# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/121 "2003-09-14T18:34:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DesertGeezer \* > \*\*Do you suppose such people have shit for brains? \*\* Of course. After all, it’s so much more polite to use the word “crap” instead. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/122 "2003-09-14T19:07:06Z")
My first link seems not to have worked. www.e-prog.net/pages/how\_to\_review.htm+how+to+review&hl=en&ie=UTF-8]This one might. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/123 "2003-09-14T20:58:04Z")
On the positive side… [http://www.lssu.edu/banished/](http://www.lssu.edu/banished/) [http://www.wordorigins.org/](http://www.wordorigins.org/) ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/124 "2003-09-14T21:20:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gassendi \* > \*\*“Happy go lucky”. > > What the f\*\*\* does this mean?! I want to puke whenever I hear someone described this way. And it’s always someone who died an untimely death! Stop saying this!!! \*\* ExCUSE me!!! I say this, and I AM this! People have been saying this about me since I was tiny. It means someone who is cheerful, smiling and basically content for a large percentage of their time. Someone who doesn’t get bogged down in meaningless stressful details of life to the degree that most people do. OH MY GOD, my bill is a day late??? ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHh Call the promptness police!!! (I don’t stress, I just send it in ) That sort of thing. PS, I’m 44 and so far I haven’t “died an untimely death”. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/125 "2003-09-14T21:46:07Z")
I guess I’m all alone in not agreeing with the basic gist of this post (though I DO agree with a lot of the examples). Language IS somewhat of an art, NOT just a black and white scientific experiment of some sort. Because we’re human, stating certain things, especially if we know those things aren’t pleasant to the person who is going to be on the recieving end… Well, again, it’s human nature to try and “soften” what we’re about to say. If you screw up, and it’s not a life threatening screw up but you feel embarrassed and stupid about it, what’s wrong with a somewhat face saving “my bad”? (or term of your choice, that was JUST an example). What would you prefer? Groveling and a “slave for a day”? Sheesh! In my humble, (and seemingly alone) opinion here, some of you people are WAY too tense and worried about what other people are doing, saying and thinking. And worse, allowing yourselves to get irritable and judgmental about it. That, IN and OF itself (snort! :D) seems pretty pompous too. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/126 "2003-09-15T00:29:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dinoboy \* > \*\* > “Mauve”, but only when it is incorrectly pronounced. \*\* Yeah, I pronounce it “pink” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/127 "2003-09-15T01:54:02Z")
“The fact of the matter is…”. Usually said by politicians right before the lie. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/128 "2003-09-15T05:34:41Z")
“Count me in as…” (one of mine, even though I use it myself) someone who is mystified at anyone having a problem with “ma’am.” I’ve always said it, I still say it, and I even say it to women younger than me. I’m shocked that someone would think it’s degrading. Now I’ll be paranoid. Something I took for granted as no-brainer (I’m surprised that hasn’t come up yet) bit of politeness might _offend_ someone?? That’s harsh (I was waiting for that to come up. I use it all the time). (I’m already paranoid. I have a bad habit of using figures of speech. I’ve been guilty of several examples here.) ---
**Author:** ![gscotb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@gscotb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gscotb)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/129 "2003-09-15T06:15:00Z")
I’m, like, this sucks! And she’s, like, way! And I’m, like, this really sucks! And she’s, like, … ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/130 "2003-09-15T07:12:55Z")
This isn’t pretentious, but it sure is annoying: You didn’t “get a pit” in your stomach, you got \* a sick feeling IN THE PIT of your stomach. \* ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/131 "2003-09-15T07:16:10Z")
“A **n** historic occasion,” pisses me off every time. It is NOT correct to use the “n” unless you DON’T pronounce the 'h"! Don’t say it unless you are also going to say, “I went into a **n** house.” The “n” is properly inserted for euphony when the “h” is not pronounced in order to avoid the glottal stop when two vowel sounds abut each other. If you say “an” and then go ahead and pronounce the “h” you come off as a pretentious ass. ---
