# Phrases that revolt you just by the reading... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917 "2015-05-26T22:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Green\_Rosetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Green\_Rosetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Rosetta)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/41 "2015-05-27T16:45:39Z")
“Impactful” is mine. It cannot be a word. I refuse to live in a world in which that is a real word. It reeks of business meetings and “network solutions.” Ew. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/42 "2015-05-27T16:48:28Z")
> [@Lowdown](#): > > -Would it be “gay” for a guy to drive a hatchback? Second. Especially since pretty much every guy I know who owns a dog bigger than a Beagle drives a hatchback, including my husband. And my brother. Neither of whom are gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/43 "2015-05-27T16:53:19Z")
Baby mamma/baby daddy ! Yuck! ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/44 "2015-05-27T16:56:41Z")
I’m still trying to deal with “close with” to describe emotional closeness, as opposed to “close to,” to describe actual proximity. Until about ten, maybe 15 years ago, “close to” was used for both, and “close with” didn’t exist. I understand why some people want a distinction, and this won’t be the only example in English of a verb taking different prepositions to show nuances of meaning (example: being “in the hospital,” vs. being “at the hospital”). I actually think that the “close with” usage makes a lot of sense. Emotional closeness and physical proximity are different things. Why shouldn’t they have different prepositions? But whenever I have a chance to use the expression “close with,” I can’t do it. Darn it, I grew up saying “close to” for emotional closeness, and that’s what I have to say. I wonder if it sounds wrong to very young people? Maybe it just sounds old-fashioned. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/45 "2015-05-27T16:57:08Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > It sets my teeth on edge to hear someone say “nom nom nom” (in reference to food, like saying food tastes good or something). Good one. And also “sammich.” ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/46 "2015-05-27T17:00:35Z")
Any intentional misspelling for political mockery - Libtards, Obummer, Wrongmney, Rethuglicans, Dumbocrats, etc. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/47 "2015-05-27T17:01:07Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I used to show movies in a restaurant/bar. “Last call” meant the kitchen was going to close in 15 minutes, and so if you wanted to order anything to eat besides popcorn (which they made as long as the bar was open) this was your last chance. What’s wrong with that? Do people use it in some other context? In PA, liquor can not be sold after a certain time. Last call for alcohol means the end of whatever fun you’ve been having. George Thorogood put it this way: > [@](#): > > He said “The clock on the wall say three o’clock > Last call for alcohol, so what you need?” > > One bourbon, one scotch, one beer > No I ain’t seen my baby since a nigh’ and a week, > Gotta get drunk man till I can’t even speak > Gonna get high man listen to me, > One drink ain’t enough Jack you better make it three > I wanna get drunk I’m gonna make it real clear, > I want one bourbon, one scotch and one beer > One bourbon, one scotch, one beer 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/48 "2015-05-27T17:01:54Z")
“Awesome”, and all its progeny, such as “awesomesauce”. “Good job!” every time some brat manages not to shit himself in public. Also all the variations on this, like “Good walking!”, “Good peddling!”, “Good chewing!”, _ad nauseum_. “_Ad nauseum_.” Oh yeah: “Thank you for your service.” Just fuck off, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/49 "2015-05-27T17:02:51Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > It’s semantically null outside of logic, no matter what you think you are hearing. This is hilarious. I’m imagining Rivkah yelling at people in the street, “Stop communicating! You’re doing it wrong! You there, stop understanding him this instant! It’s semantically null, I tell you, semantically null!” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/50 "2015-05-27T17:21:03Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > This is hilarious. I’m imagining Rivkah yelling at people in the street, “Stop communicating! You’re doing it wrong! You there, stop understanding him this instant! It’s semantically null, I tell you, semantically null!” You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![zadscmc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a183cd/32.png) [@zadscmc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zadscmc)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/51 "2015-05-27T17:22:16Z")
People who misuse acronyms are annoying. For example, I hear newscasters say: ATM Machine – they really just said Automated Teller Machine Machine And then not knowing the difference between possessive and plural: My PC’s hard drive was replaced along with many of the other PCs in my office. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/52 "2015-05-27T17:24:12Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > It sets my teeth on edge to hear someone say “nom nom nom” (in reference to food, like saying food tastes good or something). It sends me into a rage. It’s idiotic - what are you? Six? The same goes to referring to pizza as “za”. “Veggies” is running a real close third. ETA - I take that back - “sammich” or “Sammy” is in the running - we may have a tie for third. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/53 "2015-05-27T17:28:31Z")
Risking here, starting 1776 all over again: but, I’m British, and there’s a seemingly much-beloved American turn of phrase, which utterly irritates me and “grinds my gears” and strikes me as irremediably dorkish. It’s the “Mc construct”-- to label anyone who does or characterises something to excess – and I seem to see it twenty or more times a day, on US-based message boards which I frequent. Example: on another board, a poster was wondering (laudably enough) whether in a certain situation they had been reasonably justified, or had gone over the top in the role of “Righty McRightperson, the Rightest Person who has ever been right…” Heaven knows why, but this “Mc” thing (with “creative” names surrounding the “Mc”) annoys the crap out of me. Where the heck does it come from? Well, I know that the Scottish “Mc” in names, means “son of” – but, why has American idiom latched onto this particular thing – of all things – for this particular purpose? It’s a strictly American usage as far as I know – doesn’t happen in the UK – and it just seems to me, vomit-inducingly twee and whimsy. I know that it makes no sense for me to be this pissed-off by it – it’s only a language thing which English-speaking nation A likes and I, a member of English-speaking nation B, don’t – but most of this stuff is, after all, not about the making of sense. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/54 "2015-05-27T17:32:20Z")
> [@KinkiNipponTourist](#): > > “Will you post this as your status for just an hour? I know 98% of you won’t.” 1 like = 1 prayer. 1 share = 10 billion prayers. Look, I saw the same photo of this sick kid 3 years ago. Either dead or recovered by now, so fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/55 "2015-05-27T17:40:38Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > It sends me into a rage. It’s idiotic - what are you? Six? The same goes to referring to pizza as “za”. “Veggies” is running a real close third. > > ETA - I take that back - “sammich” or “Sammy” is in the running - we may have a tie for third. I feel lucky that I’ve never heard anyone say “za”. On the other hand, I’ll automatically disqualify a person from me ever liking them if they say “sammich.” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/56 "2015-05-27T18:10:54Z")
> [@zadscmc](#): > > People who misuse acronyms are annoying. > For example, I hear newscasters say: ATM Machine – they really just said Automated Teller Machine Machine > > And then not knowing the difference between possessive and plural: > My PC’s hard drive was replaced along with many of the other PCs in my office. “HIV virus” and “VIN number” make me irrational. My brother had a teacher who consistently reversed “criteria” and “criterion”-- that is, she thought “criterion” was the plural. She’d been teaching high school English for more than 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/57 "2015-05-27T18:22:11Z")
“It is what it is.” It’s not just a tautology, it’s punch-you-in the-face material. “closure” ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/58 "2015-05-27T18:47:55Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Originally Posted by **Leaper** :mad: ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/59 "2015-05-27T18:48:48Z")
‘Chirping’. And ‘throwing shade’. Unless you’re 17, you sound an utter ass! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917/60 "2015-05-27T18:52:40Z")
“Giving 110%” or “giving 200%,” etc. “The customer is always right.” “Blogger activist.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-that-revolt-you-just-by-the-reading/720917.md?page=4)