Banned from the English language

[The_Veg]

I don't remember who it is who does this, but it seems like there used to be an annual article or press release or something from some group who suggested banning certain things from our language.
Lately I've had a few come to mind. Here's my list so far:

MEGA-(anything). I'm getting so sick and tired of hearing this prefix that I just wanna mega-puke, especially since its use is often very inappropriate, and even quite contradictory- I've recently spotted a brand of tortilla chip called MegaThin!

POWERED BY... This one was hokey and corny at first, now it's just vague and annoying.

(anything)-IZING. These attempts at making verbs out of nouns really bug me and smack of linguistic lazyness.

(any number) POINT-O. Okay, first of all, 'O' is a letter and ZERO is a number. Second, a number is whole or it isn't, and we don't need to emphasise a decimal value of zero to remind us of this fact. Seven is seven whether you add zero to it or not.

So let's hear it- what would you all add to this list?

[rinty]

going forward...
disconnect (as in: there's a disconnect between our ideas)
24/7
in your face
win win

Great thread, Veg. Now that we've got the fall blah's, and Christmas advertising has started, let's get this out of our collective systems.

Rinty

[cjack]

going forward...
disconnect (as in: there's a disconnect between our ideas)
24/7
in your face
win win

Great thread, Veg. Now that we've got the fall blah's, and Christmas advertising has started, let's get this out of our collective systems.

Rinty

"having said that..."

[RandyB]

Extreme
Reality (as in TV)
come to think of it, ban TV too
24/7 gets +1
disrespect as a verb
like (as a modifier)
you know (as a modifier)
... and stuff.

I should have either gone to like, church or slept in and stuff. :bluduh

[The_Veg]

This is what I'm doing instead of church this morning.

And +1 on extreme.

[Motor31]

+5 on anything to do with combining the term "reality" and ANY media production for entertainment.

[meisco]

any movie theater trailer (or TV commercial promoting a movie) in which the lead off is . . .

"In a world . . . "

[SHawn_P]

This is a good thread!

I think in addition to what you guys already have posted I would offer....

irregardless
leverage (and all its variations)
super (plus anything)

[username]

matt groening used to post the "banned words of XXXX" (where XXXX is the year) in his "life in hell" cartoon. he would usually have an excellent list of silly things that had become colloquialisms or that the media had repeated relentlessly.

[Kbrick]

I don't remember who it is who does this, but it seems like there used to be an annual article or press release or something from some group who suggested banning certain things from our language.
Lately I've had a few come to mind. Here's my list so far:

MEGA-(anything). I'm getting so sick and tired of hearing this prefix that I just wanna mega-puke, especially since its use is often very inappropriate, and even quite contradictory- I've recently spotted a brand of tortilla chip called MegaThin!

POWERED BY... This one was hokey and corny at first, now it's just vague and annoying.

(anything)-IZING. These attempts at making verbs out of nouns really bug me and smack of linguistic lazyness.

(any number) POINT-O. Okay, first of all, 'O' is a letter and ZERO is a number. Second, a number is whole or it isn't, and we don't need to emphasise a decimal value of zero to remind us of this fact. Seven is seven whether you add zero to it or not.

So let's hear it- what would you all add to this list?

Don't forget, "uber" this or that, or pinkification of the MOA News.

[kbasa]

Pinkification?

Should that one get banned? :ha

[iRene]

... or pinkification of the MOA News.

I'm glad I was not the only one offended by that one.

[PAULBACH]

Whatever ..."to the next level."

Elephant in the room

[Bob_M]

It drives me crazy to hear people say "what it is is..." when "it is..." should be used.

I think using football fields as a unit of measure should also be banned.

[crazydrummerdude]

"ignorant" - no one ever uses that in the correct context.

[BradfordBenn]

The whole nine yards... isn't a football first down ten yards?

[iRene]

Awesome (pronounced "Osssss-sssummm!!)

[eddie]

Liberal
Conserative
Left Wing
Right Wing
Republican
Democrat

American should replace all these words

:usa

[John Brase]

The use of "a" when talking about a single, specific person. Sports reporters seem fond of uttering statements along the line of, "when you have a Peyton Manning on your team..." A Peyton Manning? As though there are several of them out there and all you need is one of them.

John

[d_day_6]

When someone is describing something to me and after every sentence says.... you know what I'm sayin'?

Also, when someone is talking to me and constantly holds up both hands and does the quotes sign........ :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

It makes me crazy...

[SNC1923]

When someone is reported to have "gone missing," as in "she went missing on Thursday." She disappeared or was noticed to be missing. She did go somewhere, but it wasn't missing. That's not a place.

"Each and every" for each or every. Never vote for anyone who says this.

The word "community" to refer to groups other than societies or cultures. There is no community of engineers or house painters.

"Unique" used as a qualifer rather than an absolute term. It means the only one ever. Something cannot be somewhat or very unique. It's either unique or it isn't.

The rampant use of apostrophes in all words ending in "s". This is especially egrigious on billboards and painted signs on shop windows.

"Long time listener, first time caller." That's when I change the station.

[dbrick]

"It was in 1956 that..." instead of "In 1956..."

[rinty]

I'll put a bunch more up as soon as I can find my notes compiled earlier today. I think the cats got them.

