words that make you grit your teeth

[rij73]

This thread is hilarious... I just remembered another one that REALLY gets to me.

I hate it when the word "crescendo" is used to describe a climax or peak. I've heard this pretty frequently as in: "His anger reached a crescendo." I think it has become an accepted use.

Crescendo means "growing" in Italian. It is used in music as an indication to increase volume gradually. It does not mean anything about the moment of greatest volume or climax!

My husband (an architect) hates it when "architect" is used to describe someone in a non-architectural sense. For example: "The architect of the 9-11 terror attacks." Drives him NUTS!

[teawoman]

Aunt Flo

It drives me crazy when I see grown women talking here in various threads and they are not able properly identify one of the main functions of their body ... they are like little girls who are ashamed of grown up words and are hiding behind a 'cutesie name'! Please, be real women and call it as it is:

Menstrual periods or Menstruation

Martina

Guilty as charged. I used that expression once in a post. What's weird is that I hardly ever use it in real life.

My peeve: defiantly instead of definitely.

[kfergos]

PS I sure wish someone could tell me what "utilize" adds that "use" does not include.

I'm a technical writer out here in the real world, so I'll try not to get started into the detail grammar/usage issues that get my goat. However: According to the American Medical Writers Association grammar guide, utilize means "to turn something to a practical use, as in finding a new or unusual use for something." Use, on the other hand, "means to put into service, or put to use." Therefore, use is almost always correct.

"Irregardless" ISN'T EVEN A REAL WORD. Hearing people use it really kills me.
"Prior to" - goodness me, what's wrong with "before"?
"Post" as in "she was post menopause" - "after," people, please!
"Infer" instead of imply - This just plain ain't right.
"All set" - I hear this at work a zillion times a day. "Are you all set?" "I'm all set with that," I don't know - maybe it's just overuse, but I can't take it anymore!

Edited to add: A coworker just said "He's shy and inverted." GAH!

[Jen-Jen]

Mine is not so much of a word, but a group of them.

KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

I work with a co-worker who will ask that several times in a hour for 8 hours!

Oohh..boy!

[cyclingmama]

I have a co-worker who finishes every other sentence with "and those kinds of things."

AAACCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!! It's enough to make me want to pull me hair out every time I hear it.

[AuntieK]

I'm generally pretty easy going and tend to let people talk the way they want to talk, but there is one word misplacement that drives my crazy:

He borrowed me his lawnmower.

My DH and in-laws use "borrowed" in place of "loaned" all the time, and I really have to resist correcting them!

[OakLeaf]

"Post" as in "she was post menopause" - "after," people, please!

actually, postmenopausal IS a word. As are premenopausal and perimenopausal. Not that that prefix doesn't get put in some pretty odd places, usually before the name of a particular event.

[GLC1968]

I admit to using TTOM to describe: "Menstrual periods or Menstruation" But that's because I generally can't spell and I'd rather not take the chance of messing it up!

And I'll always have a space for "wicked" in my heart.

I hate 'Prolly' too. I don't mind it so much in spoken language, but I actually cringe when I see it written. Either in posts, in emails, etc...it drives me absolutely batty. I think it's because in my mind, if you make the effort to spell/type it out, you probably think it's a real word.

Oh, and I despise the non-word "sammich". Ugh...I really, really can't stand it when people say it. What is 'sandwich' too hard to say?

[TripleGem]

Panties.

Reminds me of those frilly, lacy things I wore under my dresses when I was 5. I am a grown woman now and I don't wear panties anymore, little girls do! It just feels juvenile...

[dachshund]

Panties.

Reminds me of those frilly, lacy things I wore under my dresses when I was 5. I am a grown woman now and I don't wear panties anymore, little girls do! It just feels juvenile...

However, "panties in a bunch" can be quite effective. Makes me chuckle every time.

[7rider]

However, "panties in a bunch" can be quite effective. Makes me chuckle every time.

Or "knickers in a twist"

[OakLeaf]

However, "panties in a bunch" can be quite effective. Makes me chuckle every time.

And as cyclists, we know EXACTLY what the phrase refers to

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Edited to add: A coworker just said "He's shy and inverted." GAH!

Sounds painful!

[silver]

a couple of things that Mr. says that annoy me:

"yada, yada, yada"

"and so on and so forth"


well, I guess I'm fair game now.......I'm sure he'll tell how he broke me of the "might could" habit.

[Tuckervill]

My ever-so-on-the-edge-of-it son cannot tolerate the word puberty. It's not like I taunted him with it before he I learned he hated it or anything.

He's hated it since he was 10.

Karen