Oxford Researchers List Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

[_Keith]

My new most despised word(s) is "text" as in "sending a text" or even worse "texting."

[Kim]

My new most despised word(s) is "text" as in "sending a text" or even worse "texting."

Oh, that makes me think of "blog". Blog, blogger, blogging, such an ugly word. Please, let's find a substitute.

[PALM MOD]

BSism:

Hey Mod, I've got this Ranch Hand Pic, whataya think?

[osideterry]

I have a few tired phrases to add:

"thinking outside the box"

"throw it all in a blender and...."

"blahblahblah WALL STREET blahblahblah MAIN STREET"

[osideterry]

Okay one more

"_________ is not a happy camper"

[John in Andalucia]

whatever,john!

[putu enjula]

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".

No offense, but a real pet peeve of mine is incorrect punctuation !

I don't know how you guys in England use quotation marks but in American English (butchered English, lol) the period comes BEFORE the ending quotation mark (but a period comes after parentheses).

Now for the list....

Most of my annoying phrases are too political to mention but here are a few...

"No worries."

"My bad."

"Where you at?"

".... old school."

and of course any phrase with "green" in it.

Now for annoying words..

liquidity

deleveraged (which is not in my dictionary)

blog

blogger

Blogosphere

SNUGGIE

[John in Andalucia]

Hi Angela,

In BE at least, if a quote comprises a whole sentence, the punctuation comes before the closing quote, but if the quote is part of a sentence, the punctuation comes after the closing quote.

In BE, this would be wrong..

My new most despised word(s) is "text" as in "sending a text" or even worse "texting."

..but this would be right.

Oh, that makes me think of "blog".

This is also correct..

Keith, "at the end of the day", it's "no big deal".

..as too is your compilation.

Now for the list....

Most of my annoying phrases are too political to mention but here are a few...

"No worries."

"My bad."

"Where you at?"

".... old school."

and of course any phrase with "green" in it.

Your phrases compiled as a list makes the punctuation correct, but as a comma-separated string of quotes within a sentence, you would not expect to keep the punctuation within the quotation marks.

[SunnyFl]

"At the end of the day" used to mean "in the long run." During the election, CNN used this abomination every few minutes - arrrgh.

"Less than" instead of "fewer than" - it's everywhere.

Here's another abomination: enormity used to mean large. It describes great wickedness; it doesn't refer to size.

Christmas Season Abom: "Gifting" Puh-leeeeeze!

And as previously listed: organic. Used for things that always are (such as food).

[Kim]

I won't expand on this one, out of respect for the forum rules, so please don't pick it up and run with it:

I hope we have seen the end of "red state" and "blue state" in the news. I resent the broad brush oversimplification.

As for punctuation, an apostrophe inserted in a plural gets me every time, as in "Californians, post your low's here". Eeek. But on the internet, I guess people don't fret about punctuation, and it's not cool to point it out, so "my bad" (sorry Angela). I will endure the continued misuse of your and you're...

[philinsydney]

The best way to get the upper hand in an argument is to say "I suppose what I'm saying is...."

That means "I'm more of an expert than you"

[Salvades]

"IT is, What it is." No it's not! Its what you make it.

The worst is "irregardless." I have a co-worker who uses this one constantly! Double negative!

"I'd die." Would you? Really?

[DoomsDave]

"I'd die!" How about NOW?

That is wierd how that red state blue state business caught on. I slap myself every time I'm tempted to use it, and slap others when they do . . . . .

Oh, yeah, and mixing plural's with possessives! Holy [expletive] expletive. Many, many people don't get that right.

[SunnyFl]

"I'd die!" How about NOW?

Dave, I think our language might! The apostrophes popping up in plurals is toxic - and "irregardless" is horrible on the ears.

And then we have "none were." Seriously.

Here's another internet-abom: I keep seeing "quite" to mean absence of noise. If one of the offenders wanted to say "fairly silent," might it come out as "quite quite?"

[Jeff in St Pete]

I worked in the health insurance industry for a long time and I remember hearing annoying office phrases and buzzwords all the time.

Performance management - never a good thing when these words were spoken

Ramp up - ramp what?

Circle back around - can't we just say that we will meet again later?

Let's discuss this offline - people actually say this!

Synergy or Synergize - I NEVER understood these terms

[gsn]

"I'd die!" How about NOW?

Dave, I think our language might! The apostrophes popping up in plurals is toxic - and "irregardless" is horrible on the ears.

And then we have "none were." Seriously.