Rinty

[Visian]

so, are we playing BSbingo (http://www.bull****bingo.net/cards/bull****/)?

[ironMan]

"ignorant" - no one ever uses that in the correct context.

Now that is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. People are ignorant of the meaning of ignorant.
:laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

[BubbaZanetti]

ATM Machine
PIN Number
out of the box
pro active

[ironMan]

ATM Machine
PIN Number
out of the box
pro active

Don’t forget ABS System

[dbrick]

And VIN number.

[snoone]

I want to axe you a question. Applicants that say axe instead of ask do not have a chance to be hired in my office

[DarrylRi]

The one that always gets me is someone who says "I could care less". One could hardly utter a more useless statement, and one about which I, personally, couldn't care less.

[Fritzc]

Here are my vocabulary pet peeves:

RPMS instead of RPM

Butt instead of but

Eclectic mix (redundant?)

Reiterate (redundant?)

Mis-use of TO, TOO and TWO

"You know, repeated at end of every sentence.

"asterix" instead of asterisk

:violin :violin :violin :violin

[bmwmotowoman]

"I didn't do it" This being said right after I watched that person do what they said they didn't do.

[rinty]

Found my notes; cats are exonerated, even the ever mischievous Abyssinian.

proactive
let me understand .... [your position]
on target
empower
touch base
network
keeping [whomever] in the loop
dialogue
thank you for sharing

Gail: I had taken "awesome" off our list; I promise I'll be careful.

There. Back to Al and John.

Rinty

[Fritzc]

"I didn't do it" This being said right after I watched that person do what they said they didn't do.


ROFLMAO :rofl

Are you a teacher? I taught High School for 31 years and can't begin to guess how often I've heard that one.

[squeaky]

My favorite gripe used especially by those in politics is "ongoing". I like to think the investigation is continuing.

Bob Schrader
Wentzville, Mo.
00 K1200LT

[snoone]

How about when someone says " no offense" , whatever is said following that phrase is always offensive.

[SNC1923]

Here are my vocabulary pet peeves:

"asterix" instead of asterisk

:violin :violin :violin :violin

Don't even get me started with nuculer. You'd think people who say this have never been to a libary, eksetera.

[stone]

I don't remember who it is who does this, but it seems like there used to be an annual article or press release or something from some group who suggested banning certain things from our language.
Lately I've had a few come to mind. Here's my list so far:

MEGA-(anything). I'm getting so sick and tired of hearing this prefix that I just wanna mega-puke, especially since its use is often very inappropriate, and even quite contradictory- I've recently spotted a brand of tortilla chip called MegaThin!

POWERED BY... This one was hokey and corny at first, now it's just vague and annoying.

(anything)-IZING. These attempts at making verbs out of nouns really bug me and smack of linguistic lazyness.

(any number) POINT-O. Okay, first of all, 'O' is a letter and ZERO is a number. Second, a number is whole or it isn't, and we don't need to emphasise a decimal value of zero to remind us of this fact. Seven is seven whether you add zero to it or not.

So let's hear it- what would you all add to this list?

Accepting that a person means 'point zero', it is an indication of precision just as 'point one' or 'point nine' are. If they are simply describing an interger or something that can only described in intergers, then you are correct. But, for example, 67.0 inches is a more precise measurement, indicating tolerances in the tenths of an inch while 67 inches would indicate tolerances in much larger increments - even inches.

[Motor31]

Now that is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. People are ignorant of the meaning of ignorant.
:laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

Ignorance is curable, stupidity is forever and often fatal.

[tessler]

"stay the course"

[Junkle]

Co-conspirator (how does one conspire alone?)

"At this point in time" (one of the many wordy redundancies littering the world today :p )

Co-mingled (seems you need more than one thing to have mingling)

"For free" -- it is either free or it is for nothing, but it is not "for free"

I'm sure there are others, but it's early on monday.

j

[BeemoKat]

The whole nine yards... isn't a football first down ten yards?

that refers to the 27 foot ammunition belts for the machine guns in WWII fighter planes.
"I shot the hell out 'em...gave 'em the whole 9 yards".

How about:
transitioning
impacting
I'll come up with more later.

[DarrylRi]

Another poster reminded me of how annoying I find "ect." used as an abbreviation for et cetera, which is a latin phrase that means "and so on". The abbreviation is "etc." A lot of people out there must either be dyslexic or don't actually know what the words are they are abbreviating with "ect."

Oh, and Asterix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix) is not a typographic glyph, but a comic book hero.

[SNC1923]

"At this point in time" (one of the many wordy redundancies littering the world today :p )
j

past memories
terrible tragedy
various differences
end result
each individual X
final outcome
basic fundamentals
true facts
past history
important essentials
unexpected surprise
future plans
sudden crisis

[Bob_M]

Center around - You could circle around or center upon but not center around

[Belquar]

Mine are work related.

Lymes disease. It is Lyme Disease. not lymes. It was discovered in Lyme, CT. Calling it Lymes disease would be like saying measelses. Annoys the crap out of me. Particularly when my co-workers do it. You are a professional. Speak intelligently about what you do for a living.

24hrs. I work in Emergency Veterinary Care. People always call up and ask on the weekends (we are open from 3pm Sat to 8am Monday) how late are you open or how long will you be there? I respond we will be here until Monday morning. They say...oh your 24 hours. NO we are not. We are 41 hours on the weekend. Then we CLOSE.

