Open Thread: Words that suck
I found this post on Jezebel about words that should be buried in the “word graveyard” to be very interesting.
Like many, I have a nasty habit of relying on a few choice words to sum up my feelings and ideas. If you read this blog regularly, or know me personally, you’ll hear my speech peppered often with classy gems like “totally,” “awesome,” “dude,” “douchebag,” and, of course, the greatest word ever invented: “f**k.” I know I do this, and yet I am loath to change my ways.
Because, really, it’s not my own speech that irritates me — it’s others’. Drop the word “irregardless” around me, and my eye starts to twitch. Tell me you are in “agreeance” with something, and I start looking around for someone better to talk to.
But maybe that’s being too picky. There are suddenly-ubiquitous words that I find way more annoying. “Cougar,” for example. Not the animal, the word used to describe an older woman who likes younger men. Can we be done with that word, please? It’s so tired. (There’s no corresponding word for a man who likes younger women, by the way, so I propose “sod,” as in Sad, Old Douchebag. I think that works well, but, as noted above, I have an affinity for the word “douchebag.”)
There’s one word I absolutely refuse to say; one that makes me want to throw things at my TV and scratch out the eyes of those who say it around me: “app.” It’s an abbreviation for “application,” I get it. Perhaps because I use my phone solely for placing calls and texting, this word irritates me more than it should, but I can’t help it: whenever I hear it come out of someone’s mouth, I instantly write him off as a giant tool, akin to one who wears his cell phone attached to his belt.
So, what say you? What word or words bring you to the brink of violence? Feel free to sound off about this, or anything that irritates you, below.
Responses to "Open Thread: Words that suck"
A man who likes younger women is called “male” or “a man.” With women, there’s a need for a separate classification.
Oh my god guys like young hot girls oh my goodness why oh why.
I hate the unfinished sentence.
People say: “You want to come with?” or “That bugs.”
And I always say (and then feel like an a-hole):
“With you? Bugs who?”
I’ve never heard anyone use the word agreeance but I agree, it sounds strange and probably is improper.
Irregardless — I don’t use it and hate to hear it myself.
When I was a kid, a neighborhood kid used to use the word ‘welp.’ I never did understand the meaning of the word welp or why one used it.
I also worked at McDonald’s when I was 16 and a woman there always said ‘warsh’ instead of ‘wash.’ What’s up with that?
Other than that, the word app.. I don’t know. It doesn’t bother me.
If you want to cut to the chase though the word I hate hearing the most and the word I despise even as a guy is the word ‘c*n(t).’ [Note from Heather: had to edit the word a bit] I remember hearing that during drunk tirades at my home growing up — hated hearing it. I can see why it makes most women crazy to hear it too. I don’t ever use it — for that reason alone.
The one I notice a lot is “supposedly” – Friends was totally right. Everyone says it “supposably” and it makes me crazy!
Also, never trust a person that uses the word “absolutely”… Pay attention – when someone says that word a lot, it’s always because they are lying or trying to sound impressive or more reputable than they really are. *shivers*
Lastly, I believe the current vernacular is now “Puma” – it’s not a “Cougar” anymore.
I believe (and I hate myself for knowing this) a puma is supposed to be a woman in her late twenties/early thirties, not quite old enough to be called a cougar, who dates younger men.
I too hate “supposably.” I also am really staring to hate the combo “kinda sorta.”
This is a little tired but still very relevant: “LIKE.”
I know it’s a word we all have to say sometimes, but saying it constantly just shows you are speaking before thinking, which is usually a bad idea.
I get more annoyed than anything about stupid cliches that don’t mean anything. “It is what it is.” GOD DANG.
lame
Valentime’s Day
fail
talk the talk, walk the walk (it’s walk the TALK)
snap
could care less (it’s could NOT care less)
bee-atch
the buzz
and,
“my future husband, John Krazinski.”
We SODs prefer the vernacular “creeper.” Or, in my case with HMac, KAS, or “Kindly Addled Stalker.”
Older gay males who like younger men are called ‘Cougays.’
I hate:
Nucular
‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’ (spelling thing)
“hella” spoken by anyone over age 22 (you hear me, MikeOz!?)
lemme ‘aks’ you something
‘Toolare’ on that radio commercial instead of Tulare. I hate it when LA announcers aren’t told how to say Valley names for Valley products, and the Valley auto agency doesn’t correct them.
