# More words/expressions to abolish **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274 "2012-03-09T15:13:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/82 "2012-03-15T21:16:30Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > “Educator” - Teacher is a fine and noble title/profession; educator is pretentious. _Educator_ serves a purpose to refer to those people (like coordinators, principals, etc.) who work in schools but not in the class room, or to refer to all the people involved in education collectively. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/83 "2012-03-15T21:46:24Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > This,\*\* in case you care,\*\* is just the result of a natural tendency in speech to change _n_ to _m_ before _b_ and _p_. That’s why you get words like impossible and improper rather than the more “logical” inpossible and inproper. Your [_sic_] funny. What do you think? > [@guizot](#): > > _Educator_ serves a purpose to refer to those people (like coordinators, principals, etc.) who work in schools but not in the class room, or to refer to all the people involved in education collectively. Well, people use it to refer to teachers at all levels from kindergarten through graduate school, to make them sound important and it’s pretentious. They’re already pretty danged important. As for the non-teachers, let’s just call them coordinators, principals, administrators, janitors, coaches, and whatever else they are. It reminds me of when the word secretary became something demeaning and everyone wanted to be called “administrative assistant,” or “executive assistant.” The word secretary is a perfectly dignified, descriptive job title to be proud of. (Not that there are many of them these days.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/84 "2012-03-15T21:57:21Z")
I’ve just decided that we can drop this one now: “comfortable in [my] own skin”. Seems like I’ve been hearing it a lot lately, and it’s starting to irk me. Let’s just go with plain old “comfortable”, or “at ease”. This no doubt makes me an old crank, but I dislike the term “it’s all about [whatever]”. Like “This spring, it’s all about polka dots!”. Please find and use an antecedent before you go for that pronoun action. As for the rest of the sentence, it seems like advertising copy (even aside from my example). ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/85 "2012-03-15T22:20:19Z")
“I’m not a racist, but…” can always be translated as “I am a racist, so…” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/86 "2012-03-15T22:27:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The word secretary is a perfectly dignified, descriptive job title to be proud of. (Not that there are many of them these days.) Sure there are! Cabinet secretaries, corporate secretaries, and so forth. Every nonprofit board I’ve ever worked with has a secretary. I don’t think Hillary Clinton minds being called a secretary! ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/87 "2012-03-15T22:27:58Z")
It is what it is. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/88 "2012-03-15T22:46:57Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > And since one-one answered this earlier, I’ll try one more time. > For those who don’t like, “At the end of the day.” And I’m also guessing the older phrase, “When it’s all said and done.” What should be said instead? It’s not so much that the phrase itself is bad, just that it can be irritatingly used too much. It is the equivalent of “The bottom line”. I hear it a lot in reference to getting things done - what they really want to say is “At the end of the day, I need you to get this done **my** way.” Maybe what’s annoying about it is not what is said, but what is inferred. I think that may be the case for some of the sayings and words listed in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/89 "2012-03-15T22:50:56Z")
What I would like to see is an “English English” version of these words and phrases ala Austin Powers. Any UK dopers to help us out here on this side of the pond? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/90 "2012-03-15T23:00:03Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > “Pre-planning”. All planning is “pre-” by definition. > > Putting “pre-” in front of words ending in “-ed”. The “-ed” says it’s been done- the “pre-” is redundant. > > To all those who shall say it’s O.K. since “it’s for emphasis”, I’ll accept that when you accept double and triple negatives as proper speech. Not always irrelevant with a past-tense verb. In my business (as in others, I suspect) it makes a difference if something was pre-paid or paid from an invoice. Just sayin’. There is a current fad around here, mostly said by men so I suspect it came either from sports or from a very stupid man-movie, which is to say “Whaaaaat?” in kind of a high squeaky voice with a rising inflection, in response to some item of news. It would fill me with warm, gooey goodness never to hear that particular inflection again. Ever. Thanks for your consideration. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/91 "2012-03-15T23:14:29Z")
Here’s another one I can really do without: butthurt What does this even mean, other than hurt feelings? As in spanked? As in anally raped? Just don’t use it. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/92 "2012-03-15T23:29:06Z")
“Basically” There is no longer any legitimate use for this word. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/93 "2012-03-15T23:29:27Z")
Where the hell did that idiot expression come from? Where else \*would \*you throw up? Your elbow? Someone _else’s_ mouth? \*God \*I hate that stupid expression. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/94 "2012-03-16T00:21:26Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > It’s not so much that the phrase itself is bad, just that it can be irritatingly used too much. It is the equivalent of “The bottom line”. I hear it a lot in reference to getting things done - what they really want to say is “At the end of the day, I need you to get this done **my** way.” Maybe what’s annoying about it is not what is said, but what is inferred. I think that may be the case for some of the sayings and words listed in this thread. Whenever I’ve heard the phrase all I get out of is that they mean something like, “When it’s all over.” Hey, maybe saying that would be less annoying to some people. > [@Eve](#): > > **“I just threw up in my mouth.”** > > Where the hell did that idiot expression come from? Where else \*would \*you throw up? Your elbow? Someone _else’s_ mouth? > > \*God \*I hate that stupid expression. If someone just says they through up a little it brings images of someone puking into or onto something. If you say you just through up in your mouth I think it’s just a reassurance that you swallowed it back down. OK, that’s kind of gross, but then puke is kind of gross. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/95 "2012-03-16T07:42:54Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I also don’t like “circle,” as in, “let’s circle on that and come to an agreement.” … so your coworkers eat infocarrion? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/96 "2012-03-17T15:40:38Z")
I wanna hit “impactful” with a hammer. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/97 "2012-03-19T19:48:07Z")
“ **Meltdown** ” in any context other than the actual physical failure of a nuclear reactor. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/98 "2012-03-19T20:52:16Z")
“seasonally adjusted” (as in the unemployment rate-yes, the Obama administration loves that one-gotta get the “seasonally adjusted” unemployment rate below 8%! As for words that need to be re-instated: can we please use “blatherskite” more? Its a very nice word. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/99 "2012-03-19T23:36:36Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > “seasonally adjusted” But what do we replace this with? It takes a lot more words to explain a 12-month rolling average. (I use seasonally-adjusted numbers a lot in sales analysis for my store, which is in an area where sales vary dramatically from season to season.) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/100 "2012-03-20T11:29:16Z")
“Gay,” meaning stupid or lame. “Begs the question,” except in its original philosophical sense. “Occam’s razor.” It doesn’t mean the simplest explanation is the truest or most valid. It only means that’s where your inquiry should start. “Transition” as a noun. And pronunciations like "dimocrat, sinator, aginda, diminsion, etc. And putting a second “n” in “pundit.” ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274/101 "2012-03-20T12:11:04Z")
I’ll second “reach out to.” That bugs me no end. Just use “contact” or “call” or “email.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-words-expressions-to-abolish/615274.md?page=6)