24/7 365 Redundant. If you are 24/7 you are 365. Otherwise you are 24 most of the time.

[Daver90s]

The whole nine yards... isn't a football first down ten yards?
Actually that term comes not from football but from the military - I believe WWI
The belt that was used to feed machine guns (don't know exactly which model) was nine yards long - so, to totally wipe out any insurgents that might be behind that bush over there..."Use the whole nine yards"

Another possible origin of the term was that it takes 9 yards of material to make a 3 piece suit...but unless you're rather stout, I don't think that's it.

*
"Diva" is another one that should never be used. Any woman that sticks a mic in front of her face and lip syncs to a CD in NOT a diva. (Except for Elton John :groovy )

One of my students told me that the reason she always got such good grades was because she was "anal repulsive" yikes.

[kreinke]

How about business terms....
HR people are on my short list of people who should be exterminated right after lawyers when anarchy breaks out.
Synergy (WTF is that?)

Layoff has was replaced by the euphemisn downsizing.

Downsizing was usually associated with bad vibes so now they use the term
rightsizing . Either way, it means they're going to fire a bunch of old higher seniority people and replace them with Kelly temps to do the same job.


http://blog.writeitwell.com/2006/09/to-obfuscate-use-euphemisms.html

[Daver90s]

"We're going to begin the preboarding process" - Don't they mean the boarding process?

"Preheat the oven" The oven is either heated or not heated.

and you have a "hot water heater" - hot water doesn't need to be heated.

[tourunigo]

ok...how about:

- "ramp up" (as in "ramp up to speed"... gov't-speak I think)
- "where the rubber hits the road" (more gov't-speak?)
- "myself" (as in "please send a copy to Joe and myself")
- and finally, "eh?" ( :laugh just kidding, eh?) -Bob

[Daver90s]

ok...how about:

- "ramp up" (as in "ramp up to speed"... gov't-speak I think)
- "where the rubber hits the road" (more gov't-speak?)
- "myself" (as in "please send a copy to Joe and myself")
- and finally, "eh?" ( :laugh just kidding, eh?) -Bob

Well, your last one makes more sense if you're in Canada. :stick

[1flyer]

This one is from work and has long since lost its impact

"journey" as in "when we began our journey" to something that has nothing to do with any kind of trip such as "Lean is a never ending journey" or "when we began our journey to find the best copy machines".

[GRANT63RT]

I don't want to ban good from the language, I just wish people would use it correctly. I want to scream at the the TV everytime I hear a NASCAR driver say "My car ran good." It didn't run good it ran well! He could say "I had good car" I'm afraid missuse of good has become so common that nobody notices anymore. I'm not just picking on NASCAR, it's everywhere. "he played good", "he pitched good", "my car ran good" etc. NOBODY does anything good, they do it well. They can do a good thing, but they do it well. They can even have a good game if they play well. Am I alone in this? Is there anyone else out there who cringes everytime they hear "good" used as an adverb?

[Crow18]

"paradigm shift of the new millennium"

[John Brase]

I've long since lost the battle over this one, but it still bothers me:

"Try and ..." As in, "I am going to try and find my gloves." "We are going to try and get an answer to your question." It is "try to ..." To try is to attempt, without assurance of success. "And" says you are sure to succeed, and if that is the case the word "try" is unnecessary.

John

[Visian]

As we flush this whole thing out it increasingly becomes a mute point.

[Visian]

"Try and ..." ...

"Do or do not. There is no try"

- Yoda

[bob204bc]

As we flush this whole thing out it increasingly becomes a mute point.

+1 :doh

[jwhite518]

And VIN number.

And NIC card.

[jwhite518]

The one that really sets my teeth on edge:

At the end of the day.

:banghead
:banghead

[jdmetzger]

How about business terms....
HR people are on my short list of people who should be exterminated right after lawyers when anarchy breaks out.
Synergy (WTF is that?)


I hear you! Several time a month I get an email at work telling me "Please 5S your area, as we are having visitors..."

5S is just a load of corporate B.S. It's a fancy way of telling you to clean up your work area. It's taken from some Japanese words that start with "S":

Seiri Seiton Seiso Seiketsu ****suke

For the most part, the important thing to remember about "5S" is to take the last word, remove the last 4 characters, and that sums up the whole system. ;)

My company rotates through a few of these "philosophies" each year, and they are all just a fancy way of saying "get organized and do your work".

... They should probably add one about posting on the MOA forum from work! :p

[ltljohn]

Where you at
Where are you at
:banghead

[jdmetzger]

Where you at
Where are you at
:banghead

Isn't Alltel using that as a slogan? Similar to McDonalds with their "I'm lovin' it" campaign. Since when did bad grammar become acceptable in everyday life? I wouldn't respect a doctor who writes out prescriptions like "Take two of deez pills fo' times a day wit a full glass a' wata'". Not that I respected McDonalds a whole lot, to start with. I'm waiting for their uniforms to change to also be more "street". :banghead

[jwhite518]

And since we're ranting about the destructifization of the English language, here are a couple more:

Bike Web Forum Division
People who visit websights.
People who have disk breaks on their (oBMWc) BMW motorcycles.

