travel in different circles.
November 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
“No offense, but…”
November 7th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
“Going forward” and “On a go-forward basis.” It’s not just the Newfoundland and Labrador Government that favours these – I heard “going forward” used three times in a single news report on CBC Radio today.
Also, “literally.” When used incorrectly, that is. As in, “it was literally raining cats and dogs,” or “It was so funny, I literally died.”
November 7th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I loathe “no problem” and catch myself using it often.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
No offense, but I like “it is what it is”. Whatever – it’s all good.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
You don’t hear it as often as the others, but “for all intents and purposes” (and its deformed brethren “for all intensive purposes” and “for all intense purposes”) although sounding authoritative always seems a little archaic.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
“No worries.”
“Fair enough.”
November 7th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
“Let the healing begin.”
November 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
“Monetize.”
November 7th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Bingo
Monetize
…and all that good stuff…
Folks
November 7th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
“Good times”
November 7th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
(As a concluding sentece after recouning an anecdote).
November 7th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
“Totally awesome.” I’m ashamed to admit that I do say that from time to time.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
and why are tropes always well worn?
November 7th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
“my personal opinion”
“I sincerely doubt”
“blatantly obvious”
“artfully rendered”
“anxious” when the speaker really means “eager”
But I love “with all due respect” and “fair enough.”
November 8th, 2008 at 8:40 am
As a teacher, I hate it when my students write any variation of the meaningless phrase “in the world today” or “in today’s society…” in their essays.
I also hate the phrase “due to the fact that” when the word “because” will do just fine.
I have always hated the word “problematic” when you could easily say something is “a problem.”
I really, really, really hate the word “wrongheaded.”
Beyond that, I can’t decide what rankles more: the boneheaded argot of corporate biz-speak (e.g. “incentivize”), or the vague, pig-headed jargon of po-mo academababble (e.g. “dialogic” or “privileged locus”).
November 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Editing the transcript of an interview with some oil & gas entrepreneurs, I removed maybe a dozen “going forward”s. These guys used it meaninglessly, along the lines of “um,” “uh,” “you know,” or “like.” Since any plan or project will inevitably move forward through time, the word was certainly no value-add (to use another vile bit of corporate-speak).
November 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
PS – this may be Oprah-specific, but how about “Are you hearing this, people?” And “tough love.”
November 8th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
that being said..
November 8th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
in book marketing:
“…that changed the world”
November 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
“in actuality.”
November 8th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Paul dislikes “prolematic”. I hate “problemmatize”.
November 8th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
‘eating’ pills
November 9th, 2008 at 7:03 am
“In the first instance”
“A/The perfect storm”
Use of the word “-gate” as a suffix in a political scandal context.
Improper use of the word “-holic” in an addiction context. Alcohol is the root word, “-ic” is the suffix.
November 9th, 2008 at 9:43 am
“At the end of the day.”
(really I’m just trying to see if this post can get more comments than one that mentions Leah McLaren)
November 9th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
“bottom line”
“epic fail”
“killer apps”
“ramp up”
“turbo”
(I read too many computer magazines…)
Another vote for “it’s all good”. People use this catch-phrase when they have given up hope and feel they must accept their lot, rather than as a way of “thanking the Lord for everything, regardless of how crappy it is”. In either case, I’m not on board with the ideology.
“on board”
“I would be remiss”
“Boldfaced lie” <—this is my new favorite. I have seen it printed in the local paper numerous times. I always wonder if the copy editor is too dumb to know it’s wrong, or if they just enjoy making the person who said it look like the idiot they are. (It’s invariably a town government official.)
My brother-in-law’s sister is a world-class Spoonerist and wrong-word combiner (what is the term for that?) who routinely announces she is off to the “beauty saloon”, for example. Her most recent pronouncement was “He’s no rocking scientist.”
November 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Don’t get me wrong, but after 40 comments I’m shocked to be the first to say, “Don’t get me wrong.” . . !
That one makes me want to scream.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Celebrity couples’ names as portmanteaus (portmanteaux?) Bennifer, Brangelina.
Hopefully, misused.
(Pug: it’s malapropism, I believe. Archie Bunker did it, too.)
November 10th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Gee, I take no exception whatsoever to “It’s not rocket science.” Has anyone noticed how many non-rocket scientists there ARE?
I hate, with rising bile, HATE “webinar” and “he offices near me.”