I hate when kids call people ‘fool’ (“what up, foo’?)
perscription
and finally, I hatehatehate clubgoing Guido speak. “Whut up, yo?” “Iss hawt tonight, n*gga” (spoken by Ed Hardy or Affliction wearing white guy). “Yo, you know who I am, yo?” “You don’t KNOW me!” “Them ho’s don’t know no better” and “yo, bitch, them bitches HAWT tonight!” Ugh. Kill them (or me) now.
http://15minutedate.com/blog/2007/06/23/50-reasons-why-young-women-should-date-older-men/
I must admit I am a total snob.
Having said that, it kills me when people pronounce the “L” in salmon. To me, it is nails on a chalkboard. I am tempted to correct the offender, but I refrain because I don’t want to “come off sounding like a douchebag”.
I cringe whenever I see “Got?”
Clever.
I’ve felt like punching myself in the neck lately because I respond to everything with “Right?!” and immediately regret it. I have no clue where it came from.
Also, when people say “So and so and I’s” it gets my teeth gnashing.
Sadly, if I remember correctly, I read somewhere that either phrasing (couldn’t care less vs. could care less) is correct now because so many people have used the improper “could care less” that it’s fallen into the vernacular.
Awesome, right?!
Kinda sorta like how people say “myriad of” when the word myriad will do just fine all on its own.
There are myriad ways to f**k up the English language.
All of the above, PLUS:
“…and so forth and so on.” Usually at the end of an long, drawn out monologue that is already unnecessarily detailed. Too bad it couldn’t be put at the beginning of the sentence so I can tune out right away.
And, I had to look up “often.” One of our Toastmasters criticizes us every time for pronouncing it “of-Ten,” saying it should be “of-fen.” But Dictionary.com says it is back in to pronounce the T and is now “fully standard.” Hah!
I read the same thing about “irregardless.”
Mine are a little odd …
It bothers me when people say “entitled” when they mean “titled.” Or when they say “notorious” when they mean “famous.”
I wouldn’t kill anybody over those. But I do notice.
I hella disagree.
Oh yeah. “Entitled” in place of “titled” bugs me, too, especially when I hear it from sources I feel should know better.
“Hella” is definitely one of those words I use far too frequently, right up there with “totally” and “like.”
Also I move that “swag” — in its hip-hop definition, not in its free-stuff definition — be recognized as played out and stricken from America’s vernacular.
When people say “historical” when they mean historic. Like saying “in Fresno’s historical Tower District.” Obviously, they mean “historic.” Don’t know why, but it hella irritates me. I see this in the Bee a lot (but in the real estate section, which I know the Bee doesn’t write, so don’t kill me!)
Being in the film biz, “it is what it is” is one of the most oftenest used lines, and know what?
I hella don’t mind it…I couldn’t care less. Cuz sometimes, it really is what it is and we just can’t or won’t do anything about it.
I’ll hear that line about 10 times a day on a difficult shoot…and really don’t mind.
And I kinda like when people say “I know, right! Right!?” I apologize. I like it when hot women say it.
But I, too, despise ‘my future husband George Clooney.”
A few of my faves:
That snake is “poisonous”. POISONOUS refers to something you ingest. Unless you are eating a snake, it would be refered to as “Venemous”
Complected. Yes I know it’s a word but only because so many people have used it improperly so it just became a word. It should be noted that complexioned is the proper word to use.
These two words make my skin crawl!
I’m tired of hearing “dodecahedron” when a simple “polyhedron” would suffice. Do I really need to know how many sides it consists of? Geez…
Most of the time what others say doesn’t bother me. It’s what *I* say that bothers me.
My worst offense is when I say “Huh?” if I don’t quite hear what someone has said to me. I might as well stick my teeth out bucktooth style, scratch my butt, and tilt my head to the side.
I see your dodecahedron and raise you one uniform great rhombicuboctahedron.
Like, your call.
misspelling any word bugs me. like venemous in stead of venomous.
c’mon now. i had you pegged for a d&d gamer. identifying the number of sides on a die is critical, especially for my hella wicked 14th-level bard.
this is funny. i am a copy editor, so i’ve got to know all the rules and anticipate all the things that will make people mad. but i don’t really think it’s so important. we all have our pet peeves, but has anyone noticed that most of our pet peeves are different, sometimes even contradictory?
it’s more enjoyable to just listen to what people say and the unique ways they express themselves. even the smartest or grammariest of us have quirks and language tics that would drive someone up a wall. really, there’s no ‘right’ way engraved in stone, because language is simply about communicating, and it is always, constantly changing. you’re just a curmudgeon if you cling to the ‘rules.’
except for that dodecahedron nonsense – i agree, keep it simple.
my contribution for words that should not exist:
- bestie.
- seen, as in “i seen him at the edge.”
- ghetto. horribly misued.
- nigga
- hunnerd, in lieu of hundred.
