# What annoying/pretentious terms and figures of speech should be abolished? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627 "2003-09-09T22:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/21 "2003-09-10T03:32:29Z")
Oh, fun! Utilized, utility…“Please turn off the lights when the room is not being utilized.” Functional…worse\>\>functionality. “The unit in question has lost functionality.” Another vote for “Touch base” Overuse of Caution and Danger on Notice signs: “Caution: The cafeteria will be closed on Tuesday the tenth from…” We have a guy at work who uses ‘critical’ whenever he wishes to convey “important” or “possessing minor priority”. “Its not very critical what color ink you use if its legible.” Ultimate Reality. Ad copy: “The workplace is the ultimate reality show…” ---
**Author:** ![Colinmarshall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Colinmarshall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colinmarshall)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/22 "2003-09-10T03:39:04Z")
Is anybody else here irritated by the substitution of “off” for “from?” e.g., “I got five bucks off my mom”, “They bought it off the government” ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/23 "2003-09-10T03:48:35Z")
Inspired by a recent thread in Cafe Society, labelling favorite films as “essential” or favorite bands/albums as “important” is on my new list of pet peeves. It seems like lazy writing and weak justification to me. “Let’s take this offline,” when the person wants to discuss something in a different framework. Can’t we just say we’ll talk about it later? ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/24 "2003-09-10T04:00:06Z")
_Uber_-anything. Uber-overused! Describing something as “quotidian.” These things should not be described. ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/25 "2003-09-10T04:11:46Z")
I just returned to school, the land of conference-style classes. If I hear one more person begin a sentence with, “Am I to understand that…” Well, it’s whompin’ time. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/26 "2003-09-10T04:49:45Z")
Another vote to abolish “utilize” from the language. What’s wrong with “use?” “I want to dialog with you about our pre-meeting post-mortem later.” Why can’t you just say you want to talk later? Pre-meeting. Not pretentious, particularly, but the very existence of these is annoying. Consider it a dress rehearsal for the real meeting? Oh yeah… Post-mortem’s just another way of saying “We want to find out what went wrong and who’s responsible.” ---
**Author:** ![Shana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Shana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shana)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/27 "2003-09-10T05:20:51Z")
When someone says, “I just wanted to give you a heads up.” No, no, no, no. Please don’t. I don’t know why, but that just gives me a nervous tic! ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/28 "2003-09-10T05:47:42Z")
If you get a nervous tick from someone giving you a _heads up_, what do you get when someone gives you a _leg up_? 😃 “Bleeding heart” liberal has to be the most overused and unnecessary term in politics. Find something new! ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/29 "2003-09-10T05:58:29Z")
I like the word “clearly” in the context of irony: “Clearly, the Patriots will win the superbowl.” I hate most corporate-speak: …on the same page… …outside the box… There’s countless more but I can’t think of them at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![gscotb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@gscotb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gscotb)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/30 "2003-09-10T07:15:25Z")
Pomo means Postmodern?!?! And all this time, I thought it was derogatory Australian slang for “English”. This explains a few things. ---
**Author:** ![Short](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Short](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/31 "2003-09-10T07:48:20Z")
“I s\*\*\* you not.” There is a limited number of things that should be emanating from one’s backside. I am not one of them. I would think this is a fact which does not need stating. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/32 "2003-09-10T08:24:31Z")
Down with “trust me!” Like, I’m going to trust someone merely because they say, “Trust me.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/33 "2003-09-10T08:28:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colinmarshall \* > \*\*Is anybody else here irritated by the substitution of “off” for “from?” > > e.g., “I got five bucks off my mom”, “They bought it off the government” \*\* Irritated, redoubled in spades if the phrase is “off of”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/34 "2003-09-10T08:28:28Z")
Empower Debrief Roadmap ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/35 "2003-09-10T09:55:10Z")
The term “ma’am” is archaic and degrating in any context. Its use is as ugly as calling a Black man “boy”. I simply cannot utter such words from my lips - sounding like someone from a more ignorant era. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/36 "2003-09-10T10:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*…“Bleeding heart” liberal has to be the most overused and unnecessary term in politics. Find something new! \*\* Yeah, I agree. Why aren’t conservatives considered “bleeding heart conservatives” when they go crying for their corporate welfare? Maybe it is because if you cut them, do they even bleed? :eek: :eek: :eek: The best comment from a “bleeding heart conservative” comes from talk radio: “Why do you always pick on the bad?” Duuh… - Jinx :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/37 "2003-09-10T11:09:57Z")
“Been there…done that.” Okay, so you have experience. “To be honest with you…” I’m so glad you said that. I expected _everything_ out of your mouth to be a lie. “Thank Og!” Careful, Baal will get ya! “We can expect some thunderstorm activity.” Thanks, Fritz, we know the storms are active. If they were passive we could ignore them. There are many more, but it’s after 4 a.m. and I have to get my beauty sleep. (Hey! There’s another one! Stop that, Geezer!) ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/38 "2003-09-10T12:37:22Z")
[ul] [li]I agree, any and all French phrases shoule be eliminated. This also goes for Latin. I never know what these phrases mean, and there are no context clues to help me figure them out.[/li][li]“Anyhoo”. God, does this one ever grate on my nerves.[/li][li]“The shiznit.” Maybe my irritation with this is just another sign I am getting older and losing touch with the younger generation.[/li][li]“Redouble our efforts.” So, does this mean increasing our efforts fourfold?[/li][li]Anyone who inventilizes new non-words by forming them from existulent words.[/li][li]I agree that most corporate speak-needs to be retired.[/li][/ul] ---
**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:** [September 10, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/39 "2003-09-10T12:41:37Z")
Most annoying misuse of language: using “literally” for emphasis, as in: “I literally died laughing.” Hmmmm, maybe I wish you literally had. ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/40 "2003-09-10T12:43:19Z")
The most pretentious-sounding thing I’ve heard recently is the word “would” used in the following context: “Would that we could keep that same spirit in these troubled times.” Hate it. Makes me gag. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627.md?page=3)