Words or phrases that you hate ...

[jongooligan]

Passionate and solutions, as in, 'we're passionate about delivering IT solutions to leverage your customer data'. Really? You should get out more and discover what real passion is about.
Oh, and 'leverage'.

 

[raleighnut]

"As you know" which means, I know you know but I'm going to tell you any way.

"for free" It is not "for free" it's "free" or "for nothing"

And radio presenters who say "Up for Grabs", I'd like to shove the microphone down their throat.

I could think of somewhere else to shove it. ..........................Might keep em quieter cos a lot talk out of it.

 

[Mrs M]

Emails at work - "Hi guys" and people who say touch base.
Also MIL calling me "dear" when I know all she really wants to do is brutally murder me then chuck me in the sea wearing concrete wellies.

 

[Cuchilo]

Also MIL calling me "dear" when I know all she really wants to do is brutally murder me then chuck me in the sea wearing concrete wellies.

 

[Ern1e]

Emails at work - "Hi guys" and people who say touch base.
Also MIL calling me "dear" when I know all she really wants to do is brutally murder me then chuck me in the sea wearing concrete wellies.

It looks like you mil really likes you then ? must admit the "dear" bit is a little daunting to say the least lol.

 

[Mrs M]

Broke the mould when they made her, thankfully

 

[Hitchington]

"hardworking families..." as used by most politicians

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Basically
Obviously
Absolutely
Gong forward
In terms of
Going forward
Pre-order
Primary

 

[Hitchington]

and "the cost to the taxpayer..." which seems to insinuate that every taxpayer is personally responsible for shouldering the burden for whatever thing a politician/political commentator/right-wing newspaper has deemed a waste of money (e.g. social security payments to poor people, laptops and 60" plasma tellys for immigrant families or overseas aid to "brown people"...)

 

[Arch]

When referring to something rare, some people say something like "One of the only Golden Eagles left in the country" or similar.

It's not one of the only. It's either 'the only' - there is only one - or it's 'one of the few' - there are a small number of them, which is more than one. You cannot be 'one of' 'the only' - there is only one in that case.

You might be 'one of only a few', at a pinch, but that's a bit tautological.

I suppose if I'm getting irrationally annoyed about this, it's keeping me occupied.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Footballers often say "Your Arsenals your Man Uniteds your Liverpools your Chelseas and your Man Cities" when referring to teams who are successful etc.When they've named those teams there's no others left of a similar stature,so why not just name those teams instead of making out there are more teams of a similar stature?

 

[ColinJ]

When referring to something rare, some people say something like "One of the only Golden Eagles left in the country" or similar.

It's not one of the only. It's either 'the only' - there is only one - or it's 'one of the few' - there are a small number of them, which is more than one. You cannot be 'one of' 'the only' - there is only one in that case.

You might be 'one of only a few', at a pinch, but that's a bit tautological.

I suppose if I'm getting irrationally annoyed about this, it's keeping me occupied.

Let me offer my own very unique take on this ...

I was watching a cyclocross video posted earlier by one of our American members and a woman was asked what she felt about her race. She replied (something like) "Very awesome!"

That is an inevitable result of the total devaluation of the word 'awesome'. Once 'awesome' is no longer reserved for such amazing things as a sunset over the Grand Canyon, and is instead used for such mundane descriptions as how good a salt-and-vinegar crisp tastes, then naturally some things can actually be 'very awesome'. I would prefer to reclaim 'awesome' and use it sparingly, but I fear that fight is lost!

 

[Mrs M]

Add awesome to my list

 

[Globalti]

Same story with my boss who talks like a footballer. When discussing office politics he says: "Your Simon Joneses, your Fred Smiths and so on...."

The other one that really bugs me is "on a daily basis". What's wrong with simply: "daily" or "every day? The word "basis" implies a fixed and formal regular programme, when most poeple are talking about something that happens regularly.

 

[brand]

Any military parlance not being used by the military. Or any military parlance being used in a situation which is not related to a military situation.