# Annoying pretentious words, sayings, or pronunciations people use to sound smarter **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 4, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456 "2001-01-04T20:43:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/121 "2012-12-07T07:08:41Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I don’t know if it was said in the thread way back when, but “myself” drives me a little crazy, when “me” or “I” would be perfectly okay in its place. Usually I have no time or patience for education shibboleths but for some reason abuse of the reflexive pronoun makes me positively irate. I think I can handle the substitution of an ‘incorrect’ word for a correct one when the words are equal in length or it’s obviously a a feature of their home dialect but using the reflexive improperly seems to me to be an error where you have to actively work at being wrong. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/122 "2012-12-07T16:22:54Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Usually I have no time or patience for education shibboleths but for some reason abuse of the reflexive pronoun makes me positively irate. I think I can handle the substitution of an ‘incorrect’ word for a correct one when the words are equal in length or it’s obviously a a feature of their home dialect but using the reflexive improperly seems to me to be an error where you have to actively work at being wrong. You know what I consider annoying & pretentious? Use of terms like “reflexive pronoun “.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/123 "2012-12-07T16:45:36Z")
One I’ve never got a handle on is “vase.” If you say “vayse,” it sounds like a cheap dime-store knock-off, but “vahz” sounds pretentious as all get-out. Other than that, geez but you people are a bundle of nerves, looking over this thread. (Except for all of you who object to people referring to themselves in the third person. Third-person referrers really ought to be put to death.) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/124 "2012-12-07T16:56:01Z")
> [@Inanna](#): > > People who speak about themselves in the third person. > “Inanna wants another drink” > > People who say ad-VER-tis-ment. > > Not sure of the spelling, but phoenetically it sounds like: APPROPO. (to mean appropriate) This one, particularly, is an interesting case. (And judging from the way you phrased this, I think you were hinting at this.) “Apropos” does sound like it’s related to “appropriate”, so people use it as a highfalutin’ synonym. It’s not. “Apropos” means “relevant to” or “concerning”. As in “Apropos of people who misuse ‘apropos’ to mean ‘appropriate’, this is clearly a pretention failure.” The closest may be when “apropos” is used adjectivally, to describe the relevancy of one subject to another; “appropriate” has can have a similar meaning in the same context (“I thought his use of French in this conversation was apropos/appropriate”), although I’d argue that there is a connotational difference: “apropros” states that there is a relationship, whereas “appropriate” purports that the relationship is strongly supportable and “good”. BTW, if you search my writings here, you’ll find lots of pretentious constructions. Sorry, bad habit, but frankly I’m not gonna spend that much time editing back the sesquipedalia here, since I’d rather just get the ideas out and move on. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/125 "2012-12-07T17:03:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Reporters, commentators and government officials: please stop making yourselves sound moronic by referring to the situation “on the ground”. We’re already pretty sure what’s happening is on the ground, as opposed to 20,000 feet up or orbiting Venus. Actually, I think this started with a good impulse: a reminder that the situation on the ground (in the field, at the line of battle, at the scene of the crisis) is the only situation that matters. Especially when the phrase is used in a headquarters hundreds or thousands of miles away and elements of the situation not on the ground (politics, bean-counting, press and PR, etc.) have a way of trying to make themselves look really important to REMFs that run operations from hundreds or thousands of miles away from the actual battlegrounds. It doesn’t work, of course. For instance, to a general in a command center, the “big picture” matters a lot, even if detrimental to the “little picture” “on the ground”. But it’s a noble though. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/126 "2012-12-07T17:05:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You know what I consider annoying & pretentious? Use of terms like “reflexive pronoun “.:rolleyes: As opposed to what? ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/127 "2012-12-07T17:06:29Z")
