Oxford Researchers List Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

[Kim]

Every once in awhile, I like to pause and consider the phrases that I unconsciously sputter while searching for the right words. Annoying phrases tend to accumulate like lint, and it's important to recognize them and purge them from my vocabulary periodically. I stumbled upon this list, and concede guilt to all but abomination #8.

Note that this is a British source; certainly we Americans have some foolishness of our own to add.

For now, I'll just past the article and list, but perhaps I'll add a few of my own later, and I hope you will also.

Oxford Researchers List Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

Not all University of Oxford researchers are uptight and humorless, "irregardless" of what you might think. In fact, a bunch of them compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Irritating Expressions in the English language -- just because we needed one.

Though maybe "you could care less," the scholars in question keep track of linguistic mangling and overused buzzwords in a database called the Oxford University Corpus. The voluminous record keeps track of books, magazines, broadcast, online media and other sources, watching for new overused, tiresome phrases and retiring those that fade from use (or misuse).

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

The list appears in a new book, Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare, by Jeremy Butterfield. Since it's always possible for the Oxford brainiacs to "borrow you" space on the list for your own complaints, you're invited to offer your favorite overused or abused phrases in the comments section below.

As for this Oxford-educated reporter (that's my scarf over there), I'm going to include the examples I already seeded into this report -- and the internet buzzword "snarky," because "sarcastic" is good enough to get that job done (if that's not being too snarky).

[BS Man about Palms]

Rare palm?

[John in Andalucia]

1 - At the end of the day - Associated in the UK with football [soccer] players giving end of match interviews to TV reporters. "At the end of the day, it's a game of two halves" and, "At the end of the day, it's all about scoring goals" are classic examples of annoying phrases!

2 - Fairly unique - that is a cringer!

3 - I personally - Personally, I do not say, "I personally"!

4 - At this moment in time - Fine, if you want to sound like the speaking clock!

5 - With all due respect - Patronizing, and you probably would like to insult me!

6 - Absolutely - Strange, the Spanish have a word they use ALL the time - "claro" meaning "clear" i.e "absolutely clear". The intonation more than anything else is annoying. Also a classic faux pas committed by the aristocracy.

7 - It's a nightmare- Teenagers/students - if it's not wicked, it's a nightmare!

8 - Shouldn't of - Didn't they forgot "would of" and "could of"?

9 - 24/7 - Brits who use this invariably sound stupid.

10 - It's not rocket science - Right. Catch you later...

Just a few rambling observations!

[Kim]

Lately I've been hearing "It's not rocket surgery." This is only funny the first time you hear it.

Another list by annoyed people who wince when they hear certain things:

Lake Superior State University 2008 List of Banished Words

PERFECT STORM – "Overused by the pundits on evening TV shows to mean just about any coincidence." – Lynn Allen, Warren, Michigan.

"I read that 'Ontario is a perfect storm,' in reference to a report on pollution levels in the Great Lakes. Ontario is the name of one of the lakes and a Canadian province. This guy would have me believe it's a hurricane. It's time for 'perfect storm' to get rained out." – Bob Smith, DeWitt, Michigan.

"Hands off book titles as cheap descriptors!" – David Hollis, Hamilton, New York.

WEBINAR – A seminar on the web about any number of topics.

"Ouch! It hurts my brain. It should be crushed immediately before it spreads." – Carol, Lams, Michigan.

"Yet another non-word trying to worm its way into the English language due to the Internet. It belongs in the same school of non-thought that brought us e-anything and i-anything." – Scott Lassiter, Houston, Texas.

WATERBOARDING – "Let's banish 'waterboarding' to the beach, where it belongs with boogie boards and surfboards." – Patrick K. Egan, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

ORGANIC – Overused and misused to describe not only food, but computer products or human behavior, and often used when describing something as "natural," says Crystal Giordano of Brooklyn, New York. Another advertising gimmick to make things sound better than they really are, according to Rick DeVan of Willoughby, Ohio, who said he has heard claims such as "My business is organic," and computers having "organic software."

