Any particular word(s), phrase(s), etc. you particularly despise?

  • Thread starter Mathnomalous
  • Start date
In summary, the phrase "good job" can be seen as pretentious and condescending, while "any" is often used without a specific qualifier to mean "anyone", which can be seen as unprofessional. "Irregardless" is often used when what is being said overrides the fact that something may be irrelevant. "It's time to get hot." is a way of saying "thank you for asking." without actually saying anything. "Recently, it has been really annoying when I see someone type "should of" instead of "should have". And the title of the thread isn't redundant. The two "particulars" are describing two different things and they're both used correctly. Would despising any particular words
  • #71
GeorginaS said:
Virtually every emcee/function host I've heard says, "Without further ado.."

Really? I didn't know we were ado-ing in the first place. Do they not know that ado means "Bustle; fuss; trouble; bother". So, then are they saying that everything that preceded whatever or whoever they're introducing was all bustle and bother? Then why were they doing it in the first place? Why bother everyone in the room to begin with? Did they really think that they were being a bother?

To me, this looks like much ado about ado. Maybe we could call this "meta-ado." :-p
 
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  • #72
GeorginaS said:
Virtually every emcee/function host I've heard says, "Without further ado.."

And in furtherance of your observation, they inevitably proceed to ado far more. Along the same line is the situation of an emcee who says "A man who needs no introduction" and then spends 5 minutes introducing him.
 
  • #73
DaveC426913 said:
An "I am sorry" that is followed by a "but" is not an apology, it is an attempt to rationize one's action.
I'm sorry, but no one of you probably speaks my language. You will not understand why what I have in mind is... quite irritating.
 
  • #74
Upisoft said:
I'm sorry, but no one of you probably speaks my language. You will not understand why what I have in mind is... quite irritating.

The point really is not whether or not we speak it, but rather whether or not we understand it. Going by the quoted statement, I agree that I don't.
 
  • #75
Manager speak: "blah blah blah...and we'll touch base later".

When someone says "See you later" and they know they won't.
 
  • #76
I Hate It When...

...people say "goodbye" when they actually have no desire to have "God be With you."
Have we hit rock-bottom yet?
 
  • #77
Chi Meson said:
Have we hit rock-bottom yet?
Yes, I think so too.
 
  • #78
Evo said:
People that say "learned me" instead of "taught me".
I save that one for special situations. But really, try this next time you get in a car accident as a passenger, when the accident was caused by the jackass driving you (works best immediately after the accident):

"Yup. That'll lern 'em."

That phrase has a beautiful impact.
 
  • #79
"if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"

translation: fall for what I'm selling you
 
  • #80
"if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem"

translation:
stop criticizing me!
 
  • #81
"present company excluded"

translation:
and you're an idiot too!
 
  • #82
Pythagorean said:
"present company excluded"

translation:
and you're an idiot too!

It actually means quite the opposite...
 
  • #83
Jack21222 said:
It actually means quite the opposite...

Suuuure it does.

See 'no offense intended', above...
 
  • #84
Upisoft said:
I'm sorry, but no one of you probably speaks my language. You will not understand why what I have in mind is... quite irritating.
Why would one apologize for something that is not in their control?

You Canadian?
 
  • #85
collinsmark said:
I save that one for special situations. But really, try this next time you get in a car accident as a passenger, when the accident was caused by the jackass driving you (works best immediately after the accident):

"Yup. That'll lern 'em."

That phrase has a beautiful impact.
Yyyyep. I chose it carefully too. :biggrin:
 
  • #86
DaveC426913 said:
Why would one apologize for something that is not in their control?

You Canadian?

That or British?

I've never known people to apologise to the person who walks into them quite as much as the British.
 
  • #87
jarednjames said:
That or British?

I've never known people to apologise to the person who walks into them quite as much as the British.
Hmmm... I do believe that we Canuks have it over the Brits in that regard. (Per Capita, that is; they have about 10 times our population in a land mass area equal to one of our intermediate provinces, so interactions will be proportionally more numerous.)
 
