# 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:** 62
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1227 "2022-10-10T18:36:25Z")
It’s always been a thing, but I’ve been reading it a lot more lately. I blame without evidence predictive text and speech-to-text. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1228 "2022-10-16T11:30:03Z")
“Learner”instead of “student.” It just sounds wrong and as if a consultant pushed the word to be used for some nebulous reason. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1229 "2022-10-16T13:20:32Z")
I know this is a function of differing educational systems and cultural/societal differences between the U.S. and the U.K., but every time I hear a British person say “school leavers,” it sounds like baby talk to me. (We would say “high school graduates” and “dropouts.” We don’t seem to need a term that encompasses both.) Same with ”cooker” instead of “stove.” ---
**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:** [October 16, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1230 "2022-10-16T13:42:17Z")
Funny, but to me, “school leaver” sounds like a euphemism for a drop-out, the opposite of a graduate. I’ve read enough British writing to get used to its actual meaning in context, but it always sounds a little off-key to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1231 "2022-10-16T14:00:55Z")
I think in the UK (maybe only England) you can leave school after year 10 or 11 with a qualification (GCSE? Used to be O-Level for Ordinary Level) or you can stick around until Year 12 or 13 for A-Levels (advanced level qualification) in one or more subjects (typically 3 or 4 for university bound students. Neither type of school leaver would be tagged with the “dropout” label. But my familiarity with the system is 35-40 years old. Much may have changed. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1232 "2022-10-16T20:33:13Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > every time I hear a British person say “school leavers,” it sounds like baby talk to me. I know what you mean. I have the same reaction to “cleaner” and “carer.” Especially, carer. Just because it’s so dang awkward to say. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1233 "2022-10-16T20:52:54Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I hear this all the time: “Where are you **at**?” Am also thinking it’s a regional thing. > > Why not ask, “Where are you?” How about, “Where you at?” ---
**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:** [October 16, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1234 "2022-10-16T21:01:18Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I know what you mean. I have the same reaction to “cleaner” and “carer.” Especially, carer. Just because it’s so dang awkward to say. Right. And not quite of the same type, but when they say “I’ve had the decorators in” when what they mean is “I hired painters.” In the United States, of all the people you might hire to work in your house, painters are at the absolute bottom of the scale—least skilled and cheapest to hire. If you hire a contractor to do work, E will not do the painting, but will throw a couple of bucks at a college student to do the painting. “Decorators” makes it sound like a skilled job. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1235 "2022-10-16T21:14:54Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > “I’ve had the decorators in” when what they mean is “I hired painters.” LOL, I was binging some UK real estate shows a while back, and “decorators” really confused me at first! ---
**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:** [October 17, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1236 "2022-10-17T14:01:52Z")
At least in the US, hiring “decorators” means overpriced self-appointed design experts able to fill your house with cheaply made expensive bric-a-brac. Choosing to say “I hired a decorator” when you really hired a painter would simply be false bragging. Like visiting McDonalds and later claiming you had a gourmet lunch. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1237 "2022-10-17T18:16:46Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Choosing to say “I hired a decorator” when you really hired a painter would simply be false bragging. Like visiting McDonalds and later claiming you had a gourmet lunch. Ehh. More like bringing McDonalds in for the office and claiming that you “catered a luncheon.” ---
**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:** [October 17, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1238 "2022-10-17T18:23:08Z")
Much better metaphor; thank you. [Aside] I just learned that if you (me really) typo “metaphor” you get “meatphor”. I’m not sure what the new word means, but it brings an involuntary smile to my face. 🙂 Maybe that newfangled Beyond Beef product is an example of a “meatphor”. [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1239 "2022-10-17T18:28:53Z")
What’s “meatphor”? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1240 "2022-10-17T18:50:34Z")
You beat it or eat it, but that’s not important now. ---
**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:** [October 18, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1241 "2022-10-18T19:43:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > What’s “meatphor”? Like I said. It was a typo I made which I thought was funny. So I shared it w y’all. You (any you) may or may not see the humor in it. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1242 "2022-10-19T17:00:51Z")
My husband says “any more” when he means “these days” (or "nowadays.) I have come to understand that it’s a regionalism, but it hurts my brain - I’m not sure why, really. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Undeposable\_Hand](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_undeposable_hand/32/8502_2.png) [@The\_Undeposable\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Undeposable_Hand)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1243 "2022-10-19T17:23:30Z")
I heard this a lot when living in West Virginia. Drove me bats. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1244 "2022-10-19T17:28:33Z")
He’s from Ohio. ---
**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:** [October 19, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1245 "2022-10-19T18:30:51Z")
> [@The\_Undeposable\_Hand](#): > > Drove me bats. Now there’s a regionalism I’ve not heard in many years. 😉 Not an aggravating one to me, but it is an interesting one. ---
**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:** [October 19, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1246 "2022-10-19T18:37:55Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > He’s from Ohio. My impression from growing up in Ohio–it’s Appalachian dialect. Of course, southeastern Ohio is in Appalachia, but people from all over, say, Ohio and Pennsylvania might have picked it up from family members with Appalachian backgrounds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894.md?page=61) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894.md?page=63)