Posted on 11/07/2008 8:35:19 AM PST by edzo4
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 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
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
something or other is a “no-brainer.”
How about the word “DIVA” with regards to anything from singing, dancing, acting, to cleaning toilets
Most irritating:
Sincere, uh, thanks, y’know, from, uh, Michelle and uh, the girls. y’know, and I.
“It depends.”
“Whilst”
What does “sea change” MEAN, anyway?
“sooner rather than later”
As a rhetorical flourish in a speech it was ok; as part of everyday language, it is ridiculous — seven syllables to say the equivalent of one — “soon”.
“IRREGARDLESS”
"Hell is other people!"
Oh, I like So TOTally agree! Everybody knows the correct usage is, "So, like: ...."
Back in the day.
What up?
Text me.
Diversity, respect, dignity, or any other “you understood” word.
I didn’t do nuthin’.
Whatever....
Bite me.
Using hate as a direct object.
Using bad instead of good.
Using a number to spell a word.
Dissin’
Hyphenated-American
Ebonics
I ain’t got no....
Great list but my least favorite isn’t on it:
Me: May I have another order of mashed potatoes?
Waiter: No problem!
Me: Can you please check my account for X, Y or Z?
Accounting dept person: No problem!
Me: Thank you for mowing my lawn. (Said while handing over $40)
Neighbor kid: No problem!
Me: This clock doesn’t work. I’d like my money back, please.
Clerk: No problem!
(Me, sometimes: Oh there is a problem. I had to take valuable time out of my busy day because this product is defective. The correct response is, I’m sorry for your inconvenience and I will refund your money.)
Worst ever:
“It’s for the children”
This one makes my husband insane. I go insane when somebody wants to “share with me”. It’s never anything good so why not just keep it to yourself!
“could be a game changer”
Good one, actually!
Very good, but even better IMO:
"To be perfectly honest with you, ...."
(As opposed to my being "imperfectly honest" with you!)
Rush says, “Lookit.” My wife thinks it’s cute.
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