# English Words that Nobody Should Use **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606 "2005-03-09T01:23:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/61 "2005-03-10T09:02:56Z")
Oops. Sorry. Uh, next we’ll be hearing about what a fine job John Kerry is doing ‘Senatoring’ Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/62 "2005-03-10T09:20:25Z")
My girlfriend and I have agreed not to use the words “fine” or “nice” to describe anything we like about each other, especially in conjunction with the word “quite”. We thought they just made descriptions sound lame, but she’s starting to warm to “fine” now. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/63 "2005-03-10T09:31:42Z")
Okay, it’s a phrase, but: “Could of.” “Should of. Would of.” And it seems to be dying down these days, but there was a time “hella” made me nauseous with anger. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/64 "2005-03-10T10:48:57Z")
‘Howevever’ a sound and serviceable word. Take it away and people would be compelled to adopt the far more exciting ‘contrariwise’ which _I_ far prefer. There are others like ‘desuetude’. ‘However’ should fall into desuetude, displacing the vulgar ‘disuse’. On less strenuous days ‘majorly’ ‘awesome’ and the NY ‘already’ should feel the cold kiss of the humane killer. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/65 "2005-03-10T14:51:57Z")
‘Ultimate’, when used to say something is the best or greatest. On the other hand, ‘penultimate’ isn’t used often enough. ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/66 "2005-03-10T15:35:06Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > **crispy**! > The word is “crisp”. Take note advertisers, it only takes one syllable to describe biting celery. So I gather the Butterfinger commercials send you around the bend? You know, the ones that use the “word” _crispity_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/67 "2005-03-10T16:24:05Z")
My mom’s church has just started a ‘visioning commitee’. To _vision_. It’s a verb. Argh. And I bet they fellowship together impactfully. :head explodes: ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/68 "2005-03-10T16:57:07Z")
> [@Dag Otto](#): > > ‘Ultimate’, when used to say something is the best or greatest. > > On the other hand, ‘penultimate’ isn’t used often enough. To say nothing of ‘antepenultimate’, and (my new favorite), ‘prëantepenultimate’. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/69 "2005-03-10T17:07:46Z")
You could kill loathsome Governmentese and PR speak simply by killing any individual who EVER misuses a noun as a verb. We should action this initiative ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/70 "2005-03-10T17:17:51Z")
> [@](#): > > “The vending machines are located in the next room.” > > WTF is wrong with: > “The vending machines are in the next room?” There is a subtle difference. With the latter sentence, the vending machines may be in the next room, but only temporarily; perhaps that’s where the installation guy left them when he went out for a break. In the first sentence, it implies that the next room is their permanent location, not simply where they happen to be right now. > [@](#): > > For that matter, even in its proper use, found often works better: > > “The lost children were located.” vs. “The lost children were found.” > “We found the mittens.” vs. “We located the mittens.”… Again, there is a difference. With “found”, it implies that the finder now has possession of the object. With “located”, the locator merely knows where they are. Contrast: “I found the children (they’re with me right now).” “I located the children (they’re down by the park).” ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/71 "2005-03-10T17:21:34Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > I have two more. Comptroller- if you intend to say controller, say it. Comptroller is a ridiculous word. Isn’t the origin of “comptroller” a misspelling in the Virginia constitution? The phrase “work with” just bugs the shit out of me because of its utter lack of meaning. I remember hearing Ari Fliescher (sp?) saying about some cock up in Iraq “We’re working with the Coalition Provisional Authority to determine what happpened.” I took this to mean somebody called the CPA and said “Do you know what happened?” and the guy on the other end of the line says “Nope.” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/72 "2005-03-10T17:40:06Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > I have two more. Comptroller- if you intend to say controller, say it. Comptroller is a ridiculous word… “Controller” is the preferred pronunciation for “comptroller.” I looked up both words, and the first two definitions for “controller” link back to the first two definitions for “comptroller.” It’s a mistake to pronounce “comptroller” the way it is spelled, but spelling it that way is correct. > **[Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's most-trusted online dictionary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/)** > > The dictionary by Merriam-Webster is America's most trusted online dictionary for English word definitions, meanings, and pronunciation. #wordsmatter I know, it seems strange to spell it the traditional way, but I had to bite the bullet when my wife worked as a comptroller for a few years. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/73 "2005-03-10T18:47:15Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > **crispy**! > The word is “crisp”. Take note advertisers, it only takes one syllable to describe biting celery. What’s wrong with crispy? ---
