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Expressions You Hate!
southendmd:
Don't get me started! I have lots of language pet peeves. Most involve bad grammar, but I think Kerry's thread is more about annoying, trite phrases.
My latest: going forward. Can't stand it. I once heard an introductory speech by a colleague who used the phrase in every sentence. (He later resigned because of "health" problems, which turned out to be a sex scandal, but, no connection, I'm sure. ::))
I'm with Jeff about modifying "unique". Can't be done!
One more: I could care less. No! Think about it...if you could care less, you could care less. The real phrase is I couldn't care less. As in, there is nothing about which I could care less.
MaineWriter:
At this point in time...time has no points. It should be "at this time."
I can't stand personifcation: "Hospitals trust Tylenol." No, hospitals don't trust Tylenol. The nurses and doctors inside the hospital might trust Tylenol, but the hospital itself has no opinion on the matter.
L
Lynne:
Language is very cool and funny to think about. I tend to pick up expressions from people fairly easily, then I have to wonder - how did that happen?? It's been going on my whole life, though...I am a sponge...assimilate or die...etc.
When I was hanging out in Harvard Square, it was hip-hop speak like "Word" to emphasize a point.
An old boyfriend got me in the habit of "Back in the day"...at least I didn't pick up "old school" from him. :P Worse than genital warts, I swear!
And of course "I swear" and "Tell you what", though I could argue that those shouldn't count. ;)
Lately it's Buffy-speak like "<adjective>, much?" and making adverbs out of any words that come to mind.
My #1 peeve expression, though, is "rule of thumb." This phrase never fails to annoy me since I first learned its history - evidently it refers to the diameter of the rod a man was allowed to use to beat his wife during Colonial days. :-\
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on November 16, 2008, 05:21:21 pm ---I picked just "fairly unique" and "shouldn't of."
"Shouldn't of" is just plain grammatically wrong, or, if, not, it's substandard English. Expand "shouldn't" and you end up with "should not of." That's just wrong. The expression should be "should not have," as in, "You should not have done that," or, "You shouldn't have done that." If you are writing dialogue, I suppose you could write, "You shouldn't 've done that."
"Unique," like "pregnant," is something that either you are or you aren't. There is no such thing as degrees of uniqueness.
--- End quote ---
I think when I say it I say "shouldn't have" but with my twangy Indiana accent it sounds like "of". Actually I guess I'm saying "shouldn't huv". (huv=have). Or something like that anyway! :)
Shasta542:
--- Quote from: DavidinIndy on November 16, 2008, 08:44:11 pm ---I think when I say it I say "shouldn't have" but with my twangy Indiana accent it sounds like "of". Actually I guess I'm saying "shouldn't huv". (huv=have). Or something like that anyway! :)
--- End quote ---
"Should've", the contraction for "should have" sounds like "should of" when articulated. Maybe that's why "shouldn't have" sounds like "shouldn't of" -- it's all run together like a contraction! :P You could just say "shoulda" and "shouldna". ;D
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