I know we have regular threads about new phrases that suddenly become overly popular and over-used. Time for the new version.
My current nomination for most overused phrase that is getting on my nerves is, “at the end of the day”.
Lately, I keep hearing every pundit on TV wrapping up their little tirades with “at the end of the day, you know I am right” or some such variation of same phrase.
“XX,XXX foot view”
Example “If we look at it from the 30,000 foot view…”
It’s annoying, but nearly as bad as “at the end of the day”, I have to admit.
“It is what it is.”
I always want to reply, “Well, at least it’s not what it’s not!”
“think outside the box”
Who thinks inside a box? 
[ul]
[li]on the ground[/li][li]in harm’s way[/li][li]literally [/li][/ul]
This has to be one of the stupidest phrases of all time!
Don’t get mad at dumb words, use 'em to play bingo!
On the other side of the aisle and all of its variants can go away NOW!!! It always sounds vaguely insulting - those unspeakables over there! - or just too cutesy. Can’t you just say Republicans or Democrats? :rolleyes:
The other one, and I’ve ranted about this before, is beginning every sentence with “I mean” when you’re not clarifying a previous statement. One of my sisters has done this for decades, and it seems more and more folks being asked questions have embraced it.
“How are you doing today?”
“I mean, I had a rough night last night.”
“What did you think when you saw the suspect holding a bloody machete standing?”
“I mean, I thought at first it was a joke.”
“What is the airspeed velocity of a laden swallow?”
“I mean, I need to know what kind of swallow.”
If you never noticed it before, you will now, and it will make you crazy. I mean it!!!
This topic is not in my wheelhouse.
To be honest…
Frankly…
…up in here…
“It’s all about… (whatever)”
*
“It’s all about the service”. “It’s all about the value”.*
No, actually it’s all about to make me sick, ugh !
I was watching the F1 race this weekend and the commentators told me the race was, “all about tire management”. Then about 30 minutes later, I was told “it’s all about aerodynamics”. Before the race was over, I was told that it was “all about the pit strategy”. Really guys, which one was it?
[…] isn’t going to happen any time soon
It might be OK for Americans to say this, but not BBC reporters, Ugh!
And why do so many people use the construct “Yes-no”…?
Saying it as “no-yes” (which no-one does) would make it sound even stupider, but please people if you have to make some filler noise just use “Um” or “Err”
Beats the hell outta “not in my purview,” which is suddenly everywhere.
Both are just fancy ways to say “not my job,” instantly endearing you to your colleagues and manager.
At the moment, “apples to apples” is one that just goes right through me.
“Sooner, rather than later” can go fuck itself.
A phrase that makes me cringe…usually said in a lighthearted dismiisive tone. “my bad”
some others
“it is what it is”
“yes, no?” after asking a question, just shut up and let the person answer
“to make a long story short” if it is followed by an hour story…(its fine to use if person does keep it short, and i will fess up, i have been guilty of this before, not intentionally, but its almost as if you begin with that phrase it somehow causes the person to not keep it short
its not my job, when said to a customer with no effort to find whos job it is and help the customer
Whats wrong with at the end of the day?
“No worries!” (Smack!)
“…seriously?”
“I know, right?”
“Socialize this idea.”
Many already mentioned, but I’ll add:
“If I had my druthers…”
“New digs” - every time someone changes an office or building
No. Purview is used correctly in that case. The use of “wheelhouse” makes no fucking sense to indicate area of expertise at all. A wheelhouse is where you drive the ship, not where you collect various bits of competence.
As a creative working in a corporate environment, pretty much all corporate-speak annoys me. “At the end of the day” was HUGE a couple of years ago, but has faded.
Lately, “reach out” is really annoying me. That used to be a seldom-used phrase that really had a certain meaning. Now, nobody says that they “called Bob” or “emailed Fred” or “contacted Company X,” they “reached out” to all of them. At the end of a meeting: “Can you reach out to Mary and see what she thinks?”
But it will fade soon enough, and be replaced by something different and equally annoying. “Ping” is starting to make a charge, even though the people that are using it would generally have no idea where the phrase came from. In my opinion, if you have to call IT for help setting up your email client on a new laptop, you probably shouldn’t be using “ping” as a verb.