# In the hamPster vein, what phrase grates you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637 "2003-05-12T06:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@lite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lite)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/1 "2003-05-12T06:06:20Z")
I heard it again today. Someone asked me if they should get a gas or electric hot water heater. I asked him where he wanted to buy. After replying he shouldn’t get it there, he mentioned another place. I said nor there, and in fact he better not buy a hot water heater from anyone. By now he’s pissed and asked what the hell I was talking about. I told him to only buy a cold water heater, otherwise he’d be running 2 water heaters. One to heat the water, the other to heat the water that’s already hot. OK, what’s yours? ---
**Author:** ![Honeydew\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@Honeydew\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honeydew_1)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/2 "2003-05-12T11:29:58Z")
When people pronounce the word “assume” as “ash-shume”… God it makes me want to batter their heads in with a lump hammer. ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/3 "2003-05-12T12:00:39Z")
I’m gonna go ahead and… or We’re gonna go ahead and… or any possible variation where you supposedly go ahead and do something. Christ, just shut up and say you’re going to do something. Or better yet, just shut up. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/4 "2003-05-12T13:08:43Z")
Misuse of “less” and “fewer” drives me insane. (Actually that’s not much of a drive. Really a short walk. Okay, more like a hop, a skip and a jump. Alright, just one big step; but you get the idea.) ---
**Author:** ![Qazzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/aeb1de/32.png) [@Qazzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qazzz)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/5 "2003-05-12T13:29:02Z")
What about “living vicariously through” somebody? People say it all the time, obviously proud that they’re using the word “vicariously,” but clueless as to the redundancy. Also - and this isn’t quite the same idea - but I hate all the pop psychology phrases that people throw around as if they’re actually useful. Like “Oh just be yourself,” or “You have to love yourself first,” or “Live life to the fullest.” Wow how fucking deep and therapeutic, thank you for that. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/6 "2003-05-12T13:49:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qazzz \* > \*\*What about “living vicariously through” somebody? People say it all the time, obviously proud that they’re using the word “vicariously,” but clueless as to the redundancy. > . \*\* Uh-oh. I’m guilty of this. What would the correct phrasing be? And generally, I do hate redundancy. “ATM machine”, is really automatic teller machine machine. There’s a chain of stores called DSW shoe warehouse, but that really translates to “Designer Shoe Warehouse Shoe Warehouse.” I see lots of examples of this, and it really does irk me. I hope more people answer this. You know, so I can live vicariously through them!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/7 "2003-05-12T15:16:32Z")
anyway **s**! ---
**Author:** ![viking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@viking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/viking)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/8 "2003-05-12T15:34:26Z")
would of, could of and should of ---
**Author:** ![insomnia4AM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@insomnia4AM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insomnia4AM)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/9 "2003-05-12T15:37:20Z")
Where you at? Can I **AKS** you a question? Let me get…(insert item here). ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/10 "2003-05-12T15:46:22Z")
“Me and him are going to the liquor store.” (And no, it’s not because they didn’t invite me …) Anyway, I’ve lived in Minnesota for many years now, although I am not a native. There are several regional speechisms that still drive me up the wall, even after 20+ years of living here. “I’m a little broke. Can you borrow me some money?” “I’m going to the liquor store, do you want to come with?” **Height** pronounced with a **th** sound at the end. (To make it sound similar to **width** , maybe? I dunno.) “Where’s the party at?” And despite my repeated corrections, the natives continue to give the wrong name to those metal or porcelin devices that stick out of walls and provide passers-by with a drink of water. They call these devices “water fountains” or “drinking fountains” when every intelligent being knows that there are properly called “bubblers.” (Can you guess where I’m from? Oops, I mean: “Can you guess whence I come?”) ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/11 "2003-05-12T17:02:26Z")
Yer from 'Sconie, right, **Spiff**? The “come with” thing isn’t confined to Minnesota. I don’t know where else I’ve heard it but I’m not from here and I’ve always said it. I’m a military brat, so it’s hard to narrow down where I learned it. Holy crap someone in the next cube just said “hot water heater.” I’ve never heard that… Now it’s gonna drive me bugnuts. Hmmm… What drives me crazy? Anway **s** is on my list. My husband says “adamant” like the guy’s name. I pronounce it “adamuhnt.” The way he pronounces it bugs me but with my luck, they’re probably both acceptable pronounciations. On the same general subject, I LOATHE misplaced apostrophes. ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/12 "2003-05-12T17:03:44Z")
Crap. That’s anyway **s**. ---
**Author:** ![richw211](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@richw211](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richw211)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/13 "2003-05-12T17:09:16Z")
“mute point” instead of “moot point” “pacifically” instead of “specifically” “irregardless” instead of “regardless” and the list continues to grow… ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/14 "2003-05-12T17:10:43Z")
“I did good” instead of “I did well.” “Where we’re at” instead of “Where we are.” “Decides” replacing “besides” in some bizarre attempt at baby talk. (This one is so moronic I fear the women who use it are either depressingly stupid or pandering to the pedophilic element.) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/15 "2003-05-12T17:35:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by viking \* > \*\*would of, could of and should of \*\* You beat me to this one. This makes sentences extremely hard for me to read. ‘Of’ is a preposition; I keep wondering where’s my phrase? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/16 "2003-05-12T18:04:40Z")
People who obsess about poor grammar and spelling from others. ---
**Author:** ![Vixenation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/278dde/32.png) [@Vixenation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vixenation)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/17 "2003-05-12T18:07:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xcheopis \* > \*\*“I did good” instead of “I did well.” > “Where we’re at” instead of “Where we are.” > “Decides” replacing “besides” in some bizarre attempt at baby talk. (This one is so moronic I fear the women who use it are either depressingly stupid or pandering to the pedophilic element.) \*\* What? People actually do this? Gosh, that’s unbelievably stupid. I don’t even know how one could use “decides” in place of “besides”. “I don’t want to go, decides, I can’t anyway-I have a previous appointment.” 😕 😕 I don’t even get it. ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/18 "2003-05-12T18:26:30Z")
Yep, that’s how it’s used, though I’ve most often seen it at the beginning of a sentence. I’ve also only seen it when the user is in conversation with men, so I suspect it’s supposed to be perceived as adorable. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/19 "2003-05-12T18:28:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gazelle \* > **Yer from 'Sconie, right, Spiff?** Bingo! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/20 "2003-05-12T18:45:29Z")
“As per” used just about anywhere, as in “As per our conversation”. Or even the shortened version of “per our conversation”. Grrrrrrr. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637.md?page=2)