# Lazy English and stupid cliched phrases people use without thinking. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 4, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290 "2003-07-04T20:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/21 "2003-07-05T14:49:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Not quite on target, but I hate when people say, “I could care less”. It’s “I COULDN’T care less”, you oaf! But “I _could_ care less” carries a slightly different meaning. It’s not as severe, suggesting – how should I say? – passive disinterest as opposed to aggressive apathy. It’s as if it’s short for, “I _could_ care less, but I have no particular interest in this . . .” ---
**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:** [July 5, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/22 "2003-07-05T15:00:32Z")
“Speech today consists less and less of words chosen for their meanings, and more and more of phrases tacked together like sections of a prefabricated henhouse…” George Orwell, filtered through my memory. I may have the phrasing wrong. I’ve got too many hated phrases to write, and not enough time. Carry on, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/23 "2003-07-05T15:05:21Z")
‘breaking the silence’ really irks me. Also, I don’t have a precise phrase for this, but the concept that _everyone_ who dies in a tragedy (i.e., a plane crash, a fire, etc) was a wonderful person. Just once, I want to see someone say, “Yeah, well, Uncle Joe was a real asshole, so we weren’t really sorry that his plane went down.” ---
**Author:** ![rhysean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@rhysean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhysean)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/24 "2003-07-05T15:10:30Z")
Office buzzwords… - on a daily basis (just daily would be fine) - from my perspective (and what other perspective would you be talking about?) - liaising with clients - economies of scale - enhanced synergies - paradigm ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/25 "2003-07-05T15:42:26Z")
- **Proctive**? - **Near-miss** , a collision is a near-miss (they almost missed each other), and a close call is a near-hit (they almost hit each other). ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/26 "2003-07-05T15:44:06Z")
Ughh… …active ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/27 "2003-07-05T16:44:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by VarlosZ \* > \*\*But “I _could_ care less” carries a slightly different meaning. It’s not as severe, suggesting – how should I say? – passive disinterest as opposed to aggressive apathy. It’s as if it’s short for, “I _could_ care less, but I have no particular interest in this . . .” \*\* [ul]😃 [sup] **Nice piece of rationalization, senor.** [/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/28 "2003-07-05T17:01:37Z")
First of all, … On the other hand, … ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/29 "2003-07-05T18:30:04Z")
Well, this is both lazy English _and_ an oft-used set of phrases. The trouble is, many people (including me) have trouble eliminating this from their speech. It’s just just cliche, it’s habit. _all of a sudden_. All of a sudden, I dropped my pie. _whole nother_. The waitress had to bring me a whole nother slice. _exact same_. The next slice of pie was the exact same kind. FISH ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/30 "2003-07-05T20:05:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rhysean \* > \*\*Office buzzwords… > > - on a daily basis (just daily would be fine) > - from my perspective (and what other perspective would you be talking about?) > - liaising with clients > - economies of scale > - enhanced synergies > - paradigm \*\* Don’t forget “going forward”. Perfectly vacuous: “What we are going to do, going forward, is …” . Blecch ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/31 "2003-07-05T20:12:30Z")
The phrase “Catch 22”. It’s hardly ever used correctly. V ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/32 "2003-07-05T20:48:28Z")
The word “hero” and its definition have become largely meaningless. Seems like any dipstick who can fog a mirror can be a hero for doing pretty much nothing. Raging inferno The American people Compassionate conservatives (or would that be an oxymoron?) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/33 "2003-07-05T21:13:40Z")
Once upon a time… At this point in time… Having said that… Just to reiterate… Now back to you… (TV/radio only) We’ll be right back… (TV/radio translation: Go take a shower, wash your car, fix dinner, take a nap, no matter, it’s going to be a damn long time) ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/34 "2003-07-05T21:21:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissla Lissar \* > \*\*“Speech today consists less and less of words chosen for their meanings, and more and more of phrases tacked together like sections of a prefabricated henhouse…” > > George Orwell, filtered through my memory. I may have the phrasing wrong. I’ve got too many hated phrases to write, and not enough time. Carry on, everyone. \*\* Yes! Yes! Yes! This is exactly what I am talking about. What is the name of that essay? ---
**Author:** ![ghostrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58f4c7/32.png) [@ghostrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghostrider)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/35 "2003-07-05T21:53:40Z")
When I was in the corporate world (that ended about a year ago), “thinking outside the box” was just starting to lose its hipness, & was in the process of being replaced by “thinking outside the nine dots.” I was always ready & willing to strangle anyone who used either phrase with a straight face. ---
**Author:** ![ghostrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58f4c7/32.png) [@ghostrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghostrider)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/36 "2003-07-05T21:59:42Z")
Oh yes, and there were still a few who were fond of “pushing the envelope.” But you knew they’d already lost their edge & their careers were doomed. Some newer cliches from certain DVD ads I’ve seen _ad nauseam_ - (sorry if that’s a cliche!) - “fully loaded” and “tricked out.” WTH do those things mean anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/37 "2003-07-05T22:35:28Z")
Whenever “high ranking officials” make “new allegations” about one another, the former communications majors on the TV news inevitably describe it as a “war of words.” I usually end up screaming my own “strong words” at TV newscasts, the watching of which “intensifies” my already near-Olympian misanthropy. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/38 "2003-07-05T22:44:25Z")
My all time favorite things I’m sick of hearing is “smart.” In the corporate world, and perhaps **ghostrider** can back me up on this, when a person or an organization is called “smart,” what the speaker really means is that, for whatever reason, we are completely committed to the person or org. In my nastier moods, I like to ask questions like, “When did you first notice that Biff was smart - what did he do to catch your eye?” No one has ever been able to answer this question. Although I did earn some black marks for asking. But… What’s wrong with the term “full-blown AIDS” ? A couple of my best friends are HIV positive, and you can bet it would make a huge difference to me if they went from HIV-infection to full-blown AIDS. “Fully loaded” means with every possible option. It’s a bit of a legal tangle if a car dealership advertises a “fully loaded” model X for Y price, but isn’t including the whole enchilada option package in that advertised price. I’m not sure how that phrase or “tricked out” would apply to a DVD. Perhaps the popularity of Grand Theft Auto has convinced the game and DVD marketing world that gearhead lingo has, as they say in Hollywood, juice. If I hear the phrase “Arab street” one more time, I will shoot myself in the head. It wouldn’t be so bad if there was any reason to believe the reporters and analysts who use the phrase had a reasonable, comprehensive view of what the average Arab was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/39 "2003-07-05T23:59:22Z")
“For all intents and purposes” Mostly because people mess up saying it and it comes out garbled into something like “for all intensive purposes”. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/40 "2003-07-06T00:50:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\*But there are plenty of instances where hard work accomplished jack squat! And other instances where goofing off and doing a half-assed job paid off through sheer luck. \*\* I have a hunch that “hard work gets nothing” and “sheer luck saves the day” wouldn’t have been forbidden, but the events attached to the former weren’t typically newsworthy and we were too polite to speculate on the latter. In print, at least. It’s a shame. I would have dearly loved to headline a story “Endless hard work gets football team jack squat.” “Full-blown AIDS” strikes me as redundant (isn’t AIDS full-blown AIDS by definition?) but its useful in distinguishing HIV from AIDS. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290.md?page=3)