It is my belief that “No offense, but …” is only a cue that you areabout to be be insulted. Once, someone particularly exasparating said to me, “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but …”, to which I retorted, “Oh, and if you HAD wanted to hurt my feelings, what might you have said?”
Re: “rocking scientist,” which I adore: a friend told me about a co-worker who said that her father’s worker’s comp case had finally been resolved, and they were so happy, since all of his back pay would be “radioactive.”
November 10th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Paul, I’m partial to “wrongheaded”. Does its work with something of an Elizabethan ring.
November 10th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
i used to know this guy who’s conversation would be peppered with “and then i turned around and…” i would get dizzy just listening.
November 10th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
ed, actually the word “wrongheaded” just reminds of something a six year old would say, along the lines of “dodohead” or “stupidhead.” It just seems like a word that an intelligent adult with a reasonably worthy vocabulary should be able to get by without and still sound reasonably articulate.
November 10th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
…as opposed to “douchebag”.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Zing!
November 10th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
“having said that” and its sibling “that being said”
anything ending in -ize, such as prioritize
“we, as people”
misuse of “myself”
any modification of “unique”
“the end result”…and all other redundancies, another of which is
“I thought to myself”
misplaced modifiers – “he probably hit the rabid raccoon 15 times”
as opposed to the intented meaning “he hit the rabid raccoon probably 15 times”
“I could care less”
November 11th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
and “take it to the next level”
November 11th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Anything ending in “-fest” e.g. “wankfest”
November 11th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Gee Paul…I kinda like the sound of the word ‘wankfest’.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Wrongheaded wankfest.
November 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Irregardless. Could care less.
There’s a great episode of Family Guy in which Stewie takes control of the world and declares anyone using the following will be sent to a work camp: “irregardless,” “a whole nother,” and “all of the sudden.”
If I agree with him, does that make me a fascist?
November 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Does it make you a fascist? No. That’s a whole nother thing.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:45 am
‘the proof is in the pudding’ (shudder).
I like ‘wrongheaded’, but I agree that ‘boneheaded’ is better.
November 18th, 2008 at 7:22 am
“meltdown”
November 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
“Touch base” is my number one most despised phrase right now. My “team leader” uses this constantly in meetings, and it makes me want to carve grooves into the table with my Sharpie.
Would also vote for “going forward” and the endemic misuse of “myself.”
Problem is with people who try to sound more sophisticated than their understanding of the lexicon allows.
My company also uses “unique” for everything, including the way it describes itself. In my head, I hear Inigo Montoya saying, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
November 19th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Arguably. Seamless. Die die die, both of them.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
In a similar vein . . . (uh oh) I’d like to know why it is only gall that is so continuously “unmitigated”. Are there not other things that can be unmitigated? Why does gall always get that peculiar honour?
November 19th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Also, take note of number 8 on the Oxford researchers’ list. I encounter this mistake so much more often as an editor. It is similar to the problem of writing “then” instead of “than,” and vice-versa; the sound of “have” at the end of a contraction makes people think that they are saying “of.” Gahh! It drives me literally insane! [Okay, maybe not literally *ahem*]
November 20th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Who uses these objectionable phrases most, by the way? Municipal politicians and policemen.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:41 am
“Frankly …”
Which of course means that everything he or she has said prior to this bon mot
has been a lie.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Presently when currently is meant.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Haha, as soon as I went to type I became instantly paranoid about saying some meaningless phrase in the aid of putting down another one, anyone else get that.
Anyway, as I was saying, Random, it is the most annoying thing I can hear, its what stupid unimaginative people say when someone says something and they aren’t clever enough to respond reasonably. Little girls say it all the time, random random that’s sooo random, wow I hate it. I hate it so much I was once part of a club dedicated to reprimanding people who say use it incorrectly, like, seriously I was. Its passive aggressive and stupid. It’s a phrase that stems conversation anytime it moves outside the box.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:10 am
yeah i also like what roland said, number 62, anything that comes out of politicians mouths is just meaningless, like, ‘we are all working hard and hoping that the situation can be resolved.’ Good to know. I feel safer now. Policemen, politicians, id like to add most teachers to that list too.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Arguably, the bottom line when all is said and done, is that making lists like this is, quite frankly, simply one extended wankfest.
That said, going forward we do need to think outside the box in order to empower those seeking closure in — eew! My keyboad just threw up.