# Cliche cutesy-isms that set your teeth on edge
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 25, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162 "2004-02-25T19:58:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/1 "2004-02-25T19:58:19Z")
I overreact cringeingly when I come across the following usages in Dope threads:
[ul][li]_penned_ instead of _written_[/li][li]_anyhoo_[/li][li]_stepped foot_ rather than _set foot_[/li][li]any quote from _The Princess Bride_[/ul][/li]I’d like to move that these tired tropes be considered local analogs to Godwin’s law: when they start to turn up in a thread, that thread can officially considered _done._
Anyone like to add any more items to the list of cliches that adds the number “infinity” to the noise side of the _signal_\*\*:\*\*_noise_ ratio?
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### Author:  [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/2 "2004-02-25T20:10:23Z")
Yeah: ‘Godwin’s law’ is a very tired clichè. Lets get rid of it.
Like we oughta get rid of “rules” who are thought of by some nobody. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/3 "2004-02-25T20:18:40Z")
Good point; I agree with the inclusion of Godwin’s Law on the list.
But you really shouldn’t refer to yourself as “some nobody.” Everyone is welcome here, and everyone’s opinion holds equal value. Do something nice for yourself today, gum: take a bath by candlelight, or eat dessert first. Maybe you’ll feel better about yourself.
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### Author:  [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/4 "2004-02-25T20:23:50Z")
> [@gum](#):
>
> Like we oughta get rid of “rules” who are thought of by some nobody. Thanks.
Well that was a little pissier than necessary.
I say “anyhoo” all the time. As it annoys you **lissner** , I’ll try to stop but one or two may slip out anyway.
Penned is somewhat obnoxious, but the _Princess Bride_\* rocks. I refuse to accept a ban on PB quotes.
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/5 "2004-02-25T20:28:09Z")
[hijack]
lissener, your sig is so fucking funny.
[/hijack]
Maybe we should add fake vB tags (a la [hijack]) to your list.
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### Author:  [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/6 "2004-02-25T20:28:43Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#):
>
> I say “anyhoo” all the time.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/7 "2004-02-25T20:30:08Z")
I have no problem with the movie, but PBisms have become so overdone around here that they’ve come to make me cringe. YMMV.
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### Author:  [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/8 "2004-02-25T20:39:58Z")
**lissener** That was deserved and very funny. 🙂 Thankee.
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### Author:  [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/9 "2004-02-25T20:49:20Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> I have no problem with the movie, but PBisms have become so overdone around here that they’ve come to make me cringe. YMMV.
How 'bout the book? Can we use anything from the book?
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/10 "2004-02-25T20:55:04Z")
The only one that the OP mentioned that really bothers me is “anyhoo” and I detest that one. But I always figure that if this is the worst thing to happen to me all day, then my life is pretty good…
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/11 "2004-02-25T21:07:08Z")
I hate “prolly”. […shivering…]
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/12 "2004-02-25T21:13:36Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> any quote from \*The Princess Bride
HEATHEN!
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### Author:  [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/13 "2004-02-25T21:14:06Z")
The incredibly annoying pseudo-legalism “said,” as in, "Poster X was really stupid in this thread. I was really enjoying said thread until. . . "
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### Author:  [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/14 "2004-02-25T21:21:43Z")
> [@Khadaji](#):
>
> The only one that the OP mentioned that really bothers me is “anyhoo” and I detest that one. But I always figure that if this is the worst thing to happen to me all day, then my life is pretty good…
Crap. I say this IRL as well. I wonder if there is a whole group of people just dying to throttle me every time I say it…
:eek:
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### Author:  [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/15 "2004-02-25T21:25:38Z")
You know, I’d like to run all my posts past lissener to make sure I’m not inadvertantly cheesing him off, but really, who has the time?
There are what, 20,000 or so readers of the SDMB? I’m sure that if you took a union of all the phrases, idioms, acronyms, and figures of speech that causes at least one of them to cringe, then any post at all, including a completely blank one, would fail to pass muster.
So I’m sorry if some random turn of phrase I choose during a dashed off post fails to be 100% cliche-free, but I’m not \* real \* sorry.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/16 "2004-02-25T21:35:45Z")
Finagle–
I’m on unemployment at the moment, so I’d be happy to screen your posts before you submit the. Post them here, and I’ll clean them up so you don’t embarrass yourself.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/17 "2004-02-25T21:39:54Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> I overreact cringeingly when I come across the following usages in Dope threads:
Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays. 😃
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/18 "2004-02-25T21:40:13Z")
–before you submit _them._
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/19 "2004-02-25T21:51:40Z")
I hereby object to all posts containing spaces.
Fucking cliched, those spaces.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/20 "2004-02-25T22:02:59Z")
High on the pucker scale:
1. _slippery slope_
2. _the race card_
3. _knee jerk reaction_
4. _terrorist organization_ used to describe teachers (not a cliche, but used so vilely that it is worth a mention)
5. _traitors_ and _unpatriotic_ used to describe peacemakers
6. _pro-abortion_ substituted for “pro-choice”
7. misuse of _Nazi_
8. misuse and misunderstanding of _politically correct_
9. _family values_ used to refer only to traditional families
10. “nuke-u-lar” and “nuke-ya-lar”
11. _homeland security_
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