# Completely meaningless phrases that are common **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 19, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120 "2014-03-19T22:47:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/81 "2014-03-23T16:33:19Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > “_I’m just saying_”. > > :mad: Gawd that bugs me! I know you’re just saying, I just heard you say it! Now STFU and stop saying that!? I’m just saying= you need to think about this carefully, consider it and not just dismiss it out of hand. > [@pkbites](#): > > - > > “Please listen carefully”\* meaning: pay attention stupid! _as our menu options have changed!_ > > WHY?!? :mad: Why does every company need to tweek their voice mail system? they haven’t changed any of their options, it’s just a polite fiction to disguise the fact they just said “pay attention, stupid.” ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/82 "2014-03-23T17:26:08Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Since someone mentioned voice mail, I really dislike getting the usual long and rambling intro message: “Hello, you have reached John Smith. I’m either on the phone or away from my desk at the moment. Please leave me a detailed message after the tone and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you require immediate assistance, please contact Betty Boop at extension 12345. Have a nice day.” > > Zzzzzz. I just fell asleep. I know how voice mail works. It’s been around for 40 years. Jesus. And yes, I know I can hit the # key to proceed immediately to the in box. > > Mine: Hi this is Doug. Please leave me a message. Didn’t George Carlin do a bit on this? I remember being in stitches when he said something like “Because a guy is in his basement jerking off his dog, I, I, must listen to his shitty voicemail message” or some such thing. ---
**Author:** ![mike\_ahndembroak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mike\_ahndembroak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike_ahndembroak)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/83 "2014-03-23T17:43:28Z")
“Jesus never gives you more than you can handle”. Yep, tell that to the thousands of people that kill themselves every year. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/84 "2014-03-24T02:11:47Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I’m just saying= you need to think about this carefully, consider it and not just dismiss it out of hand. Of course it needs to be dismissed. Anyone who says “I’m just saying” more than likely just said something meaningless! ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/85 "2014-03-24T05:01:52Z")
“He died doing what he loved.” Yeah right, unless it’s high-speed car crash or jerking off to lesbian porn, count me out… ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/86 "2014-03-25T18:44:44Z")
For the life of me I can’t figure this one out. Yeah, I get what it’s meant to convey (at least I think I do), but where did it come from? Frankly, it sounds like some kind of homosexual reference, to me. Either way it is NOT one of the “new” terms that I favor using because it just seems so VULGAR. ---
**Author:** ![irae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f0a364/32.png) [@irae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irae)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/87 "2014-03-26T20:41:52Z")
‘Nothing works better than \!.’ Guess I should save my money and stock up on nothing, then. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/88 "2014-03-27T16:19:46Z")
I hate “we lost him/her.” Really? Did anyone go out looking? I mean, that seems pretty callous, not to go look for someone who’s lost. Oh! You mean he or she _died_. Why didn’t you say so? That’s completely different. My MIL uses it so much that now every time she uses that phrase, she immediately turns to me and says, “yes, we did go look for him.” Then stop using cutesy phrases! You’re not softening the blow! ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/89 "2014-03-27T17:32:22Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > I hate “we lost him/her.” Really? Did anyone go out looking? I mean, that seems pretty callous, not to go look for someone who’s lost. Oh! You mean he or she _died_. Why didn’t you say so? That’s completely different. > > My MIL uses it so much that now every time she uses that phrase, she immediately turns to me and says, “yes, we did go look for him.” Then stop using cutesy phrases! You’re not softening the blow! As a euphemism, this is more misleading than meaningless. It’s a close cousin to meaningless, though. Did they follow it up with "He/she’s in a better place now (mentioned earlier in the thread)? That would make it 10x worse. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/90 "2014-03-28T14:00:21Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I wouldn’t quite agree. What you might instead see is “Free kitten”. I’d say “Free to good home” is almost but not quite meaningless because the current owner is rarely going to check. The author of the sign is basically saying “We really do care about Mr. Snuggles. Please take care of him.”, as opposed to “Would you like this cat? OK. Here.” I think this really means “Research labs need not apply.” > [@Kenm](#): > > Original miles, too. “Yes, this cream puff has only 8,000 _original_ miles on the clock!” But 350,000 on the original odometer, over there in the dumpster. This used to mean something before odometers could register 100,000 miles. An odometer that had rolled over could say 20,000 miles, when it really had 120,000. If you had a 10 year-old-car with 40,000 miles, and the odometer hadn’t rolled over, you said “40,000 original miles,” or “40,000 real miles.” Some people still use this if the car has the original engine. It’s usually something you see on older cars, at any rate, and just means the odometer is a real reflection of the wear on the car. If someone is selling a 3-yr-old car with 40,000 “real miles,” they’re idiots. > [@tellyworth](#): > > On ebay: “near mint”. Here’s a photo of it next to a peppermint plant. > [@Leaffan](#): > > I know how voice mail works. It’s been around for 40 years. Jesus. And yes, I know I can hit the # key to proceed immediately to the in box. > > Mine: Hi this is Doug. Please leave me a message. Mine: “This is voice mail. You know what to do.” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120/91 "2014-03-28T15:21:25Z")
> [@irae](#): > > ‘Nothing works better than \!.’ > > Guess I should save my money and stock up on nothing, then. There was a Chevy truck commercial recently where the narrator said “Nothing works harder than a Chevy truck - and by nothing I mean Ford and Dodge”. Really? Why would you buy air time to tell me that your truck is in 3rd place, behind your main competitors? Nothing works harder Nothing = competitors Ergo, both competitors work harder I’d love to meet that (ex) scriptwriter… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/completely-meaningless-phrases-that-are-common/684120.md?page=4)