"The possibility of a food item being inorganic, i.e., not being composed of carbon atoms, is nil." – John Gomila, New Orleans, Louisiana.

"You see the word 'organic' written on everything from cereal to dog food." – Michael, Sacramento, California.

"I'm tired of health food stores selling products that they say are organic. All the food we eat is organic!" – Chad Jacobson, Park Falls, Wisconsin.

WORDSMITH/WORDSMITHING – "I've never read anything created by a wordsmith - or via wordsmithing - that was pleasant to read." – Emily Kissane, St. Paul, Minnesota.

AUTHOR/AUTHORED – "In one of former TV commentator Edwin Newman's books, he wonders if it would be correct to say that someone 'paintered' a picture?" – Dorothy Betzweiser, Cincinnati, Ohio.

POST 9/11 – "'Our post-9/11 world,' is used now, and probably used more, than AD, BC, or Y2K, time references. You'd think the United States didn't have jet fighters, nuclear bombs, and secret agents, let alone electricity, 'pre-9/11.'" – Chazz Miner, Midland, Michigan.

SURGE – "'Surge' has become a reference to a military build-up. Give me the old days, when it referenced storms and electrical power." – Michael F. Raczko, Swanton, Ohio.

"Do I even have to say it? I can't be the first one to nominate it…put me in line. From Iraq to Wall Street to the weather forecast – 'surge' really ought to recede." – Mike Lara, Colorado.

"This word came out in the context of increasing the number of troops in Iraq. Can be used to explain the expansion of many things (I have a surge in my waist) and it's use will grow out of control…The new Chevy Surge, just experience the roominess!" – Eric McMillan, Mentor, Ohio.

GIVE BACK – "This oleaginous phrase is an emergency submission to the 2008 list. The notion has arisen that as one's life progresses, one accumulates a sort of deficit balance with society which must be neutralized by charitable works or financial outlays. Are one's daily transactions throughout life a form of theft?" – Richard Ong, Carthage, Missouri.

"Various media have been featuring a large number of people who 'just want to give back.' Give back to whom? For what?" – Curtis Cooper, Hazel Park, Michigan.

'BLANK' is the new 'BLANK' or 'X' is the new 'Y' – In spite of statements to the contrary, 'Cold is (NOT) the new hot,' nor is '70 the new 50.' The idea behind such comparisons was originally good, but we've all watched them spiral out of reasonable uses into ludicrous ones and it's now time to banish them from use. Or, to phrase it another way, 'Originally clever advertising is now the new absurdity!'" – Lawrence Mickel, Coventry, Connecticut.

"Believed to have come into use in the 1960s, but it is getting tired. The comparisons have become absurd." – Geoff Steinhart, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

"'Orange is the new black.' '50 is the new 30.' 'Chocolate is the new sex.' 'Sex is the new chocolate.' 'Fallacy is the new truth.' – Patrick Dillon, East Lansing, Michigan.

BLACK FRIDAY – "The day after Thanksgiving that retailers use to keep themselves out of the 'red' for the year. (And then followed by "Cyber-Monday.") This is counter to the start of the Great Depression's use of the term 'Black Tuesday,' which signaled the crash of the stock market that sent the economy into a tailspin. – Carl Marschner, Melvindale, Michigan.

BACK IN THE DAY – "Back in the day, we used 'back-in-the-day' to mean something really historical. Now you hear ridiculous statements such as 'Back in the day, people used Blackberries without Blue Tooth.'" – Liz Jameson, Tallahassee, Florida.

"This one might've already made the list back in the day, which was a Wednesday, I think." – Tim Bradley, Los Angeles, California.

RANDOM – Popular with teenagers in many places.

"Over-used and usually out of context, i.e. 'You are so random!' Really? Random is supposed to mean 'by chance.' So what I said was by chance, and not by choice?" – Gabriel Brandel, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

"Outrageous mis- and overuse, mostly by teenagers, i.e. 'This random guy, singing this random song…It was so random.' Grrrrr." – Leigh, Duncan, Galway, Ireland.

