# Abbreviations / diminutives that make you grind your teeth. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 21, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521 "2015-01-21T21:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/21 "2015-01-22T10:16:19Z")
I don’t like “stache” as an abbreviation of moustache. For somewhere in the region of half a century, I’ve been used to people abbreviating moustache (if they felt it necessary) by using “tache” (or, as it may be, “tash”). Now I find the young’uns saying “stache”, and I consider it confusing – particularly when they refer to a “porn 'stache”, which brings to mind images of a collection of gentleman’s speciality magazines under the mattress. Memo to all: think on, and cut it out. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/22 "2015-01-22T11:00:08Z")
People who say or write “veggies” instead of “vegetables” deserve to be rolled naked in broken malt liquor bottles. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/23 "2015-01-22T11:14:03Z")
Vag instead of vagina. I encounter this in print all the time. I can’t figure out how you’re supposed to pronounce it, and 99% of the time, the speaker is referring to the vulva, not vagina. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/24 "2015-01-22T12:57:05Z")
I absolutely detest it when people refer to their young child’s sibling as “bubby.” ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/25 "2015-01-22T13:08:47Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > “Hi, I’m Andrew, how are you?” > “Hey, Andy, how they hangin’?” > Death’s too good for 'em. Yup. I introduce myself as Cynthia. Don’t change it to Cindy. Only people who actually knew me as a child can say that. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/26 "2015-01-22T13:09:58Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > Vag instead of vagina. I encounter this in print all the time. I can’t figure out how you’re supposed to pronounce it, and 99% of the time, the speaker is referring to the vulva, not vagina. or “the V”, or “vajayjay”. What the fuckety fuck? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/27 "2015-01-22T13:22:55Z")
> [@bump](#): > > 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. > > Anyone else get irrationally over-annoyed by these kinds of abbreviations? Don’t come to Cambridge MA – there’s an upper-crusty pizza place in Kendall Square called _Za_ Good pizza, but I hate the name, too. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/28 "2015-01-22T13:43:56Z")
“Mr Winkie” as a euphemism for The Hammer of Thor. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/29 "2015-01-22T13:48:51Z")
“The Hammer of Thor” as a euphemism for The Big One. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/30 "2015-01-22T14:02:08Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Y’all are totes adorbs when you’re so jelly of kids today. I like this yet hate it at the same time. Well played. My personal unfavorite is: Most def. (Most definitely) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/31 "2015-01-22T14:07:10Z")
“Tats” makes me shudder. I do say “whatev” but I use it when I’m _trying_ to get someone’s goat. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/32 "2015-01-22T14:31:44Z")
I’m amazed that “vay cay” for vacation hasn’t earned any scorn yet. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/33 "2015-01-22T14:49:36Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Tats” makes me shudder. > > I do say “whatev” but I use it when I’m _trying_ to get someone’s goat. Tats as in short for tattoo? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/34 "2015-01-22T14:52:47Z")
> [@buckgully](#): > > On the flipside, I also loathe “SWMBO” (She Who Must Be Obeyed). Not to defend the use of SWMBO, but at least it has a literary genesis, being the full term for the eponymous “She” of H. Rider Haggard’s adventure novel **She** , and at least when I first started seeing it (on homebrew sites about 10 years ago) as a tongue-in-cheek way of referring to one’s wife as if she were some imperious, unforgiving queen. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/35 "2015-01-22T15:19:07Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > 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. I expand DH and DD to “designated hitter” and “drunk driver” but unfortunately don’t have anything to make DS feel less cloying in my head. Equally grating to “za” for me is “cuppa”. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/36 "2015-01-22T15:26:57Z")
I couldn’t tell you why, but the word “preggers” (for pregnant) drives me absolutely insane. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/37 "2015-01-22T15:30:16Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Y’all are totes adorbs when you’re so jelly of kids today. _clap clap clap_ > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I just found out this evening that “bae” is an acronym for "before anyone else.” > > Ugh. WTF? I thought it was short for “baby” and even then almost always for an out-of-wedlock baby in which the father is not the mother’s husband but rather her babydaddy. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > … I do say “whatev” but I use it when I’m _trying_ to get someone’s goat. I do that too. It has its uses, when one is attempting to make a point. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/38 "2015-01-22T15:39:26Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Tats as in short for tattoo? Right. > [@bump](#): > > Not to defend the use of SWMBO, but at least it has a literary genesis, being the full term for the eponymous “She” of H. Rider Haggard’s adventure novel **She** , That’s why I sort of like that one. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/39 "2015-01-22T15:42:08Z")
> [@buckgully](#): > > On the flipside, I also loathe “SWMBO” (She Who Must Be Obeyed). I don’t. I married her!! ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521/40 "2015-01-22T15:44:41Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > Vag instead of vagina. I encounter this in print all the time. I can’t figure out how you’re supposed to pronounce it, and 99% of the time, the speaker is referring to the vulva, not vagina. Sandy vag, dear? \*d&r [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-diminutives-that-make-you-grind-your-teeth/710521.md?page=3)