Business Division
People who use leverage as a verb.
People who use access as a verb.
People who utilize fancy words instead of using them.
People who talk in acronyms. I actually got an email last week that said:

"I am hoping that I can help us all get closure on this. I gave this presentation during the BCP test. At the time, I asked for approval to open an RFS to proceed with a POC. I thought that was given by Jenn. Since then I think we have closed this RFS as it was a POC, and so BAU. "

WTF???

[crazydrummerdude]

I've long since lost the battle over this one, but it still bothers me:

"Try and ..." As in, "I am going to try and find my gloves." "We are going to try and get an answer to your question." It is "try to ..." To try is to attempt, without assurance of success. "And" says you are sure to succeed, and if that is the case the word "try" is unnecessary.

John

I have made this same point so many times. :wave

[crazydrummerdude]

"Alls I gots..."

[Daver90s]

And since we're ranting about the destructifization of the English language, here are a couple more:

Bike Web Forum Division
People who visit websights.
People who have disk breaks on their (oBMWc) BMW motorcycles.

Business Division
People who use leverage as a verb.
People who use access as a verb.
People who utilize fancy words instead of using them.
People who talk in acronyms. I actually got an email last week that said:

"I am hoping that I can help us all get closure on this. I gave this presentation during the BCP test. At the time, I asked for approval to open an RFS to proceed with a POC. I thought that was given by Jenn. Since then I think we have closed this RFS as it was a POC, and so BAU. "

WTF???

I'd also like to know when the word office became a verb.

[RandyB]

I don't want to ban good from the language, I just wish people would use it correctly. I want to scream at the the TV everytime I hear a NASCAR driver say "My car ran good." It didn't run good it ran well! He could say "I had good car" I'm afraid missuse of good has become so common that nobody notices anymore. I'm not just picking on NASCAR, it's everywhere. "he played good", "he pitched good", "my car ran good" etc. NOBODY does anything good, they do it well. They can do a good thing, but they do it well. They can even have a good game if they play well. Am I alone in this? Is there anyone else out there who cringes everytime they hear "good" used as an adverb?

Stay out of Arkansas.

Downsizing was known as dumbsizing not long ago.

He/she or him/her, etc. Usually pronounced "heeshee." Jeff Cooper called this "anthropologophobia" or the obsessive fear of the singular reflexive masculine pronoun.

Must...not...speak of
I be
He be
She be
They be

Veg, I'll be in Dallas Dec. 2&3. You deserve several adult beverages for starting this. You done good.

[tourunigo]

I'd also like to know when the word office became a verb.....about the time 'google' did? :dunno -Bob

[Kbrick]

I'm glad I was not the only one offended by that one.

Isn't this the part where we have words banned?

[terham]

Deliverables. I hear this all the time at work and it drives me crazy.

Prostrate rather than prostate - don't ask my why I'm thinking of this. I never hear about someone who is prostate on the ground, but I do hear "how's your prostrate?"

Possessive in place of plural. My BMW's have saddlebags.

[GRANT63RT]

Veg, I'll be in Dallas Dec. 2&3. You deserve several adult beverages for starting this. You done good.
:banghead That was a joke, right? :laugh

[GRANT63RT]

Anyone who got inspired by this thread would probably enjoy Edwin Newmans books about the downfall of the english language. I know he wrote more than one but I can only recall the title "Strictly Speaking." It was full of great qoutes from press conferences. for example:
Q: Are you taking a wait-and-see attidude?
A: It's too early to take a wait-and-see attitude.

[Montana]

OMG, where to start?

I was hired partly to help with contracting issues and lately I'm being told, "When you use your big words, folks think you're talking down to them."

Huh?

If you don't care that there is a significant difference between "perimeter" and "parameter" or "commensurate" and "commiserate," well, let's just say, computer spell-checkers are dangerous tools when in the wrong hands.

Banned use:

"Grow" as in: Grow that division of the business.

"Less" when it should be "fewer." People are counted, you might have fewer but you don't have less.

Overused, just ban outright:

Mandate

Consensus (not the same as unanimous, look it up)

I need to stop here. Otherwise, I'll never get off the forum.

Why did "Jeopardy!" change to incorrect punctuation? That show was one of the few that paid attention to the details.

[RandyB]

:banghead That was a joke, right? :laugh

You done good, yes. The rest, no. If he doesn't drink, I apologize. I'll buy whatever.

This is one of the better threads, humor wise. It's been a rough couple of weeks, mentally. I'll take my laughs where I can get them.

[Burnszilla]

I don't want to ban good from the language, I just wish people would use it correctly. I want to scream at the the TV everytime I hear a NASCAR driver say "My car ran good." It didn't run good it ran well! He could say "I had good car" I'm afraid missuse of good has become so common that nobody notices anymore. I'm not just picking on NASCAR, it's everywhere. "he played good", "he pitched good", "my car ran good" etc. NOBODY does anything good, they do it well. They can do a good thing, but they do it well. They can even have a good game if they play well. Am I alone in this? Is there anyone else out there who cringes everytime they hear "good" used as an adverb?
+1

[Burnszilla]

http://joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp

[RandyB]

http://joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp

bmw motorcycle=slap mah fro :dunno I'm going to get exactly nothing done at this rate....

[BradfordBenn]

Cool thanks for explaining the way the whole nine yards came about! :clap

[terham]

http://joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp

Where do you find this stuff? (It comes out a little differently after dat whack English gets ebonified.)

