# 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:** 70
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1388 "2022-11-29T04:16:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > William Safire told a story about an acquaintance who told him “I’ve missed not seeing you.” Safire launched into an explanation of how he SHOULD have said it, and the guy said “No, I had it right in the first first place. Now I remember why.” This very idea occured to me when I brought it up. ---
**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:** [November 29, 2022, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1389 "2022-11-29T10:11:11Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > By their use of General American pronunciation patterns. Normally, if someone hails from Appalachia and uses nonstandard grammar, wouldn’t they have a noticeable accent, to other Americans? It seems like you’re making some assumptions about dialects, accents, and which ones have what elements. I suspect what is happening is that these people are speaking as they naturally do, which means that, by definition, they are speaking in their own dialect. On last decades, they might have been trained out of that dialect before they got on air. But, as some posters have pointed out above, there may be multiple reasons why that is no longer happening. Indeed the precisely trained broadcast accent and dialect—which you seem to assume defines general American—might not ever have represented a majority of the population. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1390 "2022-11-29T18:58:38Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Normally, if someone hails from Appalachia and uses nonstandard grammar, wouldn’t they have a noticeable accent, to other Americans? Might could be. ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2022, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1391 "2022-11-30T17:54:46Z")
Heard one on an NPR story this morning that made my ears bleed - adding “super-” to an already acceptable word. Something in the story was “super-difficult”, and people were “super-worried”. Difficult and worried don’t describe it adequately enough? And from an NPR reporter? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1392 "2022-12-01T02:17:05Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Indeed the precisely trained broadcast accent and dialect—which you seem to assume defines general American—might not ever have represented a majority of the population. I agree this is probably true, and as much as I advocate the idea of standard grammar and pronunciation, even I have had my nonstandard pronunciation of one word pointed out to me-- one time by a non-native speaker, yet. When I say the word _I’m_ it comes out “Ahm”, like everyone else in my family, but everything else is pretty much standard. There is practical value in having a standard version of a language. If we decide that all variants if grammar, semantics, usage, and even spelling (because, hey why not?)a are equally acceptable, then the language would eventually wind up about where it was 1300 years ago, when there was no standard, and the scribes and monks of one region would use a dialect and orthography that seemed right to their part of the country, but didn’t work elsewhere. This is not too different from conditions in Germany at the same time. Today, German still has many dialects, many of which are thriving, but AFAI can tell everyone agrees on what the standard should be, and that it should be used in public discourse. Today’s example: I heard a host on MSNBC say “verdick” for “verdict”. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1393 "2022-12-01T02:22:09Z")
1. Even a standardized dialect evolves over time. 2. The examples you are offering don’t interfere with the existence of a standardized dialect. Both people and language are far more flexible than you seem to be implying and human communication doesn’t require such strict rules in order to work. I’m all for people having pet peeves. I’ve posted several in this thread. But to dress it up under some kind of principled stand for humanity is something we no longer should be tolerant of. As much as I adore my idealized concept of beautiful language, I have no illusion that it will outlive me. Indeed, it’s probably long dead already. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1394 "2022-12-01T04:20:38Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > But to dress it up under some kind of principled stand for humanity is something we no longer should be tolerant of. I think you meant to say “…is something of which we no longer should be tolerant.” 😀 ---
**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:** [December 1, 2022, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1395 "2022-12-01T06:03:16Z")
_Prescriptivism is a thing up with which we shall not put_. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1396 "2022-12-01T14:15:13Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > > > In dialects, sure. But why, now, are there so many examples of people without the cultural background associated with those dialects using those grammatical patterns? > > Probably a combination of fewer barriers against people from that cultural background entering media jobs, and more people adopting constructions that they find useful/aesthetic as they’re exposed to a wider range of dialects, due to fewer barriers against people from historically disfavored cultural backgrounds entering media jobs > > Both good things, IMO. In my lifetime, I’ve noticed the Southernism “_y’all_” spread across the rest of the country, to the extent that I would not be surprised if it eventually became the standard second person plural pronoun in American English. (The other most likely candidate being “_you guys_”). Which makes sense to me, as “_y’all_” is a perfectly cromulent contraction of “you all” and completely in accord with the rules of English grammar. As I’ve ranted about repeatedly. