# Phrases you hate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990 "2010-09-16T18:12:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/21 "2010-09-16T20:49:45Z")
It’s not new anymore, but I still hear it all the time. It is what it is. Of course it is what it is! What would it be if it wasn’t what it was?!? It makes no sense and is a waste of words. I know I know, it really means to convey “It is what it appears to be”. But, if that what you mean to say, say it. Otherwise, just say “it is”. Because finishing the phrase is redundant. By “it” existing, it can’t be anything but what it is. Gah! I dont’ even know if that’s intelligible! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/22 "2010-09-16T20:57:10Z")
Somehow I can’t help thinking of Nick Saban. He has amassed about all the ones I detest and uses them to death. “relatively to…” “in terms of…” “it is what it is…” “to be successful…” Try to catch one of his press conferences and notice how many examples of double talk and just plain bullshit he tosses out. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/23 "2010-09-16T21:05:58Z")
“_That’s how I/we roll_” and it’s negative twin, “\*That’s \*\*not \*_how I/we roll_”. My boss says it all the time. I hate it because it’s her way of kissing off corporate policies that I’m supposedly obligated to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/24 "2010-09-16T21:07:57Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > Just about every breastfeeding thread or convo I’ve ever seen/heard uses the phrase “whipped it out” or “whipped out a tit”. Sure, there’s less than discreet ways of breastfeeding, but come on now. Flopped a hogan? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/25 "2010-09-16T21:13:42Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > It’s not new anymore, but I still hear it all the time. > > It is what it is. > > Of course it is what it is! What would it be if it wasn’t what it was?!? It makes no sense and is a waste of words. > > I know I know, it really means to convey “It is what it appears to be”. But, if that what you mean to say, say it. Otherwise, just say “it is”. Because finishing the phrase is redundant. By “it” existing, it can’t be anything but what it is. > > Gah! I dont’ even know if that’s intelligible! I use that phrase to mean we can’t change where we are now. You can try to change things going forward or we can just hope things get better, but wishing things are different _now_ doesn’t usually do much good. Also, it shifts the conversation from “how did get get here” to “how do we fix this”. All that in 5 easy words. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/26 "2010-09-16T21:15:15Z")
“Rate of speed.” I cringe when I hear “PIN number” and such, but when someone who ought to know better says “rate of speed” want to push him in front of a train with a high rate of displacement. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/27 "2010-09-16T21:16:13Z")
I hate “Sir, you’re making a scene” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/28 "2010-09-16T21:23:47Z")
> [@pantheon](#): > > > [@Ravenman](#): > > > > Not really a phrase, but I hate the Twitter-related convention of calling people “@Ravenman.” > > > > Get that stupid friggin’ @ out of there. > > [http://support.twitter.com/articles/14023-what-are-replies-and-mentions](http://support.twitter.com/articles/14023-what-are-replies-and-mentions) > > (Didn’t know if you realized it went from a convention for addressing a message in a general-broadcast system, to being an actual function. Now it’s even less likely to stop.) I don’t even look at Twitter. Never. If its use were contained to Twitter, wouldn’t care less. I’m seeing it other places and it makes me want to smash things. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/29 "2010-09-16T21:52:03Z")
I hate almost every phrase that comes from a politicians mouth. I particularly dislike "great state of \_\_\_\_ " and “slippery slope”. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/30 "2010-09-16T22:05:25Z")
“At the end of the day…” “We’ll touch base later…” “We’ve been playing phone tag…” “To be honest with you…” “I’m not gonna lie…” “It is what it is…” (already suggested, I know, but bears repeating) mmm ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/31 "2010-09-16T22:13:35Z")
“You need to…” when referring to something I’m expected to do. Umm, no I don’t. I need to breathe, eat, drink, sleep, piss, and shit. Everything else is just obligations. Drives me bonkers. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/32 "2010-09-16T22:19:50Z")
“You have the right to remain silent…” I HATE hearing that. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/33 "2010-09-16T22:29:41Z")
I hate the phrase “in any way, shape, or form.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/34 "2010-09-16T22:47:33Z")
It’s not you, it’s me… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/35 "2010-09-16T23:14:42Z")
Oh my side. My second step-father and his family used this phrase anytime someone said something they found funny. The worst part is, others in my family picked this phrase up, so that when his ass was long gone, I was still hearing it. Cool beans. It was all the rage back in the mid 90s. I hated it then, and I hate it now that it seems to be making a resurgence. If it were a snake it would’ve bit me. Back in my retail days, I would hear this phrase 15+ times a day. With customers I was pretty easy going, able to shrug off stuff that had left other employees in a rage or in tears. This phrase was my one weakness. There were times I had to leave and take a break just because someone said this to me. Can you help me with my computer? Not a phrase per say, but still cringe worthy. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/36 "2010-09-17T00:27:33Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > There’s a lot of phrases I don’t like, you know what I’m sayin, and many come to mind, you know what I’m sayin, but the one I hate the most and I mean the most, you know what I’m sayin, I can’t really think of right now, you know what I’m sayin? I’m not saying; I’m just saying. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/37 "2010-09-17T00:39:02Z")
I hate any variant of “having a coronary” when used to mean a person will become vary angry or upset over something. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t fucking stand it. Maybe that coronary is an adjective, and so the phrase isn’t even grammatically correct. Who knows? Worse yet, my girlfriend uses it a lot. Example: “Oh, she’ll have a coronary when she sees her car was keyed.” Ugh! No, she’ll be mad, but she won’t “have a coronary,” whatever the fuck that is. “At this time.” The word “now” is more parsimonious. “Came to the conclusion”. Just say, “[I/we/they] concluded.” “Due to the fact that”. Just say, “Because…” ETA: I know that “having a coronary” means “having a heart attack,” but still, the word coronary sounds like an adjective to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/38 "2010-09-17T00:44:08Z")
> [@](#): > > I hate any variant of “having a coronary” when used to mean a person will become vary angry or upset over something. Well, would you prefer they had a conniption or a cow? mmm ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/39 "2010-09-17T00:48:05Z")
“of a”, as in “It’s not that big of a deal”. No, “it’s not that big a deal” or “it’s not a big deal”. “I’m all turned around” - no, you’re lost. “It’s in back of the shed” - no, it’s behind the shed. “In back of” sounds like it’s inside the shed, near the back. “It’s half of 12” … so it’s 11:30? Or 12:30? Or 6? No idea when you mean. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990/40 "2010-09-17T00:49:30Z")
I like apoplectic. I think coronary is technically an adjective and is a shortened version of coronary thrombosis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-you-hate/553990.md?page=3)