**Author:** ![Prancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Prancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prancer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/74 "2005-03-10T20:02:56Z")
Slacks. Very few words make me cringe like that one. You can’t help but sound really nasal when you say it. Pants is my preferred word for non-skirt bottoms. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/75 "2005-03-10T20:50:26Z")
Stuff. As in “I’ve got stuff to do” (as opposed to “Just stuff the clothes into the bag”). It’s so… unspecific. If you want to be unspecific, at least use a cool word like “deal.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/76 "2005-03-10T20:57:15Z")
> [@the Lady](#): > > Empowered. > Empowering. > Empowers. > > and any other possible ending involving the word “empower” I second that. Also, I would appreciate never again hearing the word “closure”. PS to **Roger Thornhill** , I am honored to have my thread beget another thread - but as a Gay poster, does this now make me a breeder? ---
**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/77 "2005-03-10T21:30:27Z")
You US-Dopers are missing out on the ‘Pseuds Corner’ from ‘Private Eye’ magazine. It’s basically a collection of the most pretentious, thesaurus inspired trite people have stumbled across. This following had me in hysterics, and I thought you lot might appreciate it: “A pre-awareness signage trail advising motorists of the reduced capacity of the alternative car-parks has been installed. This is targeted to forewarn drivers at an early stage of their entry to the airport road system to allow them to manoeuvre to use the larger Car Park 1 in the first instance.” I should start parodying this in my writing. As far as I can see, playing golf is the only thing higher up on the list of conditions for corporate success. Anyway, I apologize if I’m accidentally repeating, but these are my candidates for the slaughter: _Art Speak_ Transcend Postmodern, though I do recognize the need for it. Just keep it to a minimum, please? _Business Sleaze_ Ethos Multicultural Standardly Rubric Matrix - whatever happened to Table!? _Pseudo Poetry_ Transient Entropic _Buzzwords_ Metrosexual Neoanything I’ve heard it once, and it’s enough: Heteronormative. It seems to have gone away, but just to make sure: Information Superhighway Cynicism, Sarcasm and Irony are not the same thing. Oh, BTW ralph124c, I’m also trying to bring back Forsooth. I don’t think anybody has a clue what I’m talking about. I also have a plot to bring the word ‘Multidiversity’ into existence. ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/78 "2005-03-10T21:31:27Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Stuff. As in “I’ve got stuff to do” (as opposed to “Just stuff the clothes into the bag”). It’s so… unspecific. If you want to be unspecific, at least use a cool word like “deal.” How about “I’ve got a thing”? It’s not any cooler that “stuff” really, but it makes you sound Buffy-esque. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a _good_ thing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/79 "2005-03-10T23:23:50Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > “Executive produced” by so-and-so drives me around the frickin’ bend! You may be the executive producer, but you don’t “executive produce” anything! On a similar note, is there any difference between the credits “Executive Producer” and “Executive in Charge of Production?” ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606/80 "2005-03-11T01:00:49Z")
> [@KellyM](#): > > To say nothing of ‘antepenultimate’, and (my new favorite), ‘prëantepenultimate’. I thought it was the other way round! **DMark** , if I knew you were gay, I wouldn’t have linked to your post. Could you put this in your “Location”, please? **Lissla Lissar** - my Lissla Lissar - What is it with Mums and churches? I sense a spirit of insecurity, which I’m minded to cast out in the name…! **The Loaded Dog** , while you’re actioning your initiative (soonest, by the way, not ASAP), I’ll be be marketizing my thesis on the technologization of discourse, and reifying its interdiscursivity. I heard ‘egregious’ on the radio this morning, and it ruined the otherwise excellent common sense of a good Congressman bashing the UN and defending the US human rights record. Like ‘feckless’, it acts as a shibboleth dividing the truly educated from the wannabes. Other corporate-speak I abhor (and use!): ‘mission’, ‘vision’, ‘value’, and ‘corporate’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-should-use/293606.md?page=5)