I read quite a lot of fiction, and there some words authors seem to find irresistable.
A couple that I am truly sick and tired of;
Luminol.
Sodium-vapor (sickly yellow).
Splatter.
I usually leave books where I finish them. I’m tempted to carry my black felt tip pen with me, but I’m a pretty stromg fan of the First.
mangeorge
Panorama. I forget which book I was reading at the time, but the author (Juliet Marillier, I think) used it about seven times in only two chapters. Aren’t editors supposed to catch these things?
Amazing.
So overused, especially on reality shows. If I had a nickel for every “She’s amazing” or “He’s an amazing person”, I’d have a whole hell of a lot of nickels.
Good to Go.
Silver - Anything to do with older adults has silver in the name. I thought they were supposed to be your golden years. I’d rather be golden.
Karma - Yes people you have killed it, and it’s being refered to in a way not meshing with it’s Buddist origins.
Buddhist
Febrile! I wish that Steven Erikson would stop using it.
I’m sick and tired of sick and tired.
“the”
Still beats teh. :dubious:
I could live the rest of my life without hearing or seeing “Sorry, but…”. It invariably means the speaker/writer (usually writer) is about to get smug, callous, or superior.
Read a lot of Dean Koontz, huh?
Impact (where affect or effect would be more accurate)
Orientate (isn’t orient what you mean?)
Commentate (what a commentator does?)
Literally (when figuratively is meant)
Analyzation (it’s analysis)
Did. But the phrase seems to be contageous.
“Think outside the box.”
I also think that the word “unarguable” should be banned from the English language.
I actually counted the number of times Dean Koontz used the word “luminous” (and variations thereof) in his book “The Taking”. I stopped counting somewhere around 37, and that was, I believe, a third of the way through the book.
PC - As in politically correct. Who cares if it’s a safe comment for politicians?
Weapons of mass destruction. - Please call them by any other name. There are enough words in English to use a different phrase. Never has it been phrased differently in the last five years.
Gifted - Many use it in a context to mean the exact opposite. Gifted is someone that has exceptional talents. A mentally retarded individual is not gifted. I give this ten seconds before, somebody takes this as an attack, when I use the word retarded in the correct context.
In sports circles, a word that got old really fast is “three-peat”.
“Now with 2 championships under their belt, can they make it a 'three-peat”?
I am trying to enact a law whereby using that expression (except for instructional purposes as I’m doing here) incurs the death penalty. :mad:
Harmonious Discord
I have never heard the word “gifted” used to describe people with developmental disabilities (aka retarded). What I have heard overused for a long time is the term “exceptional”. When I was in college decades ago, there were courses such as “Psychology of the Exceptional Child”. Yes it meant retarded but couldn’t the term “exceptional child” also mean a genius?
Momentarily: It’s never used correctly and it’s everywhere. “Doctor will be with you momentarily.” Really? Will I only be billed partially? “The flight will leave momentarily.” Then what; we crash? “Your waitress will be with you momentarily.” Long enough to take my order, I hope.
I’m right there with you! What was so cool is when it turned into a one-peat since they only had one legit claim and couldn’t get another one done. Sick ESPN geeks.
Decades ago when I was studying Elementary Education, I took a course called “Psychology of the Exceptional Child”, and it dealt with students on both ends of the spectrum, both gifted and disabled.
My nomination for this thread is “Go to”, (Rachael Ray, I’m talking to you!)