# Oft-used phrases/sayings you hate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758 "2002-12-30T22:07:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/1 "2002-12-30T22:07:13Z")
**"Curiosity killed the cat."** Never mind that just about _everything_ that has _ever_ happened in the history of this species has been a result of curiosity and the action it inspires. **"The customer is always right."** Yes, keep the customers happy, it’s good business sense. Beyond that, it’s basically some jerk wanting stuff s/he doesn’t deserve. Your turn now. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/2 "2002-12-30T22:12:55Z")
**It’s the exception that proves the rule.** Um, no, it doesn’t. It _dis_proves the rule. ---
**Author:** ![ffabris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a87d85/32.png) [@ffabris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ffabris)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/3 "2002-12-30T22:52:34Z")
**Last but not least.** Has always seemed so trite to me, condescending even. **Because I said so!** Not one my parents ever used on me, thankfully, but I’ve heard it so many times when people are unable/unwilling to explain something that it drives me up the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/4 "2002-12-30T22:57:43Z")
**…so that we are all on the same page…** ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/5 "2002-12-30T23:00:30Z")
“I mean, it’s ridiculous.” [/grits teeth] ---
**Author:** ![Sinshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sinshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinshine)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/6 "2002-12-30T23:08:20Z")
“with all due respect…” …I have no respect for your thoughts or feelings which I am about to annihilate with my following comments… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/7 "2002-12-30T23:13:03Z")
In my early years of my career I had a co-worker who used the phrase “The whole nine yards.” It was very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/8 "2002-12-30T23:16:49Z")
“Not to offend you, but…” is always followed by something that is both unnecessary and hideously offensive. ---
**Author:** ![nitek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@nitek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitek)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/9 "2002-12-30T23:19:41Z")
**"Believe you me…"** Does this make sense to anyone? **"I could care less."** If you could care less that means you care. I know it’s not really a saying but I hate it when people say **“How’s it going?”** while they’re walking by and there’s no way they could actually hear your reply. ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/10 "2002-12-30T23:36:32Z")
“Been there, done that.” Just grates on me. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/11 "2002-12-30T23:53:15Z")
**my bad** should be prosecutable My current fave is **wassup dog?** oh, and **vis a vis** :mad: ---
**Author:** ![hobbes730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/97f17d/32.png) [@hobbes730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobbes730)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/12 "2002-12-31T01:35:09Z")
“Irregardless…” AHHHH! ---
**Author:** ![Slainte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/13 "2002-12-31T01:39:50Z")
“I could care less.” and “Irregardless…” 🙂 Both sayings that I hate & both already mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/14 "2002-12-31T01:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\ ***It’s the exception that proves the rule.** > Um, no, it doesn’t. It _dis_proves the rule. \*\* Does it always? Ever seen those street signs that say something like “Parking on street between 4-6pm only”? Isn’t that an exception that proves the “No Parking” rule the rest of the time? I have no opinion on this saying, its just always amused me for some reason. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/15 "2002-12-31T01:53:34Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s the exception that proves the rule. > Um, no, it doesn’t. It disproves the rule. Wow, Cecil already had an column on this [here.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_201.html) Someone had wrote in with an example similar to mine. Groovy. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/16 "2002-12-31T02:35:12Z")
I used to work for a company where everybody was expected to be **proactive**. **Reactive** was bad. **Proactive** was good. Eventually these two words were used synonymously with good and bad. Then we got **circles of concern** and **circles of influence**. I got so sick and tired of hearing about everybody and their goddamn **circles**. Thanks a lot, Stephen R. Covey. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/17 "2002-12-31T02:37:59Z")
Oh, and after my father-in-law has eaten something, he’s \*\*“et” \*\* it. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/18 "2002-12-31T03:42:03Z")
\*\*blah, blah, blah \*\* \*\*Whatever \*\* \*\*yadda, yadda, yadda \*\* (and for Cranky’s nerves, I’ll throw in ) **Wah La** …Heh…I mean _Viola!_\* ---
**Author:** ![Swinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Swinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swinger)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/19 "2002-12-31T03:50:11Z")
To “touch base with” someone, meaning to ask someone about the status of something. To “shoulder-tap” someone, meaning to remind someone about something. Good lord, these both annoy the hell out of me. And of course, the sickening overuse of “dog” (dawg? who knows), esp. by suburban white children. Though I guess that’s a word, not a phrase. ---
**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758/20 "2002-12-31T03:59:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by japatlgt \* > \*\ ***my bad** should be prosecutable > > \*\* Thank You!! I HATE that one. It sounds so stupid. Another I hate is “…hit the ground running”. As a soldier, I heard thsi all the time. OMG it got so old. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oft-used-phrases-sayings-you-hate/145758.md?page=2)