Here's another internet-abom: I keep seeing "quite" to mean absence of noise. If one of the offenders wanted to say "fairly silent," might it come out as "quite quite?"

hey sunny I resemble that remark!!!

Actually "fairly silent" would be "quiet quiet!"

I always get that I before E mixed up..and when you put a T inbetween I and E it really "cornfuses" me!

[John in Andalucia]

More corporate phrases:

"Brainchild"

"I've got you in my radar."

"Come to the party."

"Go live."

"Touch base."

"Going forward."

"Agent of change."

"Key player."

"Fog of jargon."

[Neofolis]

Hi Angela,

In BE at least, if a quote comprises a whole sentence, the punctuation comes before the closing quote, but if the quote is part of a sentence, the punctuation comes after the closing quote.

Thanks for saving me the explanation.

I would like to add expressions such as:

Color me ...... (I use the US spelling of colour, because the expression is not frequently used here).

Things like, "paper cuts are the worst thing in the world" or "the most painful thing ever". If people really believe this, they should consider themselves very lucky not to have experienced anything worse.

Palms, schmalms or any similar word, schmord.

It's not over 'til it's over. (Are you quite sure?)

Ta-ta for now, or worse, TTFN.

He's bitten off more than he can chew.

Economic downturn.

The expressions that I dislike the most.

Cold front.

Widespread frost.

Below average for the time of year.

Arctic blast.

North-easterly.

Wrap up warm.

Sustained cold spell.

Wintery showers, heavy snowfall, etc., you get the idea.

[Kim]

More corporate phrases:

"Brainchild"

"I've got you in my radar."

"Come to the party."

"Go live."

"Touch base."

"Going forward."

"Agent of change."

"Key player."

"Fog of jargon."

Ooooo, corporations, the primordial soup of annoying phrases! Lately everything is delivered from a platform, as in "What platforms are you using?" I guess product is out of style. Everything gets -ized, as in incentivize, utilize, argh!

Where I work, everything gets an acronym, to the point that my email is alphabet soup. UIT, FI, FX, CDO, CMO, CDS, ARS, ADR, LOS, FINRA, FDIC, SIPC, ACAT, FA, FAA, CSA, HELOC, EBITDA, ROE, ROI, to name a few of the easier examples. Some of them have been used so long, their original meaning has been forgotten; NASDAQ, for example. Anyone know what it means without googling?

-outreach

-thought leadership

-legacy assets

[BS Man about Palms]

NASDAQ= North American Stock Dealers and Questionnaires. I dunno, I just guessed, Now I'll go "google" it. (Hows that for a new slang)

[BS Man about Palms]

NASDAQ actually means "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". Umm, well I got 1 word right.

edit: Hey, my first four words are just another way of saying the same thing...... Kim?

[DoomsDave]

"I'd die!" How about NOW?

Here's another internet-abom: I keep seeing "quite" to mean absence of noise. If one of the offenders wanted to say "fairly silent," might it come out as "quite quite?"

You're assuming greater word sense than many people have . . . . .

[DoomsDave]

The expressions that I dislike the most.

Cold front.

Widespread frost.

Below average for the time of year.

Arctic blast.

North-easterly.

Wrap up warm.

Sustained cold spell.

Wintery showers, heavy snowfall, etc., you get the idea.

Hmm. Here are a few of mine:

Bud rot (or, budrot)

Spear pull

Damping off

Hard freeze

Hard frost

Wildfire or wild fire

knock over with car (or truck)

[DoomsDave]

More corporate phrases:

"Brainchild"

"I've got you in my radar."

"Come to the party."

"Go live."

"Touch base."

"Going forward."

"Agent of change."

"Key player."

"Fog of jargon."

Ooooo, corporations, the primordial soup of annoying phrases! Lately everything is delivered from a platform, as in "What platforms are you using?" I guess product is out of style. Everything gets -ized, as in incentivize, utilize, argh!

Where I work, everything gets an acronym, to the point that my email is alphabet soup. UIT, FI, FX, CDO, CMO, CDS, ARS, ADR, LOS, FINRA, FDIC, SIPC, ACAT, FA, FAA, CSA, HELOC, EBITDA, ROE, ROI, to name a few of the easier examples. Some of them have been used so long, their original meaning has been forgotten; NASDAQ, for example. Anyone know what it means without googling?

-outreach

-thought leadership

-legacy assets

It's worse when you're a lawyer, and you have to deal with corporate issues. Imagine all of the above, plus legalese . . . . .