> [@burundi](#): > > Deconstruct > **Paradigm** > Hegemony > post-Lacanic > > Okay, I guess these words are appropriate occasionally, but as a grad student, I encounter them waaaay too often. LOL. I am graduating in a few weeks with my Master’s in Anthropology, and I have never heard any two professors pronounce paradigm the same. words that annoy me when used on the SDMB Vis-à-vis apropos quote, unquote former and latter Ergo irregardless ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/128 "2012-12-07T17:09:14Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I used to work for a woman who would insert “obviously” into contexts that were not at all obvious. > > “What time should we arrive?” > “Obviously, four o’clock.” > > “What color paint are you using?” > “Obviously blue.” Any chance English is not her first language? I ask this because some folks whose first language is, say, French or Spanish will often say “Of course!” when speaking English. They think they’re saying the equivalent of a word or phrase in their native language which means “Emphatically yes!” They are unaware that they’re actually saying “Yes – and you’re an idiot for not knowing that already!”. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/129 "2012-12-07T17:10:31Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > One I’ve never got a handle on is “vase.” If you say “vayse,” it sounds like a cheap dime-store knock-off, but “vahz” sounds pretentious as all get-out. > > Other than that, geez but you people are a bundle of nerves, looking over this thread. (Except for all of you who object to people referring to themselves in the third person. Third-person referrers really ought to be put to death.) _We_ are not concerned. (You didn’t say anything about [Majestic Plural](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majestic_plural), did you? :p) Yeah. Majestic Plural is almost the ultimate pretention, even when used as prescribed. I’m glad it fell out of common usage in that setting (royalty), and I’ll nutpunch anyone who tries using it other than as a specific joke as above. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/130 "2012-12-07T17:16:37Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > _We_ are not concerned. > > (You didn’t say anything about [Majestic Plural](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majestic_plural), did you? :p) > > Yeah. Majestic Plural is almost the ultimate pretention, even when used as prescribed. I’m glad it fell out of common usage in that setting (royalty), and I’ll nutpunch anyone who tries using it other than as a specific joke as above. I think I read somewhere that Queen Victoria didn’t actually do this. Or I might have been drunk. One or the other. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/131 "2012-12-07T17:28:00Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > As opposed to what? “Myself”, the actual word under discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/132 "2012-12-07T17:29:39Z")
> [@Trepa\_Mayfield](#): > > I’m confused. How else could you possibly pronounce “leisure”? Rhymes with the first half of “freezer” and the second half of “treasure”, right? What other option is there? Do you say the second syllable like the second syllable of “monsieur”? Because that would sound pretentious to me. In English usage, it pretty much invariably rhymes with “measure” and “treasure”, and to say “LEEZyoure” would sound unbearably affected. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/133 "2012-12-07T17:29:51Z")
just came up with another one from the SDMB shibboleth It’s so often misused, when the user really means “slang” or “saying” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/134 "2012-12-07T17:30:52Z")
Which is a reflexive pronoun. Still not getting what the problem is. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/135 "2012-12-07T17:34:54Z")
> [@Silvorange](#): > > Almost 12 years and “methinks” hasn’t made an appearance yet? I can’t be the only one. > [@Becky2844](#): > > I have some but the most laughable has got to be “methinks.” Nobody ever says that but I’ve run across it several times here on the Dope. Makes me want to smack 'em and force them to drink beer. zombie or no methinks you aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/136 "2012-12-07T17:39:40Z")
“Pretentious? _Moi_??” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/137 "2012-12-07T18:19:09Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Which is a reflexive pronoun. Still not getting what the problem is. Using the technical term “reflexive pronoun” which should only be used in the context of a English grammar discussion , instead of the _actual word being discussed-_ is the hallmark of being annoying & pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/138 "2012-12-07T19:35:16Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > In English usage, it pretty much invariably rhymes with “measure” and “treasure”, and to say “LEEZyoure” would sound unbearably affected. I’m not sure what you mean by “English” (are you in England?), but I generally hear LEEZH-ur. I actually think LEZH-ure (rhymes with “treasure”) sounds kind of pretentious, or at least British. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/139 "2012-12-07T19:45:31Z")
I’m not sure if these exactly fits the subject of the thread, because I don’t think these are pretentious, but they irritate me. There is one guy at work who says “per batim” when he means “verbatim”. There is another guy who thinks the ‘t’ in “moot” is silent, and just pronounces it “moo”. There are also several people here who say “flush out” when they mean “flesh out” (e.g. “flush out” an idea or design). Some of them are recreational hunters, so I’ll cut them some slack. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456/140 "2012-12-07T20:44:23Z")
Is the moo guy Joey from “Friends?” 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-pretentious-words-sayings-or-pronunciations-people-use-to-sound-smarter/48456.md?page=8)