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1397 "2022-12-01T14:33:41Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > standardized dialect And I’m using the term _standardized dialect_ intentionally. There’s a common belief that _standard = the real language_ and _everything else is just a dialect_. That’s not the case, Standard English is a dialect of English, the same as Appalachian English or AAVE is a dialect of English. It is a dialect that has been _standardized_ and has been given prestige status. Thus, a _standardized dialect_ is also often a _prestige dialect_. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1398 "2022-12-01T14:52:24Z")
Why do people think a website URL has a backslash? I’ve heard many many instances of spoken “dope dot com backslash pit” or the like. And to counteract this, now many are specifically saying “forward slash” when just “slash” should be sufficient. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1399 "2022-12-01T14:58:20Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > Why do people think a website URL has a backslash? I’ve heard many many instances of spoken “dope dot com backslash pit” or the like. I’ve noticed this going back 20 years or more. At some point in the 1980s or 1990s, people got used to hearing “backslash” when around computers (thank you, DOS) and they just started calling everything backslashes when dealing with computer stuff. I’m good with “forward slash” because at least it indicates that the person knows that there is a difference. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1400 "2022-12-01T15:23:11Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’m good with “forward slash” because at least it indicates that the person knows that there is a difference. Exactly. When talking about computers and file paths, unless you know you’re talking to a real techie, “slash” has become ambiguous. So if you want to speak unambiguously, it’s gotta be “forward slash” or “backslash”. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1401 "2022-12-01T15:36:43Z")
The modern defintions of ‘hack’: 'to write computer programs for enjoyment” and “bringing about a solution”. Preferring the older ones: “to cut or chop something with short strong blows”, or informally used to mean “tolerate”. /lawnchaired ---
**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:** [December 1, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1402 "2022-12-01T15:49:46Z")
It is pretty bizarre, because in unixy language, which is the fundamental language of the 'net, backslash is the “escape” character, as in \n is the “newline” character ( return + linefeed ), but urls use a completely different “escape” protocol (the equivalent of “\n” would be “%13”, IIUC – LF would be implied). It is all so confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1403 "2022-12-01T23:56:51Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Today’s example: I heard a host on MSNBC say “verdick” for “verdict”. I’m not surprised. Another word frequently (and irritatingly) mispronounced on the news channels: pundit. More and more people seem to believe that “pundent” (or “pundunt”) is the actual word. I suppose it might have come about via analogy with the word “pendant.” But however it arose, it’s fingernails-on-a-chalkboard for me! ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1404 "2022-12-03T10:54:14Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Another word frequently (and irritatingly) mispronounced on the news channels: pundit. More and more people seem to believe that “pundent” (or “pundunt”) is the actual word. > > I suppose it might have come about via analogy with the word “pendant.” But however it arose, it’s fingernails-on-a-chalkboard for me! I also cringe at “pundent”! And would it be possible to get some kind of agreement on Qatar? I hear a lot of “CUTTer”(rhymes with butter) and then there’s “ka-TAHRRRRR” with a really gutteral K and R! ---
**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:** [December 3, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1405 "2022-12-03T12:29:00Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > And would it be possible to get some kind of agreement on Qatar? I hear a lot of “CUTTer”(rhymes with butter) and then there’s “ka-TAHRRRRR” with a really gutteral K and R! It’s going to be difficult because almost none of the sounds in the word exist in standard American. I for one don’t really see a need to force everyone to agree on a single pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1406 "2022-12-03T16:47:51Z")
@Acsenray, I agree with you that people don’t all have to agree on a single pronunciation. I guess that Qatar will probably end up like Moscow, where some say “cow” like the bovine and others rhyme the last syllable with “doe.” 😌 ---
**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:** [December 3, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894/1407 "2022-12-03T17:27:46Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > like Moscow, where some say “cow” like the bovine and others rhyme the last syllable with “doe.” The one in Idaho sounds a lot like Ma’s cow. “_Moskva_” also seems to vary somewhat between “MAHSK-vuh” and “musk-VAH” (the latter being more accurate, so, probably less common). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894.md?page=69) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-terms-that-aggravate-the-hell-out-of-you/923894.md?page=71)