[Neofolis]

The quite = quiet example reminds me of the pronunciations popularised by Afro-american (I hope I have used the current, correct and unoffensive title), youth culture, where words such as "ask" are pronounced as "axe". I don't know if the spelling corresponds or if it is just a pronunciation change.

Something, something. (I can't even think how, the way I usually hear that said, would be spelt, "su'm, su'm" maybe).

Why I oughtta..... (Learn how to complete a sentence).

Works for me, work around, work over, work it, work it out, workout. (Maybe I just don't like work).

Socialite, it girl, fashionista, fashion guru or anything else guru. (Kang guru is OK).

[_Keith]

git'r done

[SunnyFl]

Things like, "paper cuts are the worst thing in the world" or "the most painful thing ever". If people really believe this, they should consider themselves very lucky not to have experienced anything worse.

amen, brother

Dave in So Cal wrote:

Where I work, everything gets an acronym, to the point that my email is alphabet soup. UIT, FI, FX, CDO, CMO, CDS, ARS, ADR, LOS, FINRA, FDIC, SIPC, ACAT, FA, FAA, CSA, HELOC, EBITDA, ROE, ROI, to name a few of the easier examples. Some of them have been used so long, their original meaning has been forgotten

It's worse when you're a lawyer, and you have to deal with corporate issues. Imagine all of the above, plus legalese . . . . .

Ack! I'd die!

[palmmermaid]

Interesting topic.

Here aer some of the words and phrases I abhor:

"like" - used every other word by some people. So annoying.

"you know" - commented on before by someone else

"In so much as" - huh?

"-person" - as in "chairperson". It is "chairman". Some words can be either sex. It doesn't matter.

"-challenged" - as in "vertically-challenged". What is wrong with a person being "short"?

"politically correct" - We are too sensitive about silly things. There are more pressing matters to deal with than worrying about whether you should call a person "short" or "vertically-challenged".

"-American" - if you are a citizen of the USA, you are an American. Period.

And shortened, abbreviated, mispelled words in correspondence. I am always amazed at the poor spelling and grammer in business communications.

[BS Man about Palms]

BSism:

Hey Mod, I've got this Ranch Hand Pic, whataya think?

So far I'm still at 0% warnings...

[_Keith]

BSism:

Hey Mod, I've got this Ranch Hand Pic, whataya think?

So far I'm still at 0% warnings...

That's cause you ask first. Live a little.

[paulgila]

[BS Man about Palms]

BSism:

Hey Mod, I've got this Ranch Hand Pic, whataya think?

So far I'm still at 0% warnings...

That's cause you ask first. Live a little.

Actually, I usually post first then ask later after I see what it looks like.

[bubba]

How about someone's "game-changing revelation" about their "carbon footprint".

[pogobob]

Your account has been temporarly been suspended, this suspension is due to end on...

[Tess]

What about the diabolical "real time." When do I loathe real time? Now.

[Walter John]

"daylight savings" - people believe you can keep the sun burning longer

"like" - always used my young people here, I've actually heard school children in conversation on the train - example: "My Dad was furious like, and I was just like, and he was like".

"my people will talk to your people" - and they never do anyway, some person will send an email.

"let's do lunch sometime" - Do lunch ? Is it a new dance ?

These are just from the "top of my head", I have a few more that "get up my nose", I'll post later after I "sit on it" for a while.

[Tad]

mystery dypsis

[John in Andalucia]

mystery dypsis

I agree Tad. It makes palm identification sound like a title to a Hergé childrens novel - Tin Tin in the Land of the Mystery Dypsis.

[Neofolis]

I would like to add letters or other written correspondence that begin....

"I am writing ....."

The very first thing I was taught at school about letter writing was never to start any letter with "I am writing", yet almost every letter I receive starts this way. Firstly, it is superfluous, secondly, it is probably inaccurate. Dictating or typing would would be more accurate, but equally unnecessary.

Grammar, syntax and symantic errors seem to be everywhere. I was in a shop today that had a sign.

"Sale, up to half price".

I enquired what the price had previously been. The assistant obviously missed my implication, as she answered, "I don't know". So I elaborated, saying that it should say "down to half price". Isn't it great to know that I'm just as annoying in real life as I am in the cyber world.

[Walter John]

mystery dypsis

I agree Tad. It makes palm identification sound like a title to a Hergé childrens novel - Tin Tin in the Land of the Mystery Dypsis.

Go on John, I want to read that story, sounds great.