The "hated words" thread

We have the "favorite words" thread so I thought I'd start the opposite. In another forum, I asked for a comparison of brake calipers - specifically how well do the calipers stay in adjustment.

When I asked one of the responders to clarify his answer, he said "it's possible to overthink this." Grrrrrrrrrr! The word "overthink" is overused. It just raises my hackles. I find it arrogant and perhaps chauvinistic. I generally try to evaluate my initial response to perceived chauvinism but in this case it also seems that I never hear a man use that word to another man. I've decided that users of it are either arrogant (you can't possibility be as smart as they are) or they are unwilling to admit that they can't explain their answer logically.

I also dislike it when someone says "no biggie" instead of a simple "you're welcome" or "happy to help." It conveys to me that the person doesn't understand your appreciation of their actions. Maybe I'm just turning into an old fuddy-duddy on that one. Sometimes "thank you" and "you're welcome" can be the most powerful words in a relationship.

The "overthink" poster also had overused his keyboard's shift key and broken it because he had underused capitals.:p

Gripe, gripe, gripe. Do you all have words that just set your teeth on edge?

It bothers me when people say, "I don't care," when you're asking them for their input. Example:

1st person: Do you want to go to the beach or the mountains?

2nd person: I don't care.

To me, that implies lack of interest. Instead, I wish they would say, "Either one is fine with me."

Silly, but it bugs me.

If you don't care, don't be whining later. :p

Exactly!! :)

"Irregardless"
Arrrrggghhhh!!!!! That's NOT A WORD!!!!

caring

I really and truly dislike the word caring when it used in this way

"She's such a caring person"

It feels condescending and creepy and ingenuine...

LIke the "have a nice day" NZ seems to have adopted from American movies and the golden arches.

Can't

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Originally Posted by slinkedog

It bothers me when people say, "I don't care," when you're asking them for their input. Example:
1st person: Do you want to go to the beach or the mountains?
2nd person: I don't care.
To me, that implies lack of interest. Instead, I wish they would say, "Either one is fine with me."
Silly, but it bugs me.

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That is my entire family in a nutshell.:rolleyes: A whole gang of noncommittal people. Drives me crazy, I now demand "Make a decision!" when I get the "I don't care".

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Originally Posted by Regina

"Irregardless"
Arrrrggghhhh!!!!! That's NOT A WORD!!!!

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I hate this too. there's a guy here who is supposed to be smart
and he says it all the time. Drives me NUTS!

"Nitty gritty." Worked with someone who used that phrase constantly.

My boss uses "irregardless" all the time. I've told him it's not even a word! Kind of gets on my nerves because he's not an uneducated man. LOL!

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Originally Posted by snapdragen

That is my entire family in a nutshell.:rolleyes: A whole gang of noncommittal people. Drives me crazy, I now demand "Make a decision!" when I get the "I don't care".

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Sounds like a lot of guys I've dated:p

Whatever and Like. Valley girl days are gone people...

Here's one - it's more of a phrase, and the way it's used drives me crazy.

I work with a woman who uses "and then I turn around and" when she is talking. For instance:

"Snap prints the insurance claims, and then I turn around and mail them."

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Originally Posted by Regina

"Irregardless"
Arrrrggghhhh!!!!! That's NOT A WORD!!!!

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LOL! Lots of us must have been posting at the same time!

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

Can't

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Phoebe Dinsmore: [giving Lina diction lessons] Repeat after me - Tah, Tey, Tee, Toe, Too.
Lina Lamont: Tah, Tey, Tye, Tow, Tyo.
Phoebe Dinsmore: No, no, no Miss Lamont, Round tones, round tones. Now, let me hear you read your line.
Lina Lamont: And I cayn't stand'im.
Phoebe Dinsmore: And I can't stand him.
Lina Lamont: And I cayn't stand'im.
Phoebe Dinsmore: Can't.
Lina Lamont: Cayn't.
Phoebe Dinsmore: Caaaan't
Lina Lamont: Cayyyyn't

Jean Hagen was so good in this role. "I cayn't stand'it" has become a standard joke line in our family.

how about this:


"you wouldn't believe it, she literally blew up!"
but she didn't really blow up, she just yelled.

LITERALLY is overused.

LOL

Two of the first words in reply to this thread (good thread idea, btw!!!) are "care" and "caring"

What does that say about our society and our misuse of words?

My sons fave word at the moment is "addicting"... UGH! When is school going back again?? All I hear is "Oh I LOVE those. They are addicting" all day LONG!
Ten year olds! They latch on to one thing and run with it! :rolleyes:

"very unique"

It's either unique or it's not.

"Orientate"

The "can't" thing is a real issue with me too. I deal with it all the time with clients. For eg:

Client: My leg was soooo sore I couldn't walk to the bathroom.
Me: Then how did you get to the bathroom?
Client: I walked, but it really hurt.
Me: To me that means you *could* walk to the bathroom but it was difficult because of your pain.

