Since posting 200 Words and Expressions a year ago, we've continued to collect your verbal peeves. And so today, to provide an outlet for your anguish, we offer 100 more words and expressions that tick you off. Awesome, isn't it?
For an updated version of this list, see 200 Words and Phrases That Ticked You Off in 2010.
- absolutely
- amazing
- a.m. in the morning
- American consumer
- as per
- at my earliest convenience
- awesome possum!
- batter (instead of "batsman" in cricket)
- beside her/himself
- bla bla bla
- body of work (as used by sportscasters)
- bored of (instead of "bored with")
- brain fart
- but (at the end of a sentence)
- buy-in (management-speak for "agree")
- co-branded
- come on board (instead of "join")
- completely forget
- congressman or congresswoman (instead of "representative")
- cool beans
- coronate (instead of the verb "crown")
- die for (as in "a dessert to die for")
- data is (instead of "data are")
- dialogue (used as a verb)
- Do the math!
- drug (instead of "dragged")
- epicenter (misused as a synonym for "center")
- exscape (instead of "escape")
- fabulous
- fakeaway
- folks
- free gift
- friggin
- glam cam
- gobsmacked
- gone missing
- have a dialogue
- ice tea (instead of "iced tea")
- ID (as a verb)
- if I would have (instead of "if I had")
- if you will
- illegal alien (instead of "illegal immigrant")
- in a sec
- I said to her I said
- interesting
- I thought to myself
- its (for "it's"--and vice versa)
- It's all good.
- last (instead of "most recent")
- lay (instead of "lie")
- Let's roll.
- level the playing field
- leverage
- loose (instead of "lose")
- marriage and marry (when not in reference to "wedlock," as in "marry our concepts and his products")
- no offense
- not for nothing
- Nothing is impossible.
- off of (instead of "off")
- oftentimes (instead of "often")
- oh (instead of "zero")
- on the year (instead of "this year")
- on tomorrow (as in "We'll meet on tomorrow.")
- orientate (instead of "orient")
- outpouring
- a place where
- preorder
- price point (instead of "price")
- the problem is . . .
- quote unquote
- scootch over
- seen (as the simple past form of "saw")
- sex (when "gender" would be more appropriate)
- sex it up
- should of and would of (instead of "should have" and "would have")
- somethink (instead of "something")
- small little
- state of the art
- surreal
- sushi (instead of "sashimi" for "raw fish"; "sushi" is rice)
- sustainable
- tad bit
- take point on (instead of "lead")
- that being said
- there you go (instead of "thank you")
- the thing is is
- a time when
- a time where (instead of "a time when")
- top 10 most . . .
- touch base
- touch basis (for "touch base")
- undoubtably (instead of "undoubtedly")
- up (used as a verb, as in "You should up your efforts.")
- very (as in "very overwhelming" and "very intriguing")
- wax paper (instead of "waxed paper")
- whole 'nuther
- win-win for everyone
- with regard to and with respect to (instead of "about")
- xerox (instead of "copy" or "photocopy")
- you guys
If you'd like to pass along an expression that ticks you off, click on the "comments" link below.
Comments
“At the end of the day”: this one refuses to go away.
Other vexations include “I heart [anything]” and any example of outdated hip-hop slang used by a sad middle-aged white guy.
Wall Street speak: robust, transparency, blowback, on the ground and on and on.
“Fustrated” instead of Frustrated.
Complected-for complexion.It’s the same as fingernails on a blackboard.
I have an aversion to corporate speak that is in direct contrast to my career.(I edit corporate policies and procedures for a living.)
My top 5 most hated:
1. Synergy (What does it mean??)
2. “get our arms around” a project. Are we hugging the project? Strangling it?
3. Onboarding
4. “At the end of the day”. I don’t know about you, but at the end of the day, I go home.
5. “Speak to” or “Talk to” an issue. This one makes my skin crawl.
I am tired of the term “moving forward”
” that book is a good read.” Read is a verb, not a noun.
i always hated the term “take err easy” usually followed by “and if she’s easy take err twice”.i heard it in high school and i still here it today
I never want to hear “my bad.”
I personally hate the use of “personally”. I heard Justice Sotomayor say, “I will personally read that brief”. I have heard it used by all types of individuals. Is there a legitimate use of “personally”? Please tell me.
“in actual fact”
This is redundant. “Actual” refers to reality. “fact” refers to reality. Why say it twise?
And it is often used to cut off debate and proclaim the speaker as the final authority of the contested matter, even if that matter is opinion. Arrogant.
turning nouns into verbs, such as, parenting (as in raising children)
The term “DEAD BODY” in reference to a corpse.if it was not a body it would be a person!
It really grates when people say “axe” as in “axe a question.”
The only word that bugs me more is “like,” you know, like, when people say, you know, the word like all the time. Like that is the correct way to use it. It is so, like, bad grammar!