My boyfriend drank an energy drink this weekend called, Hunnid Rack.
I made him throw it away on the grammer principle alone.
mine consist mainly of spelling and grammar issues:
prolly, instead of probably.
“where you at?”
… now that i think about it, ending sentences with “at” in general.
ridiculous misspellings of words, that are completely phonetic and WRONG. “skool” “kewl” “batch” (instead of b*tch}.
and let’s not forget the ever present “bestie”, and Bradley’s whole list of offenses, he made my post easier.
and the one that has bothered me since i first became aware of it in middle school – wRiTiNg ThIs WaY.
shoot me now.
I don’t understand a thing you just said.
Wow those are some awesome examples of words that really suck. I too cannot stand the use of irregardless- it makes the hair on my neck stand up. My other most hated is when people say “these ones.” Seriously people the “these” is all that’s needed. I have found that correcting my Sister on this makes her a bit angry though so I now refrain from doing it and I cringe instead every time she says it.
I am not sure I could personally live without the word douchbag. There are just so many people who frankly cannot be decribed accurately in any other way; for example, Jesse on BB 10 and now (thank you friggin CBS) BB 11.
Kim- I think the “right?! or the I know, right?!” came from the movie Juno or at least that seems to be about the time a lot of people started saying it. I know I annoy the s*** out of myself sometimes because it has been stuck in my head as an appropriate response since then. Moveis (and TV) have a tendency to do that to me especially if I have seen them over and over. I swear I cannot smile inside when someone says something about a “moot” point without hearing Joey’s explanation of a “moo point” being a cow’s opinon.
“With me do you want to come?”
That’s how it should be done…besides it sounds dirtier that way.
Besties always confuses me into thinking it says “Beasties” which I think would be a cooler term of endearment for a friend anyway.
Here’s my list:
“Utilize” in place of use.
“Stood” as past tense for stay.
Me: What did you do this weekend?
Dummy: Nuthin’ really. I just stood home all weekend.
Me: That sounds exhausting. I bet your feet are tired.
Dummy: Huh?
Which brings me to “huh”…it is always bad, but this really burns me…
“Huh” when used to express agreement.
Me: That is a cool car
My Brother: Huuuhhhh
Me: Did you not hear me or are you in full agreement?
Phrases that piss me off…
“Beg to Differ” when a person has no intention of actually begging for their right to offer a different perspective. I’ve started telling people to go ahead and beg.
“At the end of the day” bugs the hell out of me. I have never understood (or is it understayed) why so much of life’s success was going to be evaluated at the end of the day. How about including a point of reflection “in the middle of the day” to see if you are on track with your progress.
Ok, I will fess up. The two words I hate most on the planet are panties and moist – not used together.
Don’t ask me why – I really don’t know why but I even hesitated writing them right now.
Ugh so gross…
It ought to be, “I don’t understand ANYthing you just said.” since you are referring to more than one thing.
If you want to get really into it “I do not understand anything you wrote.” would be better.
My husband and I have this little joke in which one of us will say something and the other person agrees and will say “Huhhhh” in the most obnoxious fashion. It’s a reference to someone we used to work with who seriously used that sound in agreement..
It would drive you nuts, then again, it’s meant to.
I can’t give an example of what conversation brings it out…. it just showes up every so often.
Ah, there’s another thing…
Those who point out the spelling errors of another in public or on a public forum. Bad bad form.
BTW, I completely understand you were teasing MsJoey.
What’s that? I can’t hear what you’re saying.
I hate when people mispronounce words, for example-its library not lie-berry!!!
My boyfriend Jim Halpert hates when people spell John Krasinski’s name incorrectly.
“Ange” as in Angelo Stalis from ABC 30… everytime I hear that every part of me cringes… just call him Angelo please!
My pet peeve is “real” for “really.”
As in: “He said he had a real good time.”
To me, it’s a pronunciation issue: People might drop the “ly” in speech but we shouldn’t spell it that way. We don’t write out: “I’m goin to the store,” even though that’s the way most Californians talk.
Alas, “real” for “really” is popping up in print all the time these days. Even the New York Times. A losing battle. But I’ll never write it!
Asinine. Hate, hate, hate when I hear someone use this word.
Those who use it, are the meaning.
When she says “no”. >:(
My boss says “pacific” instead of “specific”. It is infuriating!
this blog is flustrating me
My wife and I hate “Pleaded”
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges.
no no no no no, it’s plead!!!
using pleaded leads us down a dangerous road
I cut myself chopping vegetables and bleeded quite a lot of blood.
The kids were hungry, so we made dinner and feeded them.
The general leaded the troops into battle.
I went to the library and readed a book.