Then the patient usually gets a little huffy because because I'm forcing them to be honest with themselves and me. All of my client's have to get used to a little tough love.

"incentivize"

What is with our culture that we have to add "-ate" or "-ize" to perfectly good verbs?

"Experienced rider".....hmmm wow...that's a toughie....how many of us have run the "Tour".....

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Originally Posted by Wahine

"Orientate"

The "can't" thing is a real issue with me too. I deal with it all the time with clients. For eg:

Client: My leg was soooo sore I couldn't walk to the bathroom.
Me: Then how did you get to the bathroom?
Client: I walked, but it really hurt.
Me: To me that means you *could* walk to the bathroom but it was difficult because of your pain.

Then the patient usually gets a little huffy because because I'm forcing them to be honest with themselves and me. All of my client's have to get used to a little tough love.

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lol. yeah really.
but what i meant was. You can't do that anymore. Ever.
people misuse it and i'm glad you can call them on it. but when the word
means what it really is; that's about the saddest thing i can think of.

"I seen..."

Drives me nuts - my boss must say this at least 10 times a day. One day I will "literally":p blow up:D and scream that it's "I SAW or I HAVE seen!!!!!"

Okay, I feel better now -- like I've re-orientated myself:p ....but really, it has gotten to the point where I have a very difficult time saying the word "seen" -- even if I'm using it correctly.:rolleyes:

Okay, I will stop now!

where do you live (general geographic location okay here) CSR1200 that your boss would say that?

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Originally Posted by csr1210

"I seen..."

Drives me nuts - my boss must say this at least 10 times a day. One day I will "literally":p blow up:D and scream that it's "I SAW or I HAVE seen!!!!!"

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I have a sister-in-law that says this all the time... makes me totally insane!!

Here are my peeves.

"Could care less." If you could care less, than you must care some amount. It's supposed to be "couldn't care less."

"Graduated" high school. It should be "graduated FROM high school". And going even further back (50 years?), they used to say "WAS graduated from high school."

That didn't "phase" me. The word is actually spelled faze.

"Nonplussed". This means the opposite of what many folks think it does. It means shocked, or speechless. People mis-use it when they mean unfazed, or unaffected.

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Originally Posted by Voodoo Sally

Here are my peeves.

"Could care less." If you could care less, than you must care some amount. It's supposed to be "couldn't care less."

"Graduated" high school. It should be "graduduated FROM high school". And going even further back (50 years?), they used to say "WAS graduated from high school."

That didn't "phase" me. The word is actually spelled faze.

"Nonplussed". This means the opposite of what many folks think it does. It means shocked, or speechless. People mis-use it when they mean unfazed, or unaffected.

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what is graduduated? I've never heard of this word.

Not a hated word, but a pet peeve: when people quote my typos and make them live for eternity. :p

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

what is graduduated? I've never heard of this word.

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LOL. Me neither.

Another favorite:

Negative impact.

It doesn't make any sense. If it's a negative impact, does that mean that things separated. Isn't that the same as exploded?

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

what is graduduated? I've never heard of this word.

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Oops. Sorry. :rolleyes:

I don't like the use of the verb "grow" with non-natural things. Nothing wrong with "I want to grow tomatoes" but "I want to grow the business" just irks me. There are many terms in common use in business or politics that bug me in the same way - "I've been tasked with doing x,y,z" comes to mind.

oh yeah..
and "on my plate"
to refer to non-edibles "I have a lot of things on my plate, i need your help"
and waitresses that say about the $100 meal you are eating "are you still WORKING on that?" BLEAH!

Mimitabby -- I live in rural south Texas, but REALLY, all of us do not speak this way!:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Voodoo Sally
Here are my peeves.

"Could care less." If you could care less, than you must care some amount. It's supposed to be "couldn't care less."

OH YES!!! I almost posted that one myself!

"solutions" As in, "Our company provides solutions". Ok, that tells me nothing.

"variability" What happened to "variation"?

Oooh, I hate "on my plate". We hear that a lot around here. How about "dialog" as in "We need to dialog with XXX"

"think outside the box"

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

"incentivize"

What is with our culture that we have to add "-ate" or "-ize" to perfectly good verbs?

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Oh, that one really irks me too! The word is "incent".
We "Incent" people! We don't "incentivize" them!
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

"nucular"

Come on Mr. Prez....the man with his finger on the bomb should know what kind of bomb it is!

Ooo!Ooo!

conversate

what-not

and my absolute most hated word impact instead of affect or effect . Cold weather impacted the crops.
NO
It's how did that affect the crops or what kind of effect did that have on the crops?
Though it can be used in place of effect, the more common usage means the striking of one thing against another; forceful contact or collision.

Impact is overused. As you may have concluded by now, this one really has a negative effect on me.