# Irritating typographical clichés of our time. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204 "2008-04-28T12:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/1 "2008-04-28T12:31:01Z")
Have **you** noticed? Spaces **between** words **are** apparently **so** passé. It’s **oh** so **trendy** to **just** use **a** mixture **of** bold **and** roman **fonts** instead. Every **single** goddamn **movie** poster **and** magazine **cover** is **at** it. [You **know**](http://thecia.com.au/reviews/g/images/good-luck-chuck-poster-3.jpg)exactly[**what** I **mean**](http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/89/184389.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/2 "2008-04-28T12:41:47Z")
Numb3rs Se7en Unan1mous ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/3 "2008-04-28T12:49:34Z")
CamelCaps, although they’re a bit early-2000s. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/4 "2008-04-28T13:20:40Z")
You mean like TelePrompTer? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/5 "2008-04-28T14:59:52Z")
teh DIE, teh, DIE!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/6 "2008-04-28T15:26:37Z")
Text on a dark background with multiple overlapping faint/transparent versions of the same text behind, in assorted sizes, shades and fonts. Is that the [best](http://www.atomicshrimp.com/stuff/dull.png) you can do? ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/7 "2008-04-29T00:14:17Z")
[QUOTE=The Them] teh DIE, teh, DIE!!! [/QUOTE] It’s German… for ‘the teh, the!’. Which is the only kind of post I’d expect from someone with your user-name. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/8 "2008-04-29T01:01:43Z")
Text that’s placed randomly around a setting but meant to be read in a string altogether. I actually like it but it needs to have a visual flow that works. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/9 "2008-04-29T01:03:10Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] You mean like TelePrompTer? [/QUOTE] [Catherine TelePrompTer?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun%2C_with_Occasional_Music) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/10 "2008-04-29T01:25:15Z")
I know I’m fifteen or so years late for this, but that thing where some words were tipped up o their ends (U2 used to do it quite a bit) and otheres weren’t… eugh… that couldn’t have died quickly enough. My current pet hate is companies neddlessly adding .com to their name on the sides of trucks and the like. Unless you are a purely internet-based business (and even then), KNOCK IT OF ALREADY. It looks really 1996. It’s 2008 ferchrissakes and you are a company - we _know_ you’re going to be on the internet, and we know how to find it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/11 "2008-04-29T03:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=Nancarrow] It’s German… for ‘the teh, the!’. Which is the only kind of post I’d expect from someone with your user-name. [/QUOTE] Plagiarist! (Simpsons) ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/12 "2008-04-29T03:20:11Z")
When iMacs and iPods became popular, there rose a horde of companies anxious to profit by making accessories for the two, and it seems almost ALL of them threw an “i” in front of their name. It was annoying and stupid, and I deliberately bought my accessories and peripherals from companies whose name didn’t irk me, like Kensington and Logitech. Also, Comic Sans. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/13 "2008-04-29T03:20:45Z")
Alright. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/14 "2008-04-29T04:03:06Z")
[QUOTE=Huerta88] Alright. [/QUOTE] Not exactly just a cliche of our time. The OED gives examples going back to the late 19th century, and in 1926 Fowler’s _Modern English Usage_ noted that it was “often seen.” ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/15 "2008-04-29T04:12:55Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Not exactly just a cliche of our time. The OED gives examples going back to the late 19th century, and in 1926 Fowler’s _Modern English Usage_ noted that it was “often seen.” [/QUOTE] But – a cliche that persists and subsists **in** our time and hence a worthy object of my contempt? I stand by that, but you just taught me something, so thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/16 "2008-04-29T04:19:36Z")
**Too much Papyrus** , in [boardgames](http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/21635). **Papyrus, The Font That Jesus Used** , in the [movies](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f2_ZWT6Ly0). ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/17 "2008-04-29T04:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=AudreyK] When iMacs and iPods became popular, there rose a horde of companies anxious to profit by making accessories for the two, and it seems almost ALL of them threw an “i” in front of their name. It was annoying and stupid, and I deliberately bought my accessories and peripherals from companies whose name didn’t irk me, like Kensington and Logitech. Also, Comic Sans. [/QUOTE] There’s been a hotel around here called “[e.com](http://e.com) Lodge” for a while now… curiously close to “Webpage Farms”, whose website I’ve never been able to locate. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/18 "2008-04-29T04:53:13Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] **Too much Papyrus** , in [boardgames](http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/21635). **Papyrus, The Font That Jesus Used** , in the [movies](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f2_ZWT6Ly0). [/QUOTE] I’ve noticed this one. The first instance I saw was on the _Crocodile Hunter_ movie. ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/19 "2008-04-29T05:30:26Z")
I just talked about it in another thread, but then I remember this thread and had to come back here to comment on it. The usage of “pwn” and, quite frankly, the terminology that it originated from, “to own” somebody. :smack: It was bad enough in typographic form, but the fact that people verbalize it now really grinds my gears. \ ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204/20 "2008-04-29T07:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=AudreyK] When iMacs and iPods became popular, there rose a horde of companies anxious to profit by making accessories for the two, and it seems almost ALL of them threw an “i” in front of their name. It was annoying and stupid, and I deliberately bought my accessories and peripherals from companies whose name didn’t irk me, like Kensington and Logitech. [/QUOTE] And in relation to this: ALL companies that insist that their company or product name (a proper noun, let me remind you) begins with a lower-case letter. wHY, wHY, wHY?! If they prefer it that way in the logo, fine – I won’t complain. But in body copy? Aargh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-typographical-cliches-of-our-time/447204.md?page=2)