SWEET – "Too many sweets will make you sick. It became popular with the advent of the television show 'South Park' and by rights should have died of natural causes, but the term continues to cling to life. It is annoying when young children use it and have no idea why, but it really sounds stupid coming from the mouths of adults. Please kill this particular use of an otherwise fine word." – Wayne Braver, Manistique, Michigan

"Youth lingo overuse, similar to 'awesome.' I became sick of this one immediately." – Gordon Johnson, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

DECIMATE – Word-watchers have been calling for the annihilation of this one for several years.

"Used today in reference to widespread destruction or devastation. If you will not banish this word, I ask that its use be 'decimated' (reduced by one-tenth)." – Allan Dregseth, Fargo, North Dakota.

"I nominate 'decimate' as it applies to Man's and Nature's destructive fury and the outcome of sporting contests. Decimate simply means a 10% reduction – no more, no less. It may have derived notoriety because the ancient Romans used decimation as a technique for prisoner of war population reduction or an incentive for under-performing battle units. A group of 10 would be assembled and lots drawn. The nine losers would win and the winner would die at the hands of the losers – a variation on the instant lottery game. Perhaps 'creamed' or 'emulsified' should be substituted. – Mark Dobias, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

"The word is so overused and misused, people use it when they should be saying 'annihilate.' It's so bad that now there are two definitions, the real one and the one that has taken over like a weed. – Dane, Flowery Branch, Georgia.

EMOTIONAL – "Reporters, short on vocabulary, often describe a scene as 'emotional.' Well sure, but which emotion? For a radio reporter to gravely announce, 'There was an emotional send off to Joe Blow' tells me nothing, other than the reporter perceived that the participants acted in an emotional way. For instance: I had an emotional day today. I started out feeling tired and a bit grumpy until I had my coffee. I was distraught over a cat killing a bird on the other side of the street. I was bemused by my reaction to the way nature works. I was intrigued this evening to add a word or two to your suggestions. I was happy to see the words that others had posted. Gosh, this has been an emotional day for me." – Brendan Kennedy, Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada.

POP – "On every single one of the 45,000 decorating shows on cable TV (of which I watch many) there is at LEAST one obligatory use of a phrase such as ... 'the addition of the red really makes it POP.' You know when it's coming ... you mouth it along with the decorator. There must be some other way of describing the addition of an interesting detail." – Barbara, Arlington, Texas.

IT IS WHAT IT IS – "This pointless phrase, uttered initially by athletes on the losing side of a contest, is making its way into general use. It accomplishes the dual feat of adding nothing to the conversation while also being phonetically and thematically redundant." – Jeffrey Skrenes, St. Paul, Minnesota.

"It means absolutely nothing and is mostly a cop out or a way to avoid answering a question in a way that might require genuine thought or insight. Listen to an interview with some coach or athlete in big-time sports and you'll inevitably hear it." – Doug Compo, Brimley, Michigan.

"Only Yogi Berra should be allowed to utter such a circumlocution." – Jerry Holloway, Belcamp, Maryland.

UNDER THE BUS – "For overuse. I frequently hear this in the cliché-filled sports world, where it's used to describe misplaced blame – i.e. 'After Sunday's loss, the fans threw T.O. under the bus." – Mark R. Hinkston, Racine, Wisconsin.

"Please, just 'blame' them." – Mike Lekan, Kettering, Ohio.

[Austinpalm]

My wife hates it when I say " six one way - half a dozen the other".

I on the other hand get annoyed when she says "you know what I'm saying".

[John in Andalucia]

Great reading Kim! Did "ball park" get a mention? I never quite understood "ball park figure" other than an approximation!

[BS Man about Palms]

Guilty of the incorrect usage of Decimate. Thanks for the knowledge!!

