Words that annoy ...

[Brains]

Direct and Plus

As in "Insurance Direct" meaning we are just phone monkeys in a warehouse.

"Product Plus" as in we had the old product, it was not selling, so we renamed it and tried to sell it via the web (and got rid of all the old staff who knew what they were taking about and thought it was a crap product in the first place)

 

[ChrisKH]

Why? Why is that annoying, I mean?

Because it's essentially a word which is more often applied to the physical and is only being used in this context to give credibility or encompass an act for which there is no alternative name, or the alternative is crass or hurts people's sensibilites.

"This vehicle is the means by which we can......", when in fact what they really mean is "This tax avoidance scheme is the means by which we can....".

It sanitises the process or product. And there's another one already mentioned. Product. Americanisms probably.

 

[Aperitif]

Because it's essentially a word which is more often applied to the physical and is only being used in this context to give credibility or encompass an act for which there is no alternative name, or the alternative is crass or hurts people's sensibilites.

"This vehicle is the means by which we can......", when in fact what they really mean is "This tax avoidance scheme is the means by which we can....".

It sanitises the process or product. And there's another one already mentioned. Product. Americanisms probably.

'Rendition' is another one that springs to mind.
I had always thought of it as a word to describe the act of collecting meat for Greggs pies...(allegedly)
Once upon a time 'the orchestra, conducted by Muir Matheson gave lovely rendition of Walter's handle music...'

 

[Arch]

"Wear's their heart on their sleeve" wtf is that all about B)

In medieval times, knights at a joust wore a ribbon with their lady's colours tied round their arm, to show their love and alleigance.

The first use of the phrase is apparently Shakespeare, in Othello.

(I wish I'd known the Shakespeare detail without googling it, but I knew about the ribbons round the arm bit)

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/403000.html

Much of a muchness (IE, all pretty much the same) is from a play from 1728...

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/251550.html

 

[Brains]

'Rendition' is another one that springs to mind.

Typical Yanks - unable to call kidnapping kidnapping, so they bastardise an existing word so it does not sound so nasty or illegal

As in Leslie Whittle was 'rendered' by the Black Panther or the foiled rendition on Princess Anne

The actual word rendition means "handing over" I'm sure that is exactly what was on the mind of the (innocent) Egyptian they kidnapped from the steets of Milan who is probably still sitting in one of their illegal jails

 

[TVC]

Lite - As when applied to a low fat version, or worse a product with a reduced set of functions.

Example: As a project manager I brought a precision measurement instrument to the market with a selection of 5 possible output parameters. After a sucessful launch and bedding in period our 'product manager' (marketing type moron) decided it was a good idea to bring out a 'Lite' version of the instrument with only two parameters. Brilliant, except it was put for sale at £100 less, dispite the fact it was mechanically and electronically identical - now it sold at below cost, 'Lite' clearly refered to his brain.

 

[swee'pea99]

Typical Yanks - unable to call kidnapping kidnapping, so they bastardise an existing word so it does not sound so nasty or illegal

'Friendly fire' anyone?

 

[ACS]

[quote name='swee'pea99']'Friendly fire' anyone?[/quote]

Better than 'Blue-on-Blue' from the cold war term where red forces where the enemy and blue friendly, sanities the consequence of the event completely.

 

[NickM]

Much of a muchness (IE, all pretty much the same) is from a play from 1728...

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/251550.html

"Same meat, different gravy" is from my grandad, ca. 1964

 

[Arch]

"Same meat, different gravy" is from my grandad, ca. 1964

I once took part in a gravy taste test (£20 and all the gravy I could eat) and can assure you, gravy can make a lot of difference!

 

[NickM]

Was it served on a plate, and did you have to eat (drink?) it with a knife and fork?

 

[rich p]

Was it served on a plate, and did you have to eat (drink?) it with a knife and fork?

Was it Tony Hancock who said, " Shouldn't gravy move?"

 

[NickM]

Yes - I believe he was there with Arch at the taste test - a stern judge

 

[Arch]

Was it Tony Hancock who said, " Shouldn't gravy move?"

I think it might have been "At least my mother's gravy moved...."

It was all tested with a spoon from little polystyrene cups. We had to mark it on colour, texture, taste, that sort of thing. Some of it was obviously the baseline control, it was horrible, just salty brown coloured cornflour paste.

 

[theclaud]

Lite - As when applied to a low fat version, or worse a product with a reduced set of functions.

It has its moments - like on the News Quiz when Linda Smith referred to a moderate member of the Taliban - Mullah Lite.