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
“”Litmus Test”
When did a pH test become a test of worthiness?”
........uh, ever since Democrats became so ACIDIC....???
They’ve always been that way, BASICALLY.
“Stop Whinging”.
Is that a British saying? My Mother used to say that and I had no idea where she got it. I never heard anyone else use that expression. I finally thought she just made it up. The fact that it’s British doesn’t make much sense either. She was from Southwest Philadelphia of Irish Descent.
What’d y’all have to go and say that for??? Maybe some efforts to not end a sentence with a preposition are worse! LOL.
I feel the exact same way.
The saying that bugs me most occurs when i’m shopping, looking at some item and a saleslady comes over and says “that’s our most popular (purse) this year”.
Big turn off. This says they’ve judged me as someone that would want the same purse that everyone else has.
Altho my daughter, who used to work in retail says that is what they tell you to say when you see a customer looking at something.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Entire books have been written on this topic....ALL of which make me nauseous. I’ve had managers in retail situations who would MAKE YOU read them and follow suit, depending on which PHONEY approach they found the most effective in TRICKING people into purchasing a given item. High pressure sales has GOT to be one of the least desirable features of the modern “shopping experience” out there. Coming in a close second is all the useless garbage that’s offered for sale.....grrr......
Well, I’ve never been a stickler for grammatical perfection, especially since some turns of phrase are far more effective when they are just left hanging.
At the end of the day, as he pushes the envelope, he brings to the table his persons of color which is something we can get closure on.
“Irregardless” and “Nukyular” are two that are similar to “fingernails on a chalkboard”
Since you are an excellent user of words, you need to read this thread and contribute. Please.
You have to vigilant or these phrases will find their way into your own speech, without your even realizing it. I became aware that I had been responding to a “thank you” with “no problem” after reading one of these threads. Maybe it’s futile to fight against changes in usage in the English language - there’s nothing inherently magic about the phrase “you’re welcome”.
You can say that again!
Dude or Duuuude - I have no problem when this word is used by teenage/college age boys or professional surfers, But when it's used during meetings or in emails or by professionals over age 30 I often have to force myself not to strangle the guilty party.
You can repeat that again, looking back retroactively.
I WOULD be great fun to hand out one of those cards to everybody there. Then when you yell “__________,” they’d all know why, except for the speaker.
The word "like" before any statement...
It was "like" cold. When my kids say that I ask them....Was it "cold"? or was it "like cold"... meaning it was almost, near or somewhat approaching cold... they ususally roll the eyes and laugh.
The media now substitutes "person of interest" for suspect. As in "Jesse James is a person of interest in the latest train robbery." I want to throw a brick through the tv when I hear that phrase.
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