# 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:** 2
**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, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/21 "2003-05-12T18:53:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Padeye \* > \*\*People who obsess about poor grammar and spelling from others. \*\* I don’t obsess… anymore. The Internet cured me years ago. I wouldn’t have many online friends if I shunned everyone who misspelled or misgrammartazized. Uhsides, I do it my own self (sometimes on purpose). Sorry if we offended, dearest **Padeye**. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/22 "2003-05-12T19:00:46Z")
Written form only, thank goodness, the misuse of “phase” for “faze” as in: “It didn’t phase him when \” or “I wasn’t phased by \” ArRgh. [phase](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=phase) [faze](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=faze) I don’t think it’d bug me so much if I ever saw “faze” used correctly. I see “phase” in magazines, newspapers, personal correspondence. An English teacher friend of mine uses “phase” all the time. She only half-believed me when I pointed out that it was a different word. People actually manage to use “its” and “it’s” correctly occasionally; why does “faze” seem to faze everybody? ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/23 "2003-05-12T19:19:31Z")
“Anyhoo” “Till” instead of “until” (I can tolerate “'til”, however) “I could care less” (when most people actually mean they _couldn’t_ care less) Adjectives which can only be absolute, i.e. can not be expressed in degrees. Examples: “That’s quite unique.” “I’m a little broke.” “Expecially” instead of “especially” “Excape” vs. “escape” also comes to mind. There/there/they’re confusion. Your/you’re confusion Who/whom confusion Less/fewer confusion ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/24 "2003-05-12T19:22:25Z")
Posting this again with correction thanks to Guadere’s Law. :rolleyes: “Anyhoo” “Till” instead of “until” (I can tolerate “'til”, however) “I could care less” (when most people actually mean they _couldn’t_ care less) Adjectives which can only be absolute, i.e. can not be expressed in degrees. Examples: “That’s quite unique.” “I’m a little broke.” “Expecially” instead of “especially” “Excape” vs. “escape” also comes to mind. There/their/they’re confusion. Your/you’re confusion Who/whom confusion Less/fewer confusion ---
**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, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/25 "2003-05-12T19:41:02Z")
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard grown adults say “He drownded in the pond,” etc. How hard is it to say “drowned”? Why all the extra d’s and past tenses? And about the vicarious thing: I think instead of saying “I lived vicariously through John as he danced,” one might say “While watching John, I experienced the vicarious joy of dancing.” Or whatever. Vicarious already has in its meaning the assumption that something is being experienced indirectly, so to use “vicariously through” is like saying “Through John I lived through John while he danced.” I don’t know. I’m probably wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/26 "2003-05-12T19:58:44Z")
Many of the examples given here show an intolerance for perfectly crommulent words and phrases. For me, it’s interesting to learn that some people drink out of bubblers. Adds a little flavour and colour to the big wide world. When someone says, “Well smack my mouth!” I don’t assume they are hoping for a sock in the kisser. In the last couple of weeks, a WSJ article discussed the use of “Shut up!” as an all purpose exclamation. Less friendly than the old southern expression “Get out!” Though not without its own frisky charm. However, I’m with richw211 and dwc1970 on people who use the wrong word. There is no such thing as a “moot point” and using less when one means fewer makes is imprecise and therefore confusing. Words such as numerous and many also irk me. Why not provide a number or range? (I promise you all that I will never, ever, not in a million billion years use vague terms like numerous and often in a use case or process doc.) On the SDMB, I go crazy, crazy like a rabid bat, when someone ignores or is too dull to understand pervious posts because they’re in such a hurry to run they mouth. If someone posts a question about something that happens at a certain club every Tuesday night, and someone replies, “I was at the very same club last Wednesday and no such thing happened,” well, then, I just want to stab myself in the eye. Why worry about figures of speech, colloquialisms, and poetic devices? These things make language fun. For me, things are irksome when people can’t or don’t think and pay attention to the topic at hand. (Hee hee - here I am NOT paying attention to the phrases-that-bug-you topic at hand.) ---
**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, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/27 "2003-05-12T20:00:57Z")
Spiff! I grew up in Milwaukee and drank from bubblers often. When I moved here (ND) NOBODY knew what I was looking for when I asked for it. I had to say, “The thing with a button that prodeces water.” Oh, thought of another: Exetera instead of etcetera, then confuse it with et al. and people that confuse i.e. with e.g. ---
