# Most hated idioms **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2011, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875 "2011-10-07T07:01:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![truthbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@truthbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthbot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/141 "2011-10-21T00:17:08Z")
“Grow a pair” Boobs are a “pair”, and if we let the menfolk grow 'em they’d never leave the house; rendering them useless as hunter-gatherers. I like Betty White’s take on it: Grow a vagina cause those things can take a beating! ---
**Author:** ![RedBloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedBloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedBloom)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/142 "2011-10-21T13:10:42Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > But how do you sign your emails? I sign most of my business ones ‘All the best’ - I’m in a field where ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours truly’ would make me sound like a weirdo. And ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours truly’ would be phony too, seeing as I’m never that person’s and sometimes I’m not even sincere. And leaving off the tag altogether feels brusque and rude. > > Do you just mean the auto-signatures bug you? How can you tell an auto-sig from me manually typing in ‘All the best’? This mostly bothers me because a guy I work with has an automatic signature that has one of those four robotic sign-offs for EVERY. SINGLE. EMAIL. He’s very stuffy and formal and it comes across as him trying to appear like a polite turn of the century gentleman. I like sign-offs that are more casual I suppose (and less phony/rote)… “Thank you”, “Take care”, “Talk soon”, etc. Even “sincerely” sounds better than anything ending with “Regards”. To be honest, it’s more of a beef with this particular person I know than email sign-offs in general. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/143 "2011-10-21T13:22:44Z")
“As a (parent, teacher, trash collector)” is grating. “At this or that time” is annoying too. At this time = now and at that time = then. Now and then are perfectly good words that shouldn’t be abandoned. I loathe the use of feel meaning think and share meaning tell or speak. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/144 "2011-10-21T14:06:04Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > And while I’m in here: ‘gift’ when you mean ‘give’. I’m sure there are some contexts where it’s helpful to use ‘gift’ as a verb, for clarity, even if it’s hideous, but the rest of the time ‘I gifted it to Tom!’ makes you sound like some terrible perky robohousewife created on a conveyor belt by a huge sinister corporation in order to keep their workers both satisfied and surveilled at all times. > > GAVE. You GAVE it to Tom. Yes. Yes yes yes times yes to the power of yes. Cubed. It’s like a nailfile in the ear every time I hear it. Alas, the Season of Conspicuous Consumption will be upon us in another month, with its neverending commercials for “perfect for gifting” gifts for “all your gifting needs” when they’re not trying to convince me that the perfect thing to gift your loved ones is a luxury automobile. For some reason, every time I’ve tried to type “gift” in this post, my fingers keep wanting to spell it “fight.” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/145 "2011-10-21T14:19:55Z")
> [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](#): > > I agree completely. The use of baby-talk or overly childish pronunciations of simple words is maddening to me. The one that always bothers me the most is “sammich” instead of “sandwich”. Where did this come from and how can I make it go back there? Or even worse, “sammy.” Also “nanner” for banana, if you’re over the age of 5. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/146 "2011-10-21T15:46:11Z")
It drives me insane when people refer to children’s ages in “months” after the kid has turned a year old. “28 months?” WTF? The kid is TWO!! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/147 "2011-10-21T19:15:12Z")
> [@ugly ripe tomato](#): > > “You know what I’m sayin’?” > > Yeah, since you’re speaking English and I understand English, I do know what you’re sayin’. You don’t have to make sure of the fact every frikkin’ sentence. > > Last night on the news they were talking to a guy on trial for a Very Bad Thing and he must have said that six times during a 30-second sound bite. I hope he gets convicted just for that :mad: Gnome Sane? ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/148 "2011-10-21T22:37:54Z")
Any phrase followed by “just sayin’” is juvenile and/or insulting. Just sayin’. In what universe is cliché an adjective? And things don’t “orientate.” And “the blame game” is also a particularly overused phrase. How cliché. ---
**Author:** ![Sami41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@Sami41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sami41)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/149 "2011-10-22T00:12:43Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > I’ve noticed people in interviews (athletes mainly, but not exclusively) start answering with “I mean…” as in: > > Q: Talbot, when did you first notice you were about to win the game? > A: I mean, we had good players on the field… > > That’s not as grating as my other examples, but it’s growing, because in my mind, it’s nonsense to start a sentence with a clarifying phrase like that. It’d make more sense if he used “I mean” to begin a second sentence, but not the first. I couldn’t agree more. And it seems to me to be getting more prevalent, or maybe I’m just hyper-sensitive to it. Either way, it’s making SportsCenter hard to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/150 "2011-10-22T08:26:58Z")
Anywho always makes me embarrassed for the person who uses it. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/151 "2011-10-22T13:10:41Z")
I cannot stand, “What can I do ya for?” It makes me want to punch them in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/152 "2011-10-22T13:43:01Z")
> [@YoSaffBridge](#): > > I cannot stand, “What can I do ya for?” > It makes me want to punch them in the face. That’s like the old, “Ya workin’ hard, or hardly workin’?! HAW! HAW! HAW!” Which, fortunately for us all, seems to be on the road to extinction, if it’s not completely gone. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/153 "2011-10-22T14:31:09Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > And things don’t “orientate.” > **[Definition of ORIENTATE](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orientate)** > > to face or turn to the east; orient… See the full definition Read the comments at the bottom. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/154 "2011-10-22T18:25:58Z")
“Exsqueeze me?” ---
**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:** [October 22, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/155 "2011-10-22T18:55:42Z")
RIP for “Rest in Peace.” Reminds me of a Halloween decoration, not a statement of respect for the deceased. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/156 "2011-10-22T19:02:13Z")
My grandfather used to say “raining pitchforks and hammer handles.” The one I can’t stand is “assume makes an ass out of you (u) and me.” ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/157 "2011-10-22T19:25:28Z")
The one I hate is “Bless your heart”. Look, if you think I’m an asshole at least have the guts to call me one to my face rather than hide behind smarmy, passive-aggressive bullshit like “Bless your heart”. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/158 "2011-10-23T10:36:22Z")
> [@George\_Kaplin](#): > > The one I hate is “Bless your heart”. Look, if you think I’m an asshole at least have the guts to call me one to my face rather than hide behind smarmy, passive-aggressive bullshit like “Bless your heart”. Well ‘Bless your heart’. I would, but that means that I would have to start a thread in the Pit. Just sayin’… 😛 _ **D&R** _ ---
**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:** [October 23, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/159 "2011-10-23T17:06:12Z")
“Case the joint.” ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875/160 "2011-10-23T18:24:57Z")
> [@pohjonen](#): > > And things don’t “orientate.” AFAIK orientate is the more common term in Ireland and the UK. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-hated-idioms/598875.md?page=9)