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
I didn’t know that! It’s one of my favorite cheeses and I always call it “lyster” for no reason at all. The cheese ladies never correct me at the store, lol!
Obviously, I have not been ‘cross the pond (yet) in my provincial little life.
Which is the worse sin, ending a sentence with a preposition or splitting an infinitive?
I sure didn’t know *that,* either. Thought it was the same as Purgatory, the ski area - and my former home forum. Wow, I’ll have to remember that.
Kinda like Refugio and Mexia, here in TX. ReFURY-oh and Muh-HAY-uh. That’s funny about “Shy Anne,” too. I think there’s a FReeper named that.
Cheney is hard enough to explain - I wonder if Cheney Chick has to tell her Brit friends her nick and how she says it. So many say “Sheeney.”
“exactly” or “basically”
Oooohh, good one! I commit that atrocity all the time.
Yikes, I’m picturing Joan Rivers doing Queen Elizabeth “fuh fuhf uhhf fuh.” Or John Cleese doing the real thing with real words. Whilst whistling.
Oh, like all the endin’ “g’s” I have in my consonant account waitin’ for me to retire and cash ‘em in.
Why do the British say “Knocked someone up” when they really just woke them up by arriving at their house?
Like driveways and parkways.
I hate it when people end a sentence with a preposition.
Where is it at?
They “fall preggers” over there, too.
I wish I could, but time won't permit it. Tell you what, though, ping as many questions to me as you wish and I'll produce ponderous pontifical pronouncements when I return. Tomorrow evening, jes prolly.
Uh, you know what uh really bothers me?
When, uh, people say uh, all the uh time.
I transcribe medical reports from home and it amazes me how many well educated physicians use “uh” almost every other word. I once typed out the report just as it was dictated and in a 6 line report, there were 25 “uh’s”.
Why do people use “all important”? Which all is it important to?
“This sort of thing is a stock slow news day filler item.”
Good one - I can’t stand that phrase either! ;)
free gift.
Supposably your just to good in grammer - irregardless that you can still understand there words.
(My two pet peeves are in there, plus a few of you’res)!
all's you gotta do...is speak better english, moron.
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