I’ve noticed something over the years- the one thing that for some reason irrationally irritates the piss out of me is pointless or flat-out stupid abbreviations and diminutives.
To wit: Calling pizza “za”. For some reason, this just sets my teeth on edge and makes me want to hit people.
Another one that I don’t hear so much anymore, but that used to chap me because of the sheer ignorant stupidity was back in the 80s and early 90s when, at least in Houston, it wasn’t uncommon for people involved in the oil industry to work for Aramco in Saudi Arabia for a stint. It wasn’t uncommon at all to hear (mostly dumb-ass housewives) refer to Saudi Arabia as “Saudi”. It’s an adjective, and about as fucking stupid as saying that you spent your vacation in “United” or “Great”, when in fact you spent it in the UK or Great Britain.
Or “Whatevs”. Cut that shit out, even if you are actually 13 and a girl.
Anyone else get irrationally over-annoyed by these kinds of abbreviations?
Taking a “Selfie” is the newest one for me. It just sets me right on edge especially when adults use the term especially in print journalism. I am on a personal crusade to destroy that word from all human lexicon.
I don’t like cute abbreviations in general. Even the term “just a sec” for “second” gets my knickers in a bunch.
To make it worse, it drives me nuts when someone says ‘selfie’ but it’s a picture that was taken by someone else…that’s a youie. Also, if you must take a picture in the mirror, look at the lens in the reflection, not the screen.
I hate, hate hate it when people say “sammy”…makes it sound like they’re a two year old, or talking to a two year old. It’s not cute or funny, it’s just dumb. Same goes for saying that something is ‘nummy’ (or even yummy). The other thing I really hate is when people use DH/DD/DS on message boards. Just say husband/daughter/son.
Argh, ‘hubby’ drives me up the wall. On the flipside, I also loathe “SWMBO” (She Who Must Be Obeyed).
I have no idea why, and I’m quite aware this is a battle that was lost long ago, but spelling “night” as “nite” and “Light” as “lite” bug the ever living crap out of me.
On certain websites where people don’t want to incriminate themselves they’ll use “SWIM” to mean “Someone Who Isn’t Me”. To me, it looks stupid when you say (for example) “SWIM got of [something illegal] and SWIM would like to know what to do with it. SWIM thinks he can [do something] but wants to make sure that won’t land SWIM in the hospital.”
I’d be surprised if anyone ever ended up in trouble with the law over a message board post. Besides, even if the cops did decide to cruise message boards, they’re not going to ignore a post because the person said SWIM instead of Me or I.
Nothing to apologize for. It’s there for your opponent as well.
I often type “nite” when texting, because G, H, and I all use the same key and so I would have to pause twice in order to type “night”. Also, if I am tempted to say “just a second” I might say “justasec” because I am busy in the first place and lack to time to spell or speak the unabbreviated phrase.
It’s not actually an abbreviation, but it’s used like one: using apropos instead of appropriate. But that’s my pet peeve of using pseudo-intellectual verbiage.
I also still cannot get used to the elision of “me” or “us” in “Come with.”
I will say “sammich” and “whatevs*” on occasion and see nothing wrong with “just a sec.” The -ee words don’t bug me so much to hear them, but I don’t like to say them.
*I do not say it the way a 13 year old girl would. There’s no uptalk. It’s more like a half-hearted rolleyes–not enough to say the whole word. I don’t know why the [z] comes in.