# annoying everyday phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916 "2019-03-11T00:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/21 "2019-03-11T07:25:57Z")
The unlevel playing field is in a town in Oklahoma and it’s the one the band gets to practice on. Now you know. It is so unlevel that on rainy days, when it’s slippery, band members might actually slide off. The football players get the more level one. To practice. For games everybody gets a level playing field. (Even the band, at halftime.) Another unlevel playing field is the horrible tennis courts in the park nearest to me. There is an uphill side and a downhill side. However it doss make it easier to collect your balls. They all roll to the net on one side and the fence on the other side. it is what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/22 "2019-03-11T08:53:31Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > My view is precisely the opposite. “Hacking”, in the sense of playful messing around with machines, is the earlier use. “Hacking” in the specific sense of computer crimes is a later corruption. There’s no reason at all to endorse this latter use, and certainly not at the expense of the former. > > A similar thing happened with “meme,” and I have the same complaint. The original sense was a self-replicating set of ideas, like religion or language. But it’s been corrupted into the boring special case of “images with funny text that grandma forwards to you”. **Sitnam** ’s gripe no doubt stems from all of the “life hack” and similar uses of the word. Tips & Tricks are not hacks. Favorable practices are not hacks. Adding jam to a ham sandwhich is not a “food hack”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/23 "2019-03-11T09:19:50Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > **Sitnam** ’s gripe no doubt stems from all of the “life hack” and similar uses of the word. Tips & Tricks are not hacks. Favorable practices are not hacks. Adding jam to a ham sandwhich is not a “food hack”. Maybe. Personally, my problem with “life hacks” isn’t the name; it’s that it’s always some stupid thing that either takes longer or is more costly than doing it the normal way, and so the “hack” aspect is completely backwards (either that, or the hack is completely mundane: “Hack an early retirement by not spending money on stupid shit and then saving it!”). If “life hacks” were genuinely useful and clever, they’d earn the hack moniker. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/24 "2019-03-11T10:26:45Z")
One of the supervisors at my job never misses an opportunity to let someone know “I get it”. Another uses a variation- she wants you to know: “… and I get that.” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/25 "2019-03-11T11:01:59Z")
_“… the other side of the aisle…”_ - as if one would burst into flames by mentioning the other party’s name. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/26 "2019-03-11T11:12:27Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > The self-checkout machines at my local Target remind me to “grab” my receipt. Seriously? Wow. That’s a new low. A Target employee saying that? Sure. OK. But a machine programmed to give you that instruction? Goddamn, we live in a culturally barren world. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/27 "2019-03-11T11:27:19Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Tips & Tricks are not hacks. Favorable practices are not hacks. Adding jam to a ham sandwhich is not a “food hack”. [Thread hack :p] _At breakfast one morn in Calcutta sat a man with a bit of a stutta he said, “Pass the h-ham and the j-j-j-jam and the b-b-b-b-b-b-butta.”_ [/Thread hack :p] ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/28 "2019-03-11T12:21:28Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I will slap you down if you tell me to 'get ‘er done’. I couldnt agree more ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Medlo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hi\_Medlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Medlo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/29 "2019-03-11T13:10:34Z")
“Work smarter, not harder” always means “We’re going to dump a whole lot more work on you.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/30 "2019-03-11T13:51:27Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > **Sitnam** ’s gripe no doubt stems from all of the “life hack” and similar uses of the word. Tips & Tricks are not hacks. Favorable practices are not hacks. Adding jam to a ham sandwhich is not a “food hack”. Obligatory clip: [Andy’s Life Hacks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb1GZXL5PDY) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/31 "2019-03-11T14:05:04Z")
When someone gets on a conference call they “hop on the call.” There are too many workplace cliches to list but the most annoying ones are: Circle back Close the loop Shoot me an email ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/32 "2019-03-11T14:11:04Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Men and women in uniform. If you mean soldiers, say soldiers, if you mean firefighters say firefighters. Soldiers are in the army. Sailors are in the navy. Marines are in the Marines. Airmen are in the air force. So don’t say “soldiers” if you mean “members of the military.” > [@Cindycat](#): > > And when did saying ‘sick ‘ come to mean the same thing as ‘cool’? At least 30 years ago. And that’s just when I started hearing it, could have been earlier. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/33 "2019-03-11T14:15:00Z")
Carlin explained it best but “have a nice day”. I will and will continue to reply “NO!” More a word than phrase but “ginormance” or however the Hell you spell it. Use that expression and I will avoid you at all costs. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/34 "2019-03-11T14:40:55Z")
The word “porn” used in non-sexual ways: food porn, torture porn (for movies like _Saw_), etc. Misspelling “etc.” as “ect.” ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/35 "2019-03-11T14:44:10Z")
I don’t like “no problem” in place of “you’re welcome”, they are not equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/36 "2019-03-11T14:51:44Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > More a word than phrase but “ginormance” or however the Hell you spell it. Use that expression and I will avoid you at all costs. You’re thinking of “ginormous,” which is a portmanteau word of “giant” + “enormous.” But you’re perfectly free to hate it if you want to. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/37 "2019-03-11T14:53:18Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > ^ I still say “nifty.” I like getting funny looks. :o It’s the ginchiest! When I was a young’un we said things were “killer”. Annoying everyday phrase I hate: People being quoted on the news are always “speaking out” or “breaking their silence”. :rolleyes: No, they’re just commenting. I associate the phrase “speaking out” with standing up against injustice. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/38 "2019-03-11T15:16:03Z")
“Reaching out” makes me want to reach out and choke the shit out of the people using it. We don’t phone, contact, email or otherwise speak with people. We must ‘reach out’ to them, because we’re all just so fucking caring and made of fucking stardust. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/39 "2019-03-11T15:24:25Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > It’s the ginchiest! > When I was a young’un we said things were “killer”. \ I am so far behind the times: I’ve been using “killer” a lot lately at restaurants when the shrimp or the limas are especially good. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916/40 "2019-03-11T16:24:21Z")
As we’re in the world of irrational anger: I do shifts behind the bar at a social club that I’m a member of; and I can’t tell you how pissed off it makes me when some young person wanders up to the bar and says, “Can I get a [drink]…” _ **NO!** Why do you think I’m behind the goddamn bar? Tell me what you want and **I’LL** get you the drink!_ Y’see, it’s because of this sort of provocation that, whenever any unsuspecting punter asks me “May I have a glass of tap water?” - I’ll get them by asking back “Hot or cold?” j Note: unpaid volunteer work. They’ll need another volunteer before they can get rid of me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-everyday-phrases/830916.md?page=3)