[MattyB]

Here's the annual

Top 10 list of BS Man-isms:

1. Knock on wood (as he knocks on his head)

2. As it were (don't even know what that means)

3. Oh hello (with funny hand gestures)....(as he personifies a new leaf spear or some palm part he's describing)

4. Thank you very much (not to thank, but used at the end of a sentence as if to say, "in your face")

5. Anywhoo (Am I right or am I right?)

6. Cooooool maaaan (high pitch voice, guess you had to be there)

7. Hey, I know of a palm 63 miles out of the way, lets go check it out (this is about the time Bill hijacks you)

8. I'm hungry (Bill's always hungry)

9. It's not like I've got any work to do on the house (uhhhh, ok dude)

crap I can only think of 9. anyone else got a Bill-ism.

We love you Bill!

[John Case]

How about

THEORETICALLY - used by non-scientists, theoretically.

[BS Man about Palms]

Here's the annual

Top 10 list of BS Man-isms:

1. Knock on wood (as he knocks on his head)

2. As it were (don't even know what that means)

3. Oh hello (with funny hand gestures)....(as he personifies a new leaf spear or some palm part he's describing)

4. Thank you very much (not to thank, but used at the end of a sentence as if to say, "in your face")

5. Anywhoo (Am I right or am I right?)

6. Cooooool maaaan (high pitch voice, guess you had to be there)

7. Hey, I know of a palm 63 miles out of the way, lets go check it out (this is about the time Bill hijacks you)

8. I'm hungry (Bill's always hungry)

9. It's not like I've got any work to do on the house (uhhhh, ok dude)

crap I can only think of 9. anyone else got a Bill-ism.

We love you Bill!

Was I talking too much at dinner?

Oh yes, annual??

[bgl]

Kim,

Those are two impressive lists, but unless I missed something I don't see one expression that I hear daily on TV (and I find it extremely annoying): "you know". As in someone being asked questions and just about every response has "you know" in it. I just wish the reporter would respond with "no, I don't know - that's why I'm asking these questions...!

Something else extremely annoying, but not an expression: when a person asks a question and then proceeds to answer the question. As in "have we explored all the possibilities in this case?"...immediately followed by "yes, we have explored all the possibilities in this case."

I can think of more stuff but I don't want this post to get annoying!

Bo-Göran

[tipper55]

I am tired of "green space", "green buildings", "going green" and every other variation.

I'm tired of people who have to "network", need "self-esteem", "self-awareness" etc.

I refuse to "hunker down" if a hurricane ever comes.

[paulgila]

"ya know what ahm sayin?"--no,and i dont WANNA know.

"it's all good."--no,its NOT,so stop saying it is!

whew,i feel alot better now.

[LJG]

Matt, I think #10 coudl be

"Doctor ____ " in high pitch tone with long draw on name when he calls. Of course insert name to ____. (Umm, OK, I am not a doctor. I never have been.)

"Well, it is what it is". (That makes no sense.)

[DoomsDave]

kIM!

Shouldn't you be doing something constructive, like celebrating Christmas, or running down greeters at Wal-Mart!

(I'm joking. You are the last person I can think of to run down a greeter at Wal-Mart.)

Well!

Hmm.

For now, I'll just harp about "with all due respect" which is my favoriate phrase in dealing with cranky judges, cops, and others who think that, because of their social position (or firearm) they're better than you.

You know what? I LOVE with all due respect, because it's annoying to those in power.

With all due respect. . . .

This is a fun post.

[Neofolis]

I am frequently bothered by such things, particularly when grammatical or syntactical errors become the acceptable norm.

Things like should of, shouldn't of, instead of should have, shouldn't have, I find less acceptable than should'a or shouldn't oughta'a. Actually that last one is rather displeasing, but generally only used by Americans in rural, southern areas as far as I can tell.

"For Free" - It's just not right. It's free, not for free, I would like it free of charge, not for free, for nothing perhaps, although some commitment is normally required, even if it is only time.

I use "At The End Of The Day" and even cringe when I say it. I'm still seeking an acceptable alternative. "When All Is Said And Done" is equally unacceptable. Sometimes such expressions are concatenated to offer greater impact "In conclusion, at the end of the day, when all is said and done".

