Irregardless, I’m sorry to annoy . . . .
Kathleen Bolton on Nov 10 2008 | Filed under: Uncategorized
Oxford University has released it’s list of top ten irritating phrases. I’m surprised that “yada yada yada” and the tech-geek phrase “prolly” instead of “probably” haven’t made the list. That last one drives me nuts.
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
Scroll down the article to read the best suggestions. I was ROFLMAO over some of them (oops, sorry, that’s another overworked annoyance). Whatevs . . . dang it! My bad.
Which overworked phrases bug you?
Kathleen Bolton is co-founder of Writer Unboxed. She has written two novels under the pseudonym Cassidy Calloway: Confessions of a First Daughter, and Secrets of a First Daughter--both books in a YA series about the misadventures of the U.S. President's teen-aged daughter, published by HarperCollins.
Kathleen Bolton
Therese Walsh
Ann Aguirre
Porter Anderson
Brunonia Barry
Carleen Brice
Keith Cronin
Anna Elliott
Jane Friedman
Donald Maass
Juliet Marillier
Sophie Masson
Jael McHenry
Jan O'Hara
Debbie Ohi
Barbara O'Neal
Crystal Patriarche
Ray Rhamey
M.J. Rose
Chuck Sambuchino
John Vorhaus
Yuvi Zalkow
Sharon Bially
Anne Greenwood Brown
Tracy Hahn-Burkett
Suzannah Windsor Freeman
Kristan Hoffman
Jeanne Kisacky
Erika Robuck
Lydia Sharp
I can’t stand “very unique.” Either it’s unique, or it isn’t.
Like?
0
To be honest with you. To tell you the truth. Irrespective of. Nu-cu-lar. All right this last one isn’t a phrase, but I keep thinking one day someone will sic us some nu-cu-lar power because they’re so irritated by the pronunciation.
Like?
0
I don’t want to think about how many times I’ve used “Absolutely” in the last year. Or on this blog.
Abso-Lutely great post, Kath! :-D
Like?
0
Am I showing my age that I am STILL bothered by the frequent use of “like”? I get that some of use 80′s babies still use it from time to time in casual speech, but I know someone (a thirty-year-old someone) who still speaks with nearly every other word being like. It’s so not cool.
But truly, my biggest pet peeves are in typed language rather than spoken. (Most) Chat speak irritates me to no end. I’ve accepted things like LOL, but U for you (2 letters saved, really!) or 4 for for (same thing!) or ur (do you mean you are, your, or you’re?????) just drive me batty.
Like?
0
I think I might get up and walk out the next time I’m at a speech or hear a sermon where someone is going to “unpack” the contents of his talk. ARGH.
Kristi Holl
Writer’s First Aid blog
Like?
0
Normalcy. ARRRRG!! It’s NORMALITY. Normalcy wasn’t even a word until Warren G. Harding used the neologism at a press conference (sound familiar?).
Another one is ‘brilliant’. Sick of.
Like?
0
I say (and write) “just” too much. It’s not a phrase, exactly, but still an issue.
Like?
0
“To tell you the truth.” Because you’ve been lying to me up until now? Ugh.
Like?
0
strategery makes me laugh.
Like?
0
I dislike the pretentious use of the word ‘interrogate’ in literary discussion. Example:
‘The novel interrogates issues of identity and alienation’ insteand of deals with, discusses, investigates, explores.
Like?
0
The irritating phrase for me would be people who say.. “I could care less” when what they mean is that they DON’T care. The phrase is “I couldn’t care less.”
Strategery is without THE BEST. I still snort just reading the word.
And the phrase…Have my cake and eat it too… why isn’t it “Eat my cake (thus it’s gone) and Have it too (I still have it). Seems backward to me!
Irregardless is like fingernails on the blackboard. Sadly, my computer dictionary doesn’t think anything is wrong with this word.
Like?
0