# Cliche cutesy-isms that set your teeth on edge **URL:** \ **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:** 3
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/41 "2004-02-26T00:06:13Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Please add “methinks” to The List. Definitely. Forgot that one. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/42 "2004-02-26T00:18:37Z")
[ul] [li]Oz[/li][li]it’s for the children[/li][li]mmmkay[/li][li]offenderatti[/li][li]illiteratti[/li][li]Naziratti[/li][li]Der Governator[/li][li][hyjack] 'n [/hyjack][/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/43 "2004-02-26T00:33:54Z")
Oz? In what context and why is that annoying? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/44 "2004-02-26T00:49:30Z")
“Oz” as slang for Australia. And while I forgive it when I see the poster’s from England, “whilst” really gets on my tits. And “grey,” by an American, is affectatious and shit. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/45 "2004-02-26T01:05:50Z")
Eh, I wouldn’t have that would be any more anoying than someone refering to New Zealand as EnZed. Is it the actual use of the word “Oz” or is it the spelling, Oz rather than Aus. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/46 "2004-02-26T01:05:43Z")
Damn. I wondered why no one reads my posts. ☹☹ ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/47 "2004-02-26T01:05:35Z")
> [@carrot](#): > > You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. AAHAHAHAHA. Oh, you make my day. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/48 "2004-02-26T01:10:38Z")
Eh, I wouldn’t have that would be any more anoying than someone refering to New Zealand as EnZed. Is it the actual use of the word _Aus_ pronounced with a _z_, or is it the spelling, _Oz_ rather than _Aus_. ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/49 "2004-02-26T01:24:14Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > “Oz” as slang for Australia. > > And while I forgive it when I see the poster’s from England, “whilst” really gets on my tits. And “grey,” by an American, is affectatious and shit. If we’re at that, may I add “Maths?” I can \*\*not \*\* stand that. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/50 "2004-02-26T01:30:16Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > And while I forgive it when I see the poster’s from England, “whilst” really gets on my tits. And “grey,” by an American, is affectatious and shit. Same for “whinging” by an American. “US’er” by anyone. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@coffeecam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecam)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/51 "2004-02-26T01:33:56Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > 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? _As you wish_ C 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/52 "2004-02-26T02:31:40Z")
I can’t deal with Americans using Britishisms either. I know that doesn’t count as “cliche”, but it still bugs me. An American friend of mine (you know who you are) says things like "I hardly think he’d be about on a Monday afternoon."etc. What the hell is that??? Also, I may be guilty of this as well, but I can’t stand when people have a phrase that they use over and over and over and over. My mother always says “ripped” instead of swindled or stolen from. She also says things have been a certain way “from jump street” instead of “from the beginning.” Drives me nuts. A different friend of mine used to always say “Christ on a cracker” whenever anything surprised her. Sheesh. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/53 "2004-02-26T03:21:26Z")
> [@1920s Style Death Ray](#): > > Oz? In what context and why is that annoying? Well, my girlfriend gets annoyed when I watch Oz, but I don’t think she reads the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/54 "2004-02-26T03:43:52Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > 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? Funny, I was going to contribute “signal:noise ratio” myself. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/55 "2004-02-26T06:02:52Z")
‘Euros’, instead of Europeans? I mean: I don’t call American: ‘dollars’, or the English: ‘pounds’, do I? **Alias** , I kinda like: ‘Christ on a cracker’, but that’s because I never heard it before. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/56 "2004-02-26T07:01:18Z")
I’m going to go ahead and insert “making sure I don’t use phrases in my posts that annoy someone on the SDMB” right below “making sure my navel is completely lint-free” on my list of things to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/57 "2004-02-26T07:10:56Z")
Spelling “grey” like that is an affectation? I was taught that “grey” and “gray” were equally valid, not that one was American and the other English, and I’ve always felt that the former looked nicer. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/58 "2004-02-26T08:06:31Z")
I vote for a ban on anyone saying that something makes the baby Jesus cry. It’s been done to death. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/59 "2004-02-26T08:14:24Z")
But I would really like to borrow the British _rubbish!_ We don’t have anything that has quite the same connotation. Maybe it’s being able to roll and prolong the initial _r_ that has the impact. I’m willing to swap rights on an American usage for _rubbish_ privileges. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162/60 "2004-02-26T08:37:00Z")
> [@racinchikki](#): > > Spelling “grey” like that is an affectation? I was taught that “grey” and “gray” were equally valid, not that one was American and the other English, and I’ve always felt that the former looked nicer. I am aware that one was generally used by Americans and one by British, but I always forget which is which. Personally, I prefer “grey”. Other than that, I do tend to use a fair number of “Britishisms” in my writing and, more rarely, my speech. I attribute it to overexposure to Douglas Adams, Monty Python, and Doctor Who in my formative years. I don’t think it’s an affectation; it just comes naturally to me. If it bothers anyone, well, they’re just going to have to find a way to deal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliche-cutesy-isms-that-set-your-teeth-on-edge/231162.md?page=4)