Posted on 05/29/2007 2:17:17 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
Readers have responded in their thousands to The Daily Telegraph's call to select the worst phrases in the English language.
Since our invitation was issued in February, more than 3,000 of you have submitted personal inventories of the damned, containing the phrases, aphorisms and clichés that irritate the most.
High on the list of grievances was the increasing use of slang, poor grammar and the incorporation of Americanisms into everyday speech.
Many of you shared frustrations over the misuse of "forensic" and "literally", while management jargon such as "downsizing", "brainstorming" and "thinking outside the box" also received plenty of nominations.
The Daily Telegraph has responded with its own compilation of annoying phrases, and She Literally Exploded: The Daily Telegraph Infuriating Phrasebook is now available on Amazon.
Here is a selection of your comments so far:
"It's not rocket science". Rocketry is engineering, not a science. - Tony
The phrase "up close and personal" was irritating to start with and has become hackneyed and meaningless e.g. I went on a river trip and was thrilled to get up close and personal with a crocodile - Margot Lang
I can't stand "to die for". Nothing's that good and even if it was, you'd be dead and wouldn't be able to enjoy whatever it was. - Vivsy
"Pushing the envelope" always conjures up for me some ridiculous scene in a mailing room or post office. - Nigel Brown
Why, when someone famous dies, do tributes always "pour" in? Also, when a plane crashes in the sea, the media is quick to remind us that the waters are always "shark-infested". - S.Winrad
Only £1,999.99. - P.H.Heilbron
"This door is alarmed". Is it really frightened? - Alan Lawrence
The infuriating rising inflections at the end of sentences that make everything sound like a question? - Steve Grant
I hate being addressed as "hallo there". My name is not "there". And why have all the cookery books and frying pans disappeared? What is a "cook" book and a "fry" pan? - Susan Byers
When the waitress plonks the plate in front of you and says, "there you go". Where do I go? Where's there? - Ken Clarke
"It will be in the last place you look". Well of course I'm not going to continue to look for it when I have found it. - Tom Batt
Well, what do you want? We’re not brain scientists here.
Phrases that (LIKE) really bug us all, basically
LIKE, the number one overused and abused word in the English language, presently.
Screwiest way of attempting to explain why someone is unable to be located. “They went missing”.
My wife’s two examples, “hows it hanging”, and “have a good one”.
Instead of the wordy “at this time,” I prefer “now.”
Everyone knows what the word student means. To prove that you're a professional educator (or any other profession that depends heavily on BS), you have to come up with jargon, or new words for common things.
"Win win". Or worse yet, "Win win win".
“Me luv you long time, GI.”
Of late, the non-word “anyways” seems to be popular, as does the weird “all of the sudden.”
Whatever..
“Parenting”
Then the media still uses the term alleged murderer after the conviction.
That one gets me too...the correct phrase is Eat your cake and have it too
It's supposed to mean doing something and still having another choice on the same matter. Or something akin to that...lol
It’s a Delta Sigma Phi thing. :)
I also hate the use of foul language on the radio or TV--Rush Limbaugh and Phil McGraw, for example. (Don't remind me. I've had posts removed here on FR--and wisely, I was ready to admit--because of foul language. Keep it up, Moderator.)
And what good does it do to warn parents that the upcoming should not be heard by children? Children could be listening without their parents. Or parents with children beside them could tune in after the warning.
I no butterfly you...roflmao
If you and I start FReepmailing, our exchange is BETWEEN you and me.
This thread is an exchange AMONG many FReepers.
“Not for nothin’...”
I intensely dislike that phrase.
Just how do you know that "I know"?
I may NOT know!
I especially dislike it if it's used more than once in a conversation.
Once I can handle. If it's used again and again it just, you know, sets my skin ashiver with dislike.
;^)
Student was such a nice word, too. One could be a student at any age, and it had such a hopeful, optimistic quality.
Compare the following conversations:
"What are you doing with yourself these days ?".
Oh, I'm a student at the University....; or, I'm studying ......".
to
"What are you doing these days ?
"Oh, I'm a learner at the ....?"
Learner falls flat, sounding institutionalized and dreary, as if there was nothing wonderful about the experience at all.
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