[cjack]

I'm into the proper use of the subjunctive. If this be english...

[RandyB]

I knew about the ebonic site mentioned but was afraid to post because someone might be upset and think I was a racist. I could pass a tesses anytime on the subject.

For those looking for speeches, some being from movies look on http://americanrhetoric.com my favorite is from Henry V St. Crispin's Day.

No one on this site but a bunch of white males over 50 with all their limbs who drink Budweiser. Or so I've heard.

[30628]

Ban

I'm ... and I approve this message.
Caught on tape.
Person of interest.

[MCMXCIVRS]

If we can get everyone to comply with this list of banned words and phrases it will be a win-win situation

[FatChance]

"Buy now and you can save up to $50, or more!"

[SNC1923]

Approximately $75-$100. :banghead

[PacWestGS]

Christmas advertisements before Thanksgiving.

Sales adds (anytime) that say 50% - 70% off anything that is already marked up 200% or more. Just sell the damn thing for a reasonable profit and stop making us perform simple to complicated mathmatical calculations at the clothes rack (or whatever) so we can spend exactly what you could have sold the item for in the first place.

A "SALE" means it used to cost more and now you want to cut-a-deal to get rid of it. Not something brand new that you just hung up yesterday... :deal

[Daver90s]

One should always damp his steering or rebound...
if one dampens it, it just makes it wet.

[tourunigo]

Christmas advertisements before Thanksgiving.

Sales adds (anytime) that say 50% - 70% off anything that is already marked up 200% or more. Just sell the damn thing for a reasonable profit and stop making us perform simple to complicated mathmatical calculations at the clothes rack (or whatever) so we can spend exactly what you could have sold the item for in the first place.

A "SALE" means it used to cost more and now you want to cut-a-deal to get rid of it. Not something brand new that you just hung up yesterday... :deal

...ask anyone who knows the REAL price of leather (and other) riding clothing how much it costs from the manufacturer (ie full leather racing suit of high quality selling for $800 USD is obtained for $200). Big sale at 50% off get the seller twice what they paid for it which is a fairer price in the first place. (BTW I have two new ones for sale....real deal :thumb ) -Bob

[The_Veg]

Accepting that a person means 'point zero', it is an indication of precision just as 'point one' or 'point nine' are. If they are simply describing an interger or something that can only described in intergers, then you are correct. But, for example, 67.0 inches is a more precise measurement, indicating tolerances in the tenths of an inch while 67 inches would indicate tolerances in much larger increments - even inches.
I call BS. It's still 67 inches.

[crazydrummerdude]

There is a Guitar Center commercial airing right now, where the announcer starts off by saying "Look-it, you can't always get what you want."

1) What does "look-it" mean? I remember my dumb friend always saying this in 8th grade. (Also, instead of saying "what if," he'd say "wunzif." Man, that was annoying.)

2) "You can't always get what you want." Cliches are beginning to annoy me. Thanks, English Comp II teacher.

[cjack]

There is a Guitar Center commercial airing right now, where the announcer starts off by saying "Look-it, you can't always get what you want."

1) What does "look-it" mean? I remember my dumb friend always saying this in 8th grade. (Also, instead of saying "what if," he'd say "wunzif." Man, that was annoying.)

2) "You can't always get what you want." Cliches are beginning to annoy me. Thanks, English Comp II teacher.

I think "it" is in the same catagory as "at". "Look" is sufficient. Or rather "look!". Followed by "pal" or "buddy" is always nice.

[Motor31]

The word "like" as a staple PRIMARY term or word in any verbal conversation.

:hungover :banghead :bluduh

[gfspencer]

Has anyone mentioned the use of the word "Absolutely"? :banghead

For example - "Do you like this thread?" "Absolutely." or "Isn't this a beautiful day?" "Absolutely."



Here's another one - "He will graduate highschool." When did people start to say that??

[dlowry]

Since this is a motorcycle forum I want to get rid of..

Can you do a poppawheelie?

[GeneT]

Things are not always as they seem. A motor has a cord or wire that is connected to an electric source to make it operate.

An engine is a piece of machinery with rotating internal parts and in some cases fueled by a fossil fuel

So with that in mind we actually ride engine cycles, not motorcycles, we also must have engine homes, not motor homes as named.

Or how about Fire Engines, what exactly is that???

99% of the people refer to the power plant in their car as a motor, if it is a actually a motor how long is the extension cord???

After a few drinks I likely could think of more.

:dance

[John Brase]

Things are not always as they seem. A motor has a cord or wire that is connected to an electric source to make it operate.

An engine is a piece of machinery with rotating internal parts and in some cases fueled by a fossil fuel
:dance

I think that particular point of distinction was lost about the time Henry founded Ford Motor Company.

John

[The_Veg]

I've heard engineers (motoreers???) say that liguistically there's not really any difference except the way we choose to use them. Both convert one form of energy to another.

[Rod Sheridan]

My daughter uses the word "like" frequently.

"I was going to school, and it was like, raining, and my books got, like, wet and stuff".

I recently read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" ISBN # 1592400876, by Lynne Truss.

It was like, the best book I've read on people who, like, make a mess of the English language and stuff, it was totally awesome eh.

Regards, Rod.