I loathe the word “ginormous”
And when did we start using apostrophes for pluralization? e.g. “The Smith’s and their kid’s”
“Verbage” (instead of “verbiage”) seems to have become the new “irregardless.” And I could never stand “agree to disagree.”
“Reality” when it clearly is not.
can’t stand….scoot over….when it really means go over ,take over,or come over! Bye bye said by adults, Hasta la Vista if you’re not Spanish, and Auf weidersein if you’re not German
at this point in time
at this point in time
Where are you at?
pronouncing err as ere
“whenever” for when
“back in” for in (When describing a time frame)
The phrases “of a certain age” and “it is what it is” are almost physically painful for me to hear.
What abut “tons of” instead of many or a lot. It seems everyone these days is just weighted down….
Somebody calling me baby doll.
The term “wassup boi”
Hooters are not breasts.
“Shirley” instead of “surely.”
Juxtaposed
Problematic
Facetious
Making a word a possessive when it isn’t: St. Jude Hospital not St. Jude’s.
“Gonna” and “wanna” for “going to” and “want to.” Especially annoying (not to mention just plain wrong) when seen in print in widely read national magazines.
“To grow” as a transitive verb for anything in the business or financial world. My boss (in a cultural institution) has recently been trying to “grow” our audiences. I see this usage so frequently that I’m beginning to wonder if its use will be a natural evolution of the language.
My current least favorite expression is “long story short.” The phrase usually heralds a tedious story or is used in place of a more accurate transition. Also, I happen to enjoy good long stories.
I dislike the use of ,’anyways’ for ‘anyway’; ‘last but not the least’ instead of ‘last but not least’(i dislike it even when gramatically correct; ‘i request XYZ to say a few words on the occassion’; ‘ awesome’; ‘mindblowing’. There’s more but these are the top of the list ones.
“Sex” and “gender” are not interchangeable words. There are different connotations. As a matter of fact, I find it cumbersome that these days the word sex is not used as much as in the ninteenth century, etc.
Every so often I hear “vice a versa” instead of the correct “vice-versa”.
The word “solution” in a business context is so cliche!
http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/16/annoying-business-jargon-entrepreneurs-management-jargon.html
He/she is 22 years of age instead of he/she is 22. This is almoat always used in in figure skating and often used in other sports.
Whatever!
Moist
Skreet instead of street
Shawty instead of shorty
Ethnic
Anyways to change the subject
“on the ground”
As in “We have to get more soldiers on the ground in Iraq.”
As opposed to what? The soldiers floating in the air ABOVE the ground?
UGH! It drives me crazy!
“all the sudden” instead of “all of a sudden”
Even news reporters are saying this now. Listen carefully.
Axe instead of Ask. Axing someone would be very painful.
(1) mix tape. Shouldn’t that be a mixed tape?
(2) so over it. What does that mean? Are you done, finished, passed it or is it your main topic?
How about noone instead of no one?
“Ten minutes time” – you hear it on the news frequently.
“Expresso” a coffee-powered train?
“Irregardless” – a family favorite.
“Punxsatawney”(incorrect) as opposed to “Punxsutawney” Phil (correct)–If you’re going to leave a criticism, at least spell the word you’re criticizing correctly!!
“Continue on” The word continue means “ON.” The definition below is from Dictionary.com.
CONTINUE
1.to go on after suspension or interruption: The program continued after an intermission.
2.to go on or keep on, as in some course or action; extend: The road continues for three miles.
Take it for granite rather than take it for granted.
“Your” instead of “you’re”. As in, “Your welcome.” My welcome?
“Needs” with a past-tense verb, as in “needs fixed, needs swept” aaugh!
In South Africa, where I live, a favourite among the Afrikaners when something happens to some one is “Ag shame”, pronounced “Uuugh shame”
Where on earth did “anyways”come from, and is it never going to be dropped?
conversate: There is no such word! I hear this quite often from teens and adults: “Let’s conversate. They were conversating.”
Also the mispronunciation of the words distribute / contribute. The second syllable in each word receives the most stress.
Hi there,
I really really really HATE the word GUYS and even GUY. I preffer Man and Folks at least Folks is gender neutral and Man and/or Men are respectable words..I also dislike the word Ma’am it grates on my very last nerve.
Me personally. Who else would it be?
I hate when people use the word(S):
Irregardless
Me, myself
I live in the South, and I HATE when I hear people say “i’m fixin’ to” instead of “i’m about to”; it’s something that I’ve never understood.
Stacy, synergy is a real word
synergy: [noun] a mutually advantageous conjunction of distinct elements
I loathe hearing or reading these:
Myself (himself, herself) for I or me (he,him,she,her): “They gave the package to myself,” Myself and Tom are going to the game”;
Hung for hanged: “After they hung the poster, the KKK hanged that man.”
