Oxford compiles list of top ten irritating phrases

telegraph UK ^ | 10/7/2008 | Charlotte Bailey

[redrunner]

Heading the list was the expression 'at the end of the day', which was followed in second place by the phrase 'fairly unique'.

The tautological statement "I personally" made third place – an expression that BBC Radio 4 presenter John Humphreys has described as "the linguistic equivalent of having chips with rice."

Also making the top 10 is the grammatically incorrect "shouldn't of", instead of "shouldn't have".

The phrases appear in a book called Damp Squid, named after the mistake of confusing a squid with a squib, a type of firework.

The researchers who compiled the list monitor the use of phrases in a database called the Oxford University Corpus, which comprises books, papers, magazines, broadcast, the internet and other sources.

The database alerts them to new words and phrases and can tell them which expressions are disappearing. It also shows how words are being misused.

....

The top ten most irritating phrases:

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

[Revolting cat!]

We can win this thing!

[monocle]

“Bottom line” deserves a place on that list.

[Revolting cat!]

Landslide McCain!

[Revolting cat!]

‘No problem’

[Alas Babylon!]

What say you?

In fact, a lot of what Bill O’Reilly says used to be fun and novel, but has lost much of its luster over time.

[StormEye]

I hate hearing “all of a sudden” when “suddenly”
should be used.

[MNDude]

PUMA!!!!

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I’d hit it.

[rollo tomasi]

Out of the mouths of politicians:

“New tone”

“Bipartisanship”

“Reaching across the isle”

“Compassionate Conservatism”

“Change”

“Hope”

“Paying your fair share”

“ummmm, yeaaahhh, uhhhh, ooohhhh, yes that's right I got it know”

Plenty more but time is fleeting

[rollo tomasi]

“know”= “now”

[bergmeid]

We must work together.

[Pagey]

"MY BAD"! My 8 year old has latched on to this and I'm weaning her off it. I've heard Adults actually use that phrase!IT'S SOOOOOO PEDESTRIAN!

People who say "UH", when they're pausing to think of what to say next. Hell I was guilty of it when I was younger, but I'd rather hear nothing, than hear "UH".

[Pagey]

ANY use of the word “Fair” or “Fairness” in Politics. John McCain can live the rest of his life knowing the reason he didn’t win the presidency was because he played FAIR!

[Labour-Watch]

"issues"

"genre"

and

"is is"

[metmom]

*I could care less* when the person means that they really could NOT possibly care less than they already do (or don’t)

[LiteKeeper]

“[fill in the blank] offends me” - used as an excuse to outlaw, or cease doing, something!

[George Smiley]

Words mean things ping.

[SlidingW]

“irregardless” and “I could care less” drive me to distraction - literally, as I am no longer able to listen to what comes next. I'm too busy mentally switching gears from the beginning of the conversation.

[George Smiley]

“full stop”, when properly used, is a synonym for the “period” character.

[George Smiley]

Went missing: UK English for “disappeared”.