[Stuff2C]

press 1 for english :banghead

[RandyB]

Get "The Leaning Tower of Babel." It's out of print, but interlibrary loan works. You'll either pass out laughing or pass out from anger, but either way, it's a good read about the mangling of a beautiful language: English.

[iRene]

Pinkification?

Should that one get banned? :ha
Kbrick-
I believe you and Dave used the word "banned," I used the word "offended," if you read the posts.

[mandypants]

"Hopefully it will be sunny."

It should read, "I am hopeful that it will be sunny."

If you do something with a hopeful attitude, you can use "hopefully."

Example: "Hopefully, I didn't pack rain gear." It means that you were hopeful that it wouldn't rain.

It's another of those misused modifiers.

I'm also not a fan of "2:00 p.m. in the afternoon."
2 p.m. or 2 o'clock in the afternoon works.

As far as when the language became so corrupted, there have always been forms of speech very different than the formal way people are taught to write. Perhaps we have just started writing the way we talk more frequently. Nothing seems as formal as it used to be. We have lost our eloquence.

It reminds me of the play and movie "Pygmaion" and Eliza Doolittle with her "Howwaaaaaa..."

[RatSnake]

2) "You can't always get what you want." Cliches are beginning to annoy me. Thanks, English Comp II teacher.
I think this one can be blamed on Keith and/or Mick. I don't recall who wrote the lyrics here.

[rgvilla]

yeah, but" :D if you try real hard, you just might get what you need"

[Charles960]

"I didn't do it" This being said right after I watched that person do what they said they didn't do.be

Middle School to be specific.

[Belquar]

One that bugs the crap out of me and I am usually on my own on this one...

Q: What time is it?

A: Quarter of 3.

Most people who respond with that mean it is 2:45. 2:45 is quarter till three. Not quarter of. A quarter of 3 would be 3:15.

Yeah...I know I am probably alone on this. Makes me nuts. When I ask what time it is I would just prefer a numeric answer on the 24hr clock which also seems to blow people away.

[RandallIsland]

irregardless

O.K. ... NOT a word.

Let's also eradicate 'blowjobs' then, also not a word.

Am I doin' good Grant?
No?

Well then.
Back to school.
... figuring out how to incorporate 'fellatio' into my thesis

[Bob_M]

A quarter of 3 would be 3:15.

I get 0.75

this works especially well if it is taken out of context. :stick

[RandallIsland]

this works especially well if it is taken out of context. :stick
Tapioca - just plain nasty sounding
Phlegm - ""
Feminist - any word that has no antonym that allows for its relative juxtaposition, even if just for dissention, begs the credence of plausible denial for its ambiguity

Thesis shmesis

[RebeccaV]

What a delightful thread. I finally had some time tonight to sit down and read the whole thing. I agree with so many of you.

I have two phrases (besides those already mentioned) that really bug me. I don't know if they are so much incorrect as they are just annoying to me. Maybe it just means that I am old-fashioned. Or just getting old. :)

1) When someone says "no problem" when I thank them for something it bugs me. I don't know why. I prefer "You're welcome."

2) When someone addresses a group of men and women (or even just women) as "guys" it bugs me. As in: "Hi guys" or "Can I help you guys?"

I know that language in our country is becoming more and more informal, but I don't like it. Especially when someone calls me a guy. Bleah.

[RandallIsland]

What a delightful thread. I finally had some time tonight to sit down and read the whole thing. I agree with so many of you.

I have two phrases (besides those already mentioned) that really bug me. I don't know if they are so much incorrect as they are just annoying to me. Maybe it just means that I am old-fashioned. Or just getting old. :)

1) When someone says "no problem" when I thank them for something it bugs me. I don't know why. I prefer "You're welcome."

2) When someone addresses a group of men and women (or even just women) as "guys" it bugs me. As in: "Hi guys" or "Can I help you guys?"

I know that language in our country is becoming more and more informal, but I don't like it. Especially when someone calls me a guy. Bleah.

Oh my God my face just turned red.
You could never be confused for a guy, mi Lady.

[jld2872]

Anyone who got inspired by this thread would probably enjoy Edwin Newmans books about the downfall of the english language. I know he wrote more than one but I can only recall the title "Strictly Speaking." It was full of great qoutes from press conferences. for example:
Q: Are you taking a wait-and-see attidude?
A: It's too early to take a wait-and-see attitude.

I remember Strictly Speaking-a college reading assignment many years ago. Good one! Add to the list my nominee:
Interface-it's a noun, not a verb.

[DarrylRi]

1) When someone says "no problem" when I thank them for something it bugs me. I don't know why. I prefer "You're welcome."You're losing out on this one, even in other languages: de nada (it's nothing) in Spanish, and nichts zu danken (nothing to thank for) or even kein Problem (literally, no problem!) in German, for a couple examples I can think of right away.

[GRANT63RT]

O.K. ... NOT a word.

Let's also eradicate 'blowjobs' then, also not a word.

Am I doin' good Grant?

... figuring out how to incorporate 'fellatio' into my thesis

Eradicate what!? Think about what your saying man. :bolt

[captcarl]

Whatever.......
(Is that an answer to the question I asked dear?)

[Crow18]

I didn't realize how much it bugged me until I started yelling at a TV commercial.

Fewer. F-E-W-E-R.