  • #88
jarednjames said:
I've never known people to apologise to the person who walks into them quite as much as the British.

We're generally polite folk :smile:.
 
  • #89
Danger said:
Hmmm... I do believe that we Canuks have it over the Brits in that regard. (Per Capita, that is; they have about 10 times our population in a land mass area equal to one of our intermediate provinces, so interactions will be proportionally more numerous.)

So should that be 'per square capita', if the number of interactions roughly quadruples when the population doubles? Or 'per (capita per km2)' if it's more area-related?

:-p
 
  • #90
So what would happen if 2 Canucks and 2 Brits arrive at a 4-way-stop intersection, all at the same time?
 
  • #91
lisab said:
So what would happen if 2 Canucks and 2 Brits arrive at a 4-way-stop intersection, all at the same time?

We've got a major problem on our hands!
 
  • #92
"rubric" is a hated word of mine.
 
  • #93
jarednjames said:
Seconded.

That and "aluminum" - I know it's not strictly wrong, but is there really a need for it?

What? "Al-u-min-i-um?" It's the pronunciation of words like that which builds those "stiff upper lip" muscles.

1MileCrash said:
"rubric" is a hated word of mine.

Up there next to Ruprect, a character in a movie with Steve Martin and Michael Caine.
 
  • #94
mugaliens said:
What? "Al-u-min-i-um?" It's the pronunciation of words like that which builds those "stiff upper lip" muscles.

Well you've got Aluminium and Aluminum. I'm yet to hear Aluminum used outside of the US (not saying it isn't, just never heard it).

I just don't see why there is a need for there to be two different versions of the word.
 
  • #95
jarednjames said:
Well you've got Aluminium and Aluminum. I'm yet to hear Aluminum used outside of the US (not saying it isn't, just never heard it).

I just don't see why there is a need for there to be two different versions of the word.

Right, so then it's settled. Aluminum it is. In the interest of efficiency, of course :biggrin:.
 
  • #96
lisab said:
So what would happen if 2 Canucks and 2 Brits arrive at a 4-way-stop intersection, all at the same time?

Unless they are exactly equal in their arrival times, which is physically impossible, we would follow the traffic regulations. The first one has the right-of-way, then the next in line. If there is doubt as to who is next, the one to the right of the first goes next.
If it is unclear as to who was there first, we would sit around for about 5 minutes, and then all drive into a cluster-**** in the middle at the same time. We're polite, but not always overly brilliant.
 
  • #97
I hate when people order food or something and are asking how much it costs and they say "What's the damage?"

When I used to deliver pizza I would always be tempted to respond with "to your brain or mine?"
 
  • #98
Also, anything like "I hate nature." Or "That's unnatural."

How can something be unnatural?
 
  • #99
Galteeth said:
I hate when people order food or something and are asking how much it costs and they say "What's the damage?"

When I used to deliver pizza I would always be tempted to respond with "to your brain or mine?"

Oh, that reminds me of one that makes me crazy! So often, when I'm eating in a restaurant, the waiter will come by and ask, "Are you still working on that?"

Ya know, it may not be the tastiest food I've ever eaten but if it was actually "work" to eat it, then I wouldn't eat it.
 
  • #100
Danger said:
Unless they are exactly equal in their arrival times, which is physically impossible, we would follow the traffic regulations.

Not to digress but, why is that impossible? I thought time was not infinitely divisible (planck time)?
 
  • #101
  • #102
Pythagorean said:
"if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem"
Although a sentence I actually like in response,

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
 
  • #103
There is no "I" in team.
 
  • #104
"Team player" meaning a clueless patsy that will bust their guts for no personal gain.
 
  • #105
I worked for a clueless blow-hard that had to use the biggest words available each and every time. When he wanted to indicate causation, he never used "consequently". He always used "subsequently" instead. That was his go-to big-boy word, and he used it incorrectly 100% of the time. What a maroon.
 

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