A phrase that always brings tears to my eyes:
“For all intense/intensive purposes” rather than “For all intents and purposes.” The phrase is so widespread that it has an entry in Wiktionary, “for all intensive purposes (idiomatic, US, nonstandard).” Sigh.
“Whether or not’ – verbal fingernails on a chalkboard.
Excessive and abusive use of word, ‘like’.
“on the ground” …a tautological stupidity, when obviously the referent subject could not possibly take place in the air. And “boots on the ground.” Ever seen “boots in the air?”
Step foot, as in “I never stepped foot in that shop before.”
Instead of sayin ” i have no money” i would say “i am broke” and for “u hurt me” i would say “i m pissed of”..
No Problem (meaning Thank You)
“Menu-ese” terms:
Spoken: “sherbert” instead of sherbet; “cold slaw” or “co-slah” instead of cole slaw
In print: “farm fresh eggs”; “red ripe tomatoes” (However, I want to know about it if they’re NOT fresh or ripe.)
Two overused descriptions we keep hearing are:
It’s a perfect storm and It’s surreal.
“might could”
I might do something for you. I could do something for you. Maybe I could do something for you. I can’t might could do anything for you!
“might could”
I might do something for you. I could do something for you. Maybe I could do something for you. I can’t might could do anything for you!
(This may be distinctly southern. Has anyone north of the Mason Dixon line heard this lovely turn of phrase?)
@Susan(46) yes, conversate IS a verb; look it up.
@Kat (50) 1. “Fixing to” is an intransitive verb; look it up. It is grammatically correct. 2. However, what is not grammatically correct is your use of “…I HATE when…” Properly, it should read “ …I HATE it when…”
Just sayin’ : p
The transposition of ‘then’ and ‘than’ in both directions.
When are writers going to understand that ‘then’ is time related, and ‘than’ is a conjunction.
I hate the word, “no-brainer.” It’s just painful to the ears.
“And you are?”
and
“We’re done here.”
“anywho” instead of “anyway…”
Gots… I gots to go now.
No, really????
“Shut up!” as said when hearing an interesting bit of information.
“You can’t be serious!”
Yous guys.
Confusing “have” with “got”… “I don’t got any money”
So, did you get my invite?
No. I did not!
I refuse every “invite” I receive. I will, however, consider accepting an invitation! When did “invite” with the accent on the first syllable become a noun to replace “invitation”?
Grr.
The use of “have got” for “have”. Have and got, when used together, are redundant. If used together, the correct form is “have gotten”.
“Have got” is can now be heard or read in all media. Why is this?
“The white stuff” used by weather forecasters or other newscasters to refer to snow. “We got two inches of the white stuff overnight.” Stop it!
The word CONVERSATE is used way to much. I have looked for this word and can not find this “word” in any dictionary.
“Continuing on”
It bothers me when people use anxious instead of eager (or vice versa).
I also do not like it when people use an apostrophe for plurals, i.e. URL’S RN’s.
using “way” as an adverb or adjective, as in “way more”
goes missing instead of disappears
My wife likes to torment me when she speaks;
She actually says the ASAP
and it sounds like “a sap!”
Oh me nerves
“Reach out” has become a ubiquitous part of coporate-speak, replacing “call” or “contact”, as in, “Please reach out to so-and-so in the A/R department to see if the invoice got paid.” Ughh!
Mute Point instead of Moot Point
Jew-le-ry mispronunciation of jew-el-ry
Real-it-y mispronunciation of realty
or Real-it-or mispronunciation of realtor
supposably instead of supposedly
II have noticed the increasing use of disorientated instead of the the word disoriented.
“Touch wood”
Band-aid (instead of “bandage”)
Kleenex (instead if “tissue”)
tissue paper
conversate
the American people
public option
god fearing
carrying case
So, like,…
tax payer’s money
Christian conservative
cash back
ghetto (as an adjective)
small children
card (as a verb)
key (in sports) (ex. “Dude, that was so key!!”)
I can’t stand “flustrated” instead of “frustrated”.
I hate it when waiters, and others, say “Cheers” after either leaving something at your table, or as a sign-off on an email
been teaching esl for quite a while now. here are some new words for me…
lip-service (flattery?)
like this… (i cant place this yet. can somebody tell me what this means?)
“try and” rather than “try to”
… as in “I’ll try and finish that”
I know we speak sloppy but I can’t stand when it’s written that way.
using on tomorrow instead of just saying tomorrow
- should of (instead of should have)
- try and (instead of try to)
- anyways (instead of anyway)
- spiritual (an over-used term without a clear definition)
“Mom” instead of “mother,” as in “Phyllis is going to be a mom.”
Some people write “could of”, instead of “could’ve* [could have].
Of course, don’t mention the it’s/its and you/you’re incorrect usage.
One that is extremely irritating to me is the incorrect use of the word “so”, as in.. “You are so in trouble”, “I am so not going to be there”, “that shirt is so the wrong size”
“Everything’s on the table”
Absolutely
“Looking to” do anything.