Talking with punctuation, why? I don't like it, period. It's pointless, full stop. Quote, unquote "Should it not be end quote and should it not belong after the quote". The same is done with bracket, close bracket, although the close bracket is usually in the right place. Surely part of the purpose of punctuation is to allow the written word to illustrate the pauses and nuances of the spoken word,

I'm sure such conversations have taken place throughout history as language has evolved, with many people not accepting new uses of familiar words or new expressions, which bare no relationship to their non-contextual meaning. Many expressions, whilst redundant, do add "colour" to language that may be dull without them. Many of the words and expressions that are considered acceptable today probably annoyed or frustrated people in the past. One thing I would, however, like to see more of is people expressing themselves more creatively through use of wider vocabulary. There are so many fantastic, yet underused words, particularly in English, which has far more words than is necessary, but rather than use these, many people prefer to use more simple (generic) words or invent new ones. "Why use a big word, when a diminutive one will suffice".

[_Keith]

I am frequently bothered by such things, particularly when grammatical or syntactical errors become the acceptable norm.

Things like should of, shouldn't of, instead of should have, shouldn't have, I find less acceptable than should'a or shouldn't oughta'a. Actually that last one is rather displeasing, but generally only used by Americans in rural, southern areas as far as I can tell.

"For Free" - It's just not right. It's free, not for free, I would like it free of charge, not for free, for nothing perhaps, although some commitment is normally required, even if it is only time.

I use "At The End Of The Day" and even cringe when I say it. I'm still seeking an acceptable alternative. "When All Is Said And Done" is equally unacceptable. Sometimes such expressions are concatenated to offer greater impact "In conclusion, at the end of the day, when all is said and done".

Talking with punctuation, why? I don't like it, period. It's pointless, full stop. Quote, unquote "Should it not be end quote and should it not belong after the quote". The same is done with bracket, close bracket, although the close bracket is usually in the right place. Surely part of the purpose of punctuation is to allow the written word to illustrate the pauses and nuances of the spoken word,

I'm sure such conversations have taken place throughout history as language has evolved, with many people not accepting new uses of familiar words or new expressions, which bare no relationship to their non-contextual meaning. Many expressions, whilst redundant, do add "colour" to language that may be dull without them. Many of the words and expressions that are considered acceptable today probably annoyed or frustrated people in the past. One thing I would, however, like to see more of is people expressing themselves more creatively through use of wider vocabulary. There are so many fantastic, yet underused words, particularly in English, which has far more words than is necessary, but rather than use these, many people prefer to use more simple (generic) words or invent new ones. "Why use a big word, when a diminutive one will suffice".

OMG, you must hate my posts.

Wait, add OMG to the list of annoying phrases.

-k

PS - Can we add smiley faces to the "most annoying" list.

[Neofolis]

Keith, "at the end of the day", it's "no big deal". There are far worse things that happen than people's use or misuse of language. It's just not important "on the grand scale of things". Whilst I don't like certain expressions or uses of words, they don't bother me. I try to remain unphased by anything I face in life and even when I refer to something as extremely annoying, which I frequently do, I don't actually get annoyed.

If I do have a problem accepting the changes in the way language is used, "it's my problem", "change is inevitable".

[DoomsDave]

WAIT!

"Not Guilty" is another annoying phrase, for prosecutors and the Government . . . .

Yowza, gotta love it yeah . . .

[paulgila]

i think i have another "BS-ism": indubitably.

[bubba]

The next time someone says or describes something as "awesome", run the other way and hang onto your wallet.

[bubba]

Great topic! When someone begins a sentence"In all honesty",pay special attention to what is stated and make a mental note. "Pop goes the weasle"is a little scary.The misspelling of Judgment(Judgement) is a professional issue.

[bgl]

"You guys" when someone is addressing a group of females.

[MattyB]

Bill also says: "Fairly accurate" a lot. He said it about my list. haha

[Gonzer]

"You Know"..... No, dammit, I don't know!