**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, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/28 "2003-05-12T20:28:14Z")
I noticed that the popular children’s show _Rugrats_ has been on since 1991. A trademark of the show is when the babies mistakenly use the wrong words/make up words, (for example, “It’s losted!” or “We’re all gonna be astrobats in outside space!”) I also notice that a lot of kids who watch this show or have grown up watching it make similar grammar mistakes without even realizing it. Could the “cutesy grammar” of _Rugrats_ actually be contributing to some kids’ inability to grasp English? ---
**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, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/29 "2003-05-12T21:11:13Z")
My daughter grew up in the Pacific Northwest so I accept that she says _pop_ instead of _soda_ and thinks that Round Table makes decent pizza. But when she tells me she did something _on accident_, I can’t help but respond with a shriek. And I would rather her use every inventive invective in the Pit than a double negative. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/30 "2003-05-12T21:23:52Z")
Redundant abbreviations, such as: ATM machine PIN number ABS brakes ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/31 "2003-05-12T21:26:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vixenation \* > \*\*…Could the “cutesy grammar” of _Rugrats_ actually be contributing to some kids’ inability to grasp English? \*\* As Bob is my witless, I have to agree with that. (However, I still enjoy the show.) ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/32 "2003-05-12T21:32:31Z")
Yous guys have bubblers in Milwaukee? I thought it was a Boston thing. My additions are “yous guys” and people who put punctuation on the wrong side of quotes. And people who start sentences with conjunctions. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/33 "2003-05-12T21:37:16Z")
“A good time was had by all.” I deleted no fewer than half a dozen of these little bastards when I was an editor for my high school yearbook. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/34 "2003-05-12T21:50:56Z")
“Could have did,” “should have went,” etc. Spelling \*light, right, and night[i/] as _lite, rite, and nite_. ---
**Author:** ![zorch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/50afbb/32.png) [@zorch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zorch)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/35 "2003-05-12T22:51:39Z")
To understand the difference between ‘eg.’ and ‘i.e.’, I tell myself that if it says, ‘eg’ it means there will be an ‘eggsample,’(example) and if it’s ‘i.e.’ it means ‘in other words.’ ---
**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, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/36 "2003-05-12T22:53:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qazzz \* > \*\*I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard grown adults say “He drownded in the pond,” etc. How hard is it to say “drowned”? Why all the extra d’s and past tenses? > > Oh, my, yes! I hate hate hate this. > > And about the vicarious thing: I think instead of saying “I lived vicariously through John as he danced,” one might say “While watching John, I experienced the vicarious joy of dancing.” Or whatever. Vicarious already has in its meaning the assumption that something is being experienced indirectly, so to use “vicariously through” is like saying “Through John I lived through John while he danced.” I don’t know. I’m probably wrong. 🙂 \*\* Thank you for the explanation! I would hate to continue being repetetively redundant. Although, apparently, some people could care fewer… ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/37 "2003-05-13T01:45:13Z")
_Might could_, as in “I might could repair it if I had the right parts.” Also, _fixing to_, as in “I’m fixing to drive downtown.” Really? What exactly are you fixing? Stupid South. . . . ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/38 "2003-05-13T02:59:46Z")
People can’t seem to understand that the words “coincidence” and “ironic” are not synonyms. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/39 "2003-05-13T03:08:26Z")
jerry-rigged (it’s jury-rigged or jerry-built) mute point different than (from, from, from) “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less” (how can so many people get this wrong? Just think about what the words mean). the next ones may be Americanisms because I only noticed them after moving here: a criteria a bacteria a phenomena ---
**Author:** ![Aranea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Aranea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aranea)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637/40 "2003-05-13T03:19:25Z")
I have a friend who sprinkles the word “granted” through all her sentences. The repetitiveness would be bad enough, but she pronounces it “granite.” If I have to hear her say something like “Now, granite, he was speeding, but I don’t think he deserved a ticket,” I may have to smack her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-hampster-vein-what-phrase-grates-you/174637.md?page=3)