# Phrases/terms that aggravate the hell out of you **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 26, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894 "2020-10-26T02:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 38
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/742 "2021-01-20T18:10:56Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think the difference is that, in “historic,” the first syllable is unaccented. I think the real difference is that some people have become accustomed to hearing politicians say “an historic” but not “an history.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/743 "2021-01-20T18:12:14Z")
> [@Steve\_McQwark](#): > > That’s two whole words that can be omitted. You can have my lazy speech patterns when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers. Which, given that I’m just as lazy when it comes to exercising as I am with my speaking, means you probably won’t have to wait that long. If it’s just the counting of words that matters, you can say “It needs washing.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/744 "2021-01-20T21:25:02Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > If it’s just the counting of words that matters… “Dirty.” ---
**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:** [January 20, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/745 "2021-01-20T21:49:22Z")
I swear I just heard someone say “an heinous crime” (pronounced “an anus crime”) on Fox News. Cringe. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlax/32/2927_2.png) [@Scarlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlax)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/746 "2021-01-20T21:51:21Z")
Yea that should be “an heinal crime” ---
**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:** [January 20, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/747 "2021-01-20T22:41:31Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think the difference is that, in “historic,” the first syllable is unaccented. This, according to one of my HS English teachers. “An historic,” but “a history.” ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/748 "2021-01-20T23:08:52Z")
When I’m God Emperor of the World high school English teachers will be first against the wall. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/749 "2021-01-20T23:39:07Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > “An historic,” but “a history.” Because the Brits aspirate the ‘haitch’ of _history_ more than _'istoric…_ ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/750 "2021-01-21T01:06:08Z")
I know the “This is how you \< noun \>” thing has already been covered, but I just got reaggravated by an IHOP ad telling me “This is how you pancake”. Shut up shut up shut up. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/751 "2021-01-21T01:22:48Z")
More like “This is how you persuade me to never spend a dollar in your store.” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/752 "2021-01-21T05:42:13Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > I just got reaggravated by an IHOP ad telling me “This is how you pancake” I have seen/heard “pancake” used as a verb, almost exclusively past tense, but it is wholly unrelated to cuisine, more to things like aviation and motor sports. ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/753 "2021-01-21T06:36:04Z")
If I schedule a meeting for 2pm and someone says “Can we push the meeting up an hour?” is there a standard definition for whether this means 1pm or 3pm? Different people seem to mean different things. And no one realizes that it’s ambiguous. To me, “push” sounds like moving it farther away whereas “up” could be viewed as, but certainly doesn’t imply, moving it closer to the top of a to-do list. I no longer try to figure it out from context; when I hear “meeting” and “push” I ask: “Do you mean an hour earlier or an hour later?” ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/754 "2021-01-21T06:39:26Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > > [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > > > I just got reaggravated by an IHOP ad telling me “This is how you pancake” > > I have seen/heard “pancake” used as a verb, almost exclusively past tense, but it is wholly unrelated to cuisine, more to things like aviation and motor sports. Yeah, and pancaking is never, ever a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/755 "2021-01-21T12:44:56Z")
Some days you’re the pancake; some days you’re the grill. And on alternate Thursdays you can be the turner. 😉 ---
**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:** [January 22, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/756 "2021-01-22T00:55:13Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I have seen/heard “pancake” used as a verb, almost exclusively past tense, but it is wholly unrelated to cuisine, more to things like aviation and motor sports. And collapsed parking garages. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/757 "2021-01-22T04:35:51Z")
“bro” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/758 "2021-01-22T05:55:03Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > If I schedule a meeting for 2pm and someone says “Can we push the meeting up an hour?” is there a standard definition for whether this means 1pm or 3pm? Different people seem to mean different things. And no one realizes that it’s ambiguous. I don’t think I’ve heard “push”, it’s usually “move it up an hour”. I think to most people that would mean make it an hour earlier, but I agree it’s annoyingly subject to misinterpretation. So I prefer to say something like “can we make it an hour earlier, and start at 1:00” or words to that effect. No pushing up, falling down, or any other gymnastics involved! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/759 "2021-01-22T12:12:20Z")
If somebody told me they wanted to “push a meeting up” I’d have two conflicting thoughts: 1. They want to invite the boss of whoever was chairing the meeting. 2. They want it held in a conference room on the next higher floor in our building. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/760 "2021-01-22T14:41:02Z")
I’m really tired of how the perfectly useful word “narrative” has (a) become wildly overused and (b) come to mean “bullshit story.” **Ascenray** mentioned the overuse of the word way back in post 239, but I don’t think he/she pointed out the re-definition of the word. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/761 "2021-01-22T16:34:56Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > If I schedule a meeting for 2pm and someone says “Can we push the meeting up an hour?” This is not really aggravating, but I work with a lot of people from India, and their word for moving a meeting earlier is “prepone.” I’ve pointed out to several of them that it makes sense, and I sort of like it, but it’s not standard in US English, and they’re always surprised to find that out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894.md?page=39)