I read an amusing news article today about a group of University of Oxford researchers who have listed the top ten most annoying phrases in the English language. I agree with most of them, and have a few of my own I could add.
Here is the list:
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
How about "proactive"? I used to work with THE most annoying young woman who used that word twice in every sentence. It got really old. Or "chill out"? Don't you just want to smack someone who says that to you? "Deal with it!". That one is also a smacking offence. I am also getting thoroughly sick of the expression "Sweet!", which is very popular in my area currently.
Here is Nicole's Top 10:
Basically
Going forward
Whatever
Think Outside the Box
No worries/No problem
Get a life
That’s where we’re at
Touch base
It is what it is
Let's play it by ear
How about you? What phrases grate on your nerves?
34 Responses
Absolutely! (oops…Is that on the list)I couldn’t agree more. I thought it was just me. But, I have upgraded 24/7 to a choking offense.
Suck it up! ….I use it but its my father’s term which makes me even more crazy.
Yeah, but… That one always killed me. Basically, yes I hear you but I’ve got a problem with your request. Argh!
Thank you for acknowledging the enraging “It is what it is.” I loathe that expression. It is the wust of the wust. And I thought I was all alone with this fury.
Ooh…fun game! Here’s mine: “He really tells it like it is…” – Oh really? From whose perspective?
Also ANY phrase using bad grammar. Ugh.
Thanks for your blog…I’ve been a reader for a while 🙂
I notice this a lot, overuse of the word “like”
Like I was at the mall and like this boy was like looking at me… etc. You know? It like really bugs me and like makes me want to like strangle them.
And one my dad always said was “life is hard and then you die” Thanks Dad… and I’ve heard this said by lots of people.
Well, hearing people say “like” and “you know” are always top on my list, but I think the one that has to annoy me the most is “no worries.” Ugh! To me it’s the equivalent of fingernails down a chalkboard!
I agree with you about the phrase, thinking outside the box. It’s at the top of my list. And the one word that truly gets to me is “issues”. I guess you could say, “I have issues with the word issues!!!!”
After 9/11 so many broadcasters started off with “In times like these” and “Now more than ever”. Drove me crazy! I also hate “It is what it is”.
I agree with you about the phrase, thinking outside the box. The one word I detest is “issues”. I guess you could say, “I have issues with the word issues”.
I agree. I might have a little different perspektive on this . My first language is not English, (it is Slovak)so when I first came to US. I had a hard time to understand the meaning of some of these phrases.(No, they don’t teach that at school.) Examples: hang out with somebody, chill out, etc. I had some funny stories too, but that is for longer.
I ‘ve been here for seven years, got familiar with most of them and yes some really annoy me.
“like”, “whatever”, “you know”, “sweet”,…
I don’t know if this help, but most languages have some annoying phrases as well.
You got a chuckle out of me with this post. The phrase that makes my teeth grind the worst is one my brother and some of his acquaintances use….”Hows it hanging, dude?” I think he uses it mainly to get a response from me though, the way siblings like to do. LOL.
Oh thank you! You listed my favorite phrase to hate. I HATE it when someone says “It is what it is.” Well, no sh*t Sherlock! (Just to counteract one trite phrase with another one!)
To Tell You The Truth…
Don’t like that. It’s like any other time they would be lying!
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Happy days
Debbs
Irregardless of the fact that irregardless isn’t a word, I have seizures whenever I hear it used, over and over and over again.
The one I detest is, “exactly” (usually lots of emphasis on the 2nd syllable), and “absolutely” (lots of emphasis on the 3rd syllable. Thanks, enjoyed reading all the comments!
Well, actually………
Drives me crazy. It’s like the person is telling me that I’m all wrong in what I’m saying.
*argh* The phrase that causes me to gnash my teeth is ‘so called.’ It is called or named or whatever . . . so just SAY IT!
*sigh* I feel better now *s*
Fun subject, Nicole! Expanding on your No Worries/No Problem — I *hate* the phrase “It’s all good.”
I love seeing the beautiful quilting you’ve had done on your Friday Finishes from this summer. Have you had the Posh Baskets top quilted yet? I can’t wait to see that one!
I must admit, I hate ‘no problem’.. grrr. and ‘have a nice day’.. but the one that really gets on my goat is one you mentioned ‘with all due respect’.. you just know they are gonna diss you when they say that.. grrr..
Lissa
who hasn’t sewn on her machine for so long it needs dusting!
“not on the same page”
“make sure we’re all on the same page”
“we’ve turned the page on that already” (said in a snotty tone)
Spoken by people who probably never read a book since graduating from college with their stinking marketing degrees…
“It is what it is” That makes me crazy. What does that mean any way? I also can’t stand “back in the day” a relative who is only 2 years older than me has started saying it and it irritates me to no end. We are not that old!! Also any suggestions on getting teenage girls to refrain from using “like” in every other word?
Opps! I will have to remember to print out your list and remind myself not to use them in conversation with you. LOL. From your personal list, I use about SIX of them. LOL.
Jen 🙂
Geez, Nicole, at the end of the day I thought I was being fairly unique by absolutely using these expressions 24/7. At this moment in time ~ and with all due respect ~ I personally don’t think my grammar is all that bad. I mean, it’s not rocket science but no problem, I’ll start thinking outside the box and go forward with improving myself by not using so many annoying phrases. Otherwise, I’m a nightmare. I shouldn’t of said that, should I? Okay, whatever. So I’ll apologize and you’ll forgive me, right? After all, it is what it is and since that’s where we’re at, let’s play it by ear and I’ll touch base with you later.
Not only am I sick of “sweet” but also tired of “sick” (meaning “good” also) I remember one recent occasion when I showed my daughther a nice tablerunner I made and she commented, “That is so sick”…can you tell I have a teenager? Pam in Chico
I was going to say touch base…but you beat me to it…another one is Let’s put it on the back burner!
Really? (Yes, really!)
Your kidding? (No, I’m not!)
I hate to say this…(Then, don’t!)
Those are three that really bug me.
Look… I hate that. It seems every pundit on TV these days starts his/her sentence with “look.” That “at the end of the day” one makes me cringe too. I heard one pundit use that phrase three times in one sentence not long ago.
Oh yeah, and “reach across the aisle.” How many times have we heard that one?
SNAP!! What is that? I never understand why people say snap.
“Tell someone who cares”
And the other one when people have a makeover done or they win something and all the can say is “oh my gowd”
I don’t like the phrase – “What’s for dinner?”