**Author:** ![fizzygoodmakefeelnice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@fizzygoodmakefeelnice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzygoodmakefeelnice)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/132 "2003-09-15T12:25:03Z")
At Millie’s Cookies the other day they were advetising a ‘SuperGourmet Cookie!’. That annoyed me. Yesterday I heard someone say “Oh my god, it was just, like, _completely_ ubernaff.” That annoyed me too. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/133 "2003-09-15T14:34:02Z")
Ya beat me to it, **DesertGeezer**. People who use “an historic” need to be conditioned via shock therapy. Another vote for “literally”. It means that your following words will be actual, not metaphorical. “I literally climbed the walls” means you actually grabbed handholds of wall and scaled it. Robert D. Raiford, commentator on the John Boy & Billy show, can’t stand the use of “arguably”, as in “he is arguably the best running back in the NFL.” If there’s cause to argue about it, then he obviously isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Keek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Keek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/134 "2003-09-15T14:42:38Z")
Use of the word “Whatever” to mean “I’m a knobhead and I can’t think of anything else to say.” Corporate speech (to"action" things instead of doing them…to “liaise” with people…“ringfencing”…it goes on and on, and it’s all objectionable bollocks.) Oh, and the use of double negatives, supposedly for emphasis - “That is not unfunny” “Not unbelievable.” Oh, and people who use interjections like “oh” when they’re typing. Excellent thread!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/135 "2003-09-15T15:01:12Z")
Okay, whait a minute, an historic is bad? But I don’t pronounce the h so isn’t that what it should be? Maybe I’m just pretentious, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/136 "2003-09-15T18:00:20Z")
‘Splitsville’. I just saw this word used in a thread title in Cafe Society and was reminded of my view that there should be people with bullhorns ready to use those horns to obscure each utterance of the word ‘splitsville’. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/137 "2003-09-15T18:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jinx \* > \*\*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. \*\* Oh, dear. “Ma’am” is not diminutive; in fact it is the _only_ acceptable way to refer to a woman with whom one is not acquainted. What would you have people say - “Hey you?” The only other option, “Miss,” really _is_ diminutive, which is why its application should be limited to girls under 13. But thank you, ma’am, for giving me the opportunity to insult you simply by being polite. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by skeptic\_ev \* > \*\*Also, “gift” or “gifted” as a verb. Why? In the name of all that is holy, why? What’s wrong with “to give”? We give, we gave, we have given … in all tenses, it conjugates easily. So WHY does a useful and accurate word need to be replaced with a noun? (Admittedly, this idiotic verbal crime is committed mainly by accountants and lawyers, but still–it must stop.) \*\* Lawyers and accountants use “gift” for a very specific reason - it expresses that the transaction is to be treated as a gift under applicable law (particularly tax law). One of the challenges of the tax-law trade is helping one’s clients _give_ things without _gifting_ them. It’s a distinction that’s hard on the ears at first, but utterly necessary. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamar Mundane \* > \*\*“Now we’re cookin’ with gas!” > > What kind of slack-jawed, slobber-chinned, yokel-speak is that? > > “Hey Ma! We don’t have to whack down no more trees and bang the rocks together no more! We’re cooking with gas!” \*\* Anyone who has had the misfortune of cooking on an electric stove after having become used to gas will be able to explain this one. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DesertGeezer \* > \*\*“I hear ya.” Well, good, Jethro. I was afraid you wuz goin’ deef! > \*\* Actually, the phrase “I hear you” is useful - it allows the speaker to be agreeable without actually agreeing. That’s a sentiment we should encourage, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/138 "2003-09-15T18:48:55Z")
“To be honest with you” “Pardon my French” “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but…” “Everyone and his brother” ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/139 "2003-09-15T18:55:06Z")
“To be honest with you” “Pardon my French” “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but…” “Everyone and his brother” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627/140 "2003-09-15T19:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morelin \* > \*\*Okay, whait a minute, an historic is bad? But I don’t pronounce the h so isn’t that what it should be? > > Maybe I’m just pretentious, though. \*\* Maybe you are. [Just because the h in HOUR is silent doesn’t mean it is in HISTORIC.](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=historic) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-annoying-pretentious-terms-and-figures-of-speech-should-be-abolished/200627.md?page=8)