One doesn't have less options; one has FEWER options. Especially if one has less sense.



I mean, really.

[SNC1923]

What a delightful thread. I finally had some time tonight to sit down and read the whole thing. I agree with so many of you.

2) When someone addresses a group of men and women (or even just women) as "guys" it bugs me. As in: "Hi guys" or "Can I help you guys?"

This rankles me to end also, especially when uttered by a teenaged restaurant server to an elderly couple. Aargh!

[RandyB]

What a delightful thread. I finally had some time tonight to sit down and read the whole thing. I agree with so many of you.

I have two phrases (besides those already mentioned) that really bug me. I don't know if they are so much incorrect as they are just annoying to me. Maybe it just means that I am old-fashioned. Or just getting old. :)

1) When someone says "no problem" when I thank them for something it bugs me. I don't know why. I prefer "You're welcome."

2) When someone addresses a group of men and women (or even just women) as "guys" it bugs me. As in: "Hi guys" or "Can I help you guys?"

I know that language in our country is becoming more and more informal, but I don't like it. Especially when someone calls me a guy. Bleah.

It could be that you are a lady.

RandallIsland, I think an antonym for feminist might be feminine (A few feminine characteristics - Civilized, cute, delicate, dignified, elegant, fair, gentle, girly, graceful, ladylike, lovely, maidenly, matronly, modest, motherly, noble, pure, refined, sensitive, soft, tender, virgin, vixenish, womanly. http://purple.mytica.net/feminine/index.php?about ). Based on my on observations and stuff. Try rearing teenaged daughters in today's society. :bluduh

[RandallIsland]

Try rearing teenaged daughters in today's society. :bluduh
Lord. What?! Do you want me turned into an old white haired man overnight?
Make sense man!

[BeemoKat]

Lord. What?! Do you want me turned into an old white haired man overnight?
Make sense man!
This coming from a guy who wants to ban blowjobs! :rofl

[RandyB]

Lord. What?! Do you want me turned into an old white haired man overnight?
Make sense man!

Mine didn't turn white overnight but once it started....

Very little involving teenagers makes sense.

I once heard a prominent feminist described as a "diesel-fired tarantula." My personal observation was that she looked like a thrift store hit by a bomb. Either way, it was about as far from feminine as you could get, without external plumbing.

[soffiler]

Chiming in late to this thread, but here's a few that drive me nuts:

The expression "Voila" misspelled "walla". That one really makes me want to strangle somebody.

The word "hydraulic" misspelled "hydrolic".

The word "brake" misspelled "break".

"Pounds of pressure". NO! It's pounds per square inch, or PSI, or just pressure. So "how many pounds of pressure you runnin' in that tire?" should be "how much pressure are you runnin' in that tire?"

Misused quotation marks. There's a sign on a gas station I pass on the way to work that says, literally, including the quotes: "Open 24 Hours" I want to know who they're quoting. My wife dismissed it at first but now it drives her nuts too. She almost went in and asked the other day!

[RatSnake]

Chiming in late to this thread, but here's a few that drive me nuts:

The expression "Voila" misspelled "walla". That one really makes me want to strangle somebody.

It seems to me that if you're going to use a word like voila in a sentence that's otherwise English, it should be pronounced voyla.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

I read through this thread and find that I am not alone in getting annoyed at the dumb things people say. The 'bubonics' translator is now in my 'Favorites' :D :D . I also have a pet peeve with the pronunciation of 'Deja VU' ,it is not Deja Voo. 'Afwsk' any French speaking person how it is pronounced for god's sake.:banghead

[bmwmotowoman]

I am an elementary music teacher-I see all kids in 2nd-5th grade. I also have a three year old daughter. That's why I hate "I did't do anything."
:banghead

[The_Veg]

1) When someone says "no problem" when I thank them for something it bugs me. I don't know why. I prefer "You're welcome."
I've become rather fond of the "you bet!" I've heard from folks around your end of the country. I've even started using that one myself here and there.

[ltljohn]

I am bothered by things like this.

Look out deer hit the breaks before you hit that dear and brake something.

[soffiler]

It seems to me that if you're going to use a word like voila in a sentence that's otherwise English, it should be pronounced voyla.

What's that supposed to mean, Dennis? Should we Americanize the pronounciation of every word borrowed from another language? Or... are you saying it's perfectly OK to spell it phonetically?

Back on topic, here's another pet peeve: text-messaging shorthand creeping its way into usage beyond the cell phone.

[RatSnake]

What's that supposed to mean, Dennis? Should we Americanize the pronounciation of every word borrowed from another language? Or... are you saying it's perfectly OK to spell it phonetically?
Just trying to be funny and/or sarcastic. Couldn't help myself under the circumstances.

[cjack]

I've decided not to have any pet peeves. It's starting to sound like my old ham radio friends around here.

[Mar]

From a Sunday morning news show: Iraqification.

[Crow18]

From a Sunday morning news show: Iraqification.

There's some stuff at the bottom of my hockey bag that's become totally iraqified.

[Motor31]

Lord. What?! Do you want me turned into an old white haired man overnight?
Make sense man!

My hair didn't go white or grey. It's turning chrome! A very nice shade of chrome I must say. It's not turning into a chrome dome, the folliage is all still there but at night some custom shop comes in and chromes some of my hair while I sleep.