Any words or phrase that are used as vocabulary filler. Think before you speak....ya know, basically.

[DoomsDave]

"Organic" has been making the rounds for about 30 years.

Back in the 1970s, I went into a "health food store" and noted an endcap of "organic corn" chips.

Organic technically means chemical compounds with carbon in them. I can't imagine "inorganic corn." Can you.

And, "green" is making me turn green, particularly when used by corporations doing their best to mask their polluting activities.

Oh, there's more . . . . .

[John Case]

After listening to unreasonable ranting from a recalcitrant Rela Estate Agent, my wife just says, "Duly noted".

[surferjr]

Every once in awhile, I like to pause and consider the phrases that I unconsciously sputter while searching for the right words. Annoying phrases tend to accumulate like lint, and it's important to recognize them and purge them from my vocabulary periodically. I stumbled upon this list, and concede guilt to all but abomination #8.

Note that this is a British source; certainly we Americans have some foolishness of our own to add.

For now, I'll just past the article and list, but perhaps I'll add a few of my own later, and I hope you will also.

Oxford Researchers List Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

Not all University of Oxford researchers are uptight and humorless, "irregardless" of what you might think. In fact, a bunch of them compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Irritating Expressions in the English language -- just because we needed one.

Though maybe "you could care less," the scholars in question keep track of linguistic mangling and overused buzzwords in a database called the Oxford University Corpus. The voluminous record keeps track of books, magazines, broadcast, online media and other sources, watching for new overused, tiresome phrases and retiring those that fade from use (or misuse).

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

The list appears in a new book, Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare, by Jeremy Butterfield. Since it's always possible for the Oxford brainiacs to "borrow you" space on the list for your own complaints, you're invited to offer your favorite overused or abused phrases in the comments section below.

As for this Oxford-educated reporter (that's my scarf over there), I'm going to include the examples I already seeded into this report -- and the internet buzzword "snarky," because "sarcastic" is good enough to get that job done (if that's not being too snarky).

They've left out DUDE :drool:

[BS Man about Palms]

i think i have another "BS-ism": indubitably.

I do not believe I have uttered that word in the company of any PRA members....some fellow British Car aficionados maybe, but PRA folks, no.

[yachtingone]

I have issues with the use of "I have an issue"! It wouldn't have been right if on apollo 13 Jim Lovell had said Houston we have a issue! Real men don't have issues we have problems. Regards, Randy

[paulgila]

i think i have another "BS-ism": indubitably.

I do not believe I have uttered that word in the company of any PRA members....some fellow British Car aficionados maybe, but PRA folks, no.

i believe you have uttered it more than once in my presence.

[John in Andalucia]

i think i have another "BS-ism": indubitably.

I do not believe I have uttered that word in the company of any PRA members....some fellow British Car aficionados maybe, but PRA folks, no.

i believe you have uttered it more than once in my presence.

Indubitability abounds! Anyway, I did. You most certainly did not!

[paulgila]

huh?

[_Keith]

huh?

Maybe some of John's Christmas presents were fermented.

[paulgila]

hmmmmm.whaddya say,john?

[John in Andalucia]

huh?

Maybe some of John's Christmas presents were fermented.

Ah well, now that's where cultural diversity is indubitably king. We don't get presents until the 6th of January in Spain, and I barely can drink more than a glass of wine. Ha!

[paulgila]

indubitably.

[John in Andalucia]

indubitably.

"OMG, this list is, like, sooo amazing! Literally. (Not)."

Some buzzwords really rile me, and are used to sell cosmetics, i.e. "active liposomes".

Other generally annoying phrases include:

“My bad” - eek! Used by some to mean "my mistake".

“No offense” - Usually followed by the word "but".

“Whatever” - the supposedly ultimate 'put down' by people who cannot manage an argument.

[paulgila]

whatever,john!

[gsn]

The reason for this list being here, is because people have lost the ability to CONVERSATE using the english language these days!