[RandallIsland]

... at night some custom shop comes in and chromes some of my hair while I sleep.
Just one more thing to maintain. :rofl

[ultraclassic35]

What a great thread. Here's some of my most hated:
Completely surrounded.
Dead bodies
Irregardless (already mentioned)

Bill

[bubbagazoo]

I don't want to ban good from the language, I just wish people would use it correctly. I want to scream at the the TV everytime I hear a NASCAR driver say "My car ran good." It didn't run good it ran well!


Quit pickin' on Dale Jr. It ain't his fault his Daddy didn't teach him better English :rofl :rofl

[GRANT63RT]

Has anyone mentioned "facetime?" I seem to be hearing this at work recently. Nobody wants to talk in person, or schedule a meeting. They all want some facetime. :rolleyes

[RandallIsland]

They all want some facetime. :rolleyes
I'll leave the facetime reference alone, seeing as it might undermine my earlier posts. :nono
We should ban the "can", as in "Can" I help you with that?
... To which my thought is always 'No, you probably cannot.':brow

[DarrylRi]

I'll leave the facetime reference alone, seeing as it might undermine my earlier posts. :nono
We should ban the "can", as in "Can" I help you with that?
... To which my thought is always 'No, you probably cannot.':brow
Some people just can't be helped.

[RandallIsland]

Some people just can't be helped.
MAYbe. :eat

[GRANT63RT]

I'll leave the facetime reference alone, seeing as it might undermine my earlier posts. :nono
:laugh Shame on us!

[SNC1923]

Farkle. :huh Can't say why, but it makes my skin crawl.

[jdmetzger]

Farkle. :huh Can't say why, but it makes my skin crawl.

THANK YOU!! I actually came into this thread to post the EXACT same thing. Weird eh?

It has always annoyed me on forums, and then I suddenly see it printed in the ON. I did a google search on Farkle; it's the proper name for a dice game. How did that suddenly turn in to "gadgets"?? Ugh!

:sick

:banghead :banghead

[RandallIsland]

Fannie F's (http://www.gatlinburg.com/fanniefarkles/)

[SNC1923]

THANK YOU!! I actually came into this thread to post the EXACT same thing. Weird eh?

It has always annoyed me on forums, and then I suddenly see it printed in the ON. I did a google search on Farkle; it's the proper name for a dice game. How did that suddenly turn in to "gadgets"?? Ugh!

:sick

:banghead :banghead

Great minds. . . .

[tessler]

Farkle. :huh Can't say why, but it makes my skin crawl.
Don't even get me started. In fact, I've never heard anyone —in person— use it conversationaly. Only in written text. But I can only imagine ... :blah

[RandallIsland]

But I can only imagine ... :blah
Farkle is as farkle does? :ha

[glwestcott]

Farkle. :huh Can't say why, but it makes my skin crawl.


It should. The Unofficial Dictionary of the English Language defines farkle not as a dice game, but as a noxious cloud of gas that shimmers on a cold still night. Apparently, it is the shimmering effect that gives rise to the name. The dictionary goes on to state that a farkle is best observed outside, late at night, in Alaska, North Dakota, or similar environs on Thanksgiving nights. :fart

[RandyB]

The Arkansas legislature has taken it upon themselves to fix that most troubling rule of grammar, the possessive form of words ending in s. No longer will s' be the possessive form. Oh no: now it's s's, as in Arkansas's football team sucks. One assumes it is pronounced (pernounceded?) Arkansawzes. Help me....

[aerialfilm1]

And I approve of this message.........

[lawman]

99% of the sports media continully believe that "mano a mano" means "man to man!"

[EastTNBeemer]

Think outside the box.....

The problem is that nobody thinks inside the box anymore. Most don't think at all. :doh

[Bill Burke]

"To tell you the truth," I think we need to "reorientate" our priorities around here.

[MEWAYBRIGHT]

Don't forget, "uber" this or that, or pinkification of the MOA News.

Yes, so long as the context including it is not in the German Language.

[MEWAYBRIGHT]

The whole nine yards... isn't a football first down ten yards?

The whole 9 yards is a reference to the ammo belt in WW II aircraft guns... it measured 9 yards... amazing what you learn on the history channel... :wave

[Richr8]

The whole 9 yards is a reference to the ammo belt in WW II aircraft guns... it measured 9 yards... amazing what you learn on the history channel... :wave

Also

" the original term comes from the Scottish Great Kilt. The amount of wool for a full Great Kilt is a "whole nine yards".

or

"total amount of concrete held by a concrete truck. Concrete is measured in the unit 'yards'. The truck holds a total of nine yards of concrete. When all the concrete was needed they would say, give me the Whole nine yards."


BTW-My least admired term is, "at the end of the day (fill in the blank)."

[bubbagazoo]

And I approve of this message.........

The only time I enjoyed hearing this was last year (or maybe the year before) when the Budweiser Donkey would say it. ;)

[FredRydr]

"For the record...."

What people start posts with after they've embarrassed themselves earlier in a thread, and now attempt (in vain) to convince readers everyone else got their first post wrong and that the current post is the real one.

Record? Gimmee a break!

Fred

[wezul]

The one that always gets me is someone who says "I could care less". One could hardly utter a more useless statement, and one about which I, personally, couldn't care less.


+1 This one drives me nuts!