# Words (or phrases) that I say that "people don't say in real life" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 22, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727 "2008-09-22T19:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/41 "2008-09-23T07:11:16Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > Inspired by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=484401) thread: > > [ul] > [li]methinks[/li][li]meh[/li][li]eh[/li][li]thrice[/li][li]shall[/li][li]I’m doing well and you?[/li][li]Please, thank you, you’re welcome, bless you, etc[/li][li]pray tell[/li][/ul] > > I am sure there are others, but those are the ones that popped into my head first. My children also use a lot of “outdated” words regularly – they do converse with me in the house, so have massive vocabularies. Yes, they have both had to define words for their teachers at least once. > > What words or phrases have earned you the “WTF did you just say? No one talks like that in real life!” comments? > > ETA “Cuckold” – I used the word the other day in an IM with a friend who had never heard the word prior – I think it’s now his favourite word! With the exception of “eh” and “meh” I use all of the words on your list in the appropriate situations. I’m especially fond of \*_“methinks”. **Despite what you may have Woody on** _ Cheers \*\*\*say, its not \*\*“I Thinks”. \*\*🙂 **JRagon** , I’ve never heard anyone say \*\*\*“By the Gods!” \*\*\*outside of a movie, but being a Conan fan I’ve sometimes accidentally blurted out \*\*\*“Crom!” \*\*\*when surprised. Most folks have no idea what I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/42 "2008-09-23T07:18:50Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > made one of the techs laugh by using “criminitely” the other day. I may have actually made that last word up, I’m not sure. “Crimenitely, Nutsy, put that pea shooter down” - from Disney’s Robin Hood ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/43 "2008-09-23T07:25:01Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > “Crimenitely, Nutsy, put that pea shooter down” - from Disney’s Robin Hood Ah, well, there you go. I wonder if the Disney writers made it up, or if it existed in speech somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/44 "2008-09-23T10:51:20Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Why would you ever see one unless you asked for one? They’re not going to advertise them. My wife gets them all the time. I could be way off base here but they _might_ [???] be required by law in some places. In Spain they’re both required and usually advertised in the teeny weeny print at the bottom of “special offer!” adverts. There were a few companies that tried not offering them and discovered that was not an option: unless you’ve advertised it’s a “clean out stock sale,” if you run out you have to offer a rain check. The British engineers I’m working with claimed they didn’t know “backhoe.” Please note that I had picked that specifical word in that specific example by writing down what one of their also-British coworkers said; I didn’t choose the word, I got it from one of the other Brits. I used up my diplomacy quota for the year and refrained from pointing it out in the dictionary. I use “eh,” having discovered that it’s the Canadian equivalent to the Cuenco “pues” 🙂 (Cuenco is the subdialect spoken in and around Pamplona) ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/45 "2008-09-23T13:33:01Z")
It’s funny how many of these words everyone else use and get WTF looks for using are also common in my speech. I never considered “exceedingly” to be odd at all, that might speak volumes for my mindset, no? As for the polite things – I grew up and currently live in the South, and have noticed that more and more, people look at me as if I’ve grown a fourth head when I say them. It does not make me a happy girl. My daughter likes to use antiquated phrases, too. Her favourite exclamation is “Oh dear!” but she also likes to tell people she’s swell or spiffy. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/46 "2008-09-23T13:41:07Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > My daughter likes to use antiquated phrases, too. Her favourite exclamation is “Oh dear!” but she also likes to tell people she’s swell or spiffy. This reminded me…I’ve been known to bust out with a “goodness gracious!” or “Oh, my goodness!” It has to be at least a little amusing to see a big old bearish, bearded man come out with little old lady exclamations! Of course, that doesn’t preclude the more type-and-age-appropriate exclamations, though. I did burst out with an exasperated “Jesus Christ!” (aimed at her relatively ancient and stubborn DVD player) in front of my devoutly Catholic mother once recently…just about gave her a heart attack and earned me a VERY sharp “Hey! Watch your mouth!” ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/47 "2008-09-23T14:05:15Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > My daughter likes to use antiquated phrases, too. I picked up saying “_Aces!_” from a commercial starring “'30s guy” (I don’t remember the actual product; just googled it, and all I got back was personal ads). I also like the phrase “Don’t worry, everything’s jake”, while my wife uses “bee’s knees” all the time. Older slang is neato, daddy-o. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/48 "2008-09-23T14:07:15Z")
I use groovy in common conversation, generally in response to “how are you?” greetings. Anon doesn’t mean immediately, by the way, it means “in time” without specifying how much time. I use that occasionally. I also use "hemi-demi-semi- whatever to indicate not so much. I am relentless with please, thank you, and your welcome, and at work “what may I do for you?” is my most common response to being addressed. I sometimes respond to “can you do” this or that with “certainly, and perhaps I shall.” Tris ---
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/49 "2008-09-23T14:54:47Z")
I use “yonder”, which I’ve sometimes been teased for (because it’s considered a “hillbilly” word). It’s a very handy word, though, and there really aren’t any other words in the English language that mean exactly the same thing (as far as I know anyway). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/50 "2008-09-23T15:42:38Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > being a Conan fan I’ve sometimes accidentally blurted out \*\*\*“Crom!” \*\*\*when surprised. I will occasionally use the Dilbertism “_Carp_!” as an exclamation of surprise. It never fails to elicit odd looks. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/51 "2008-09-23T16:56:33Z")
I use the word “thrice.” I like its esoteric value, and I’ve seen it used on The Simpsons twice or thrice. Mr. Burns: “if I want you to bunt, I’ll touch my belt buckle not once, not twice, but thrice!” Apu: (talking about the meatless hot dogs he sells) “only thrice the fat of the original.” ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/52 "2008-09-23T17:53:53Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > “Pull the other one, it’s got bells on.” > > “Bugger that for a game of soldiers!” Drat, I came in here to say that I use these expressions all the time, except I usually say “Blow that for a game of soldiers.” One day I forgot myself and told someone I didn’t want to [part brass rags](http://wordie.org/words/part%20brass%20rags) with them. A long and tedious explanation inevitably followed. (I’d been reading Patrick O’Brian or P.G. Wodehouse or something, and the expression was just in my head.) In an effort to clean up my language a little, I’ve taken to saying “Great ZEUS!” as an exclamation. I also say “OMG!” in conversation. Yes, I actually SPEAK in internet abbreviations. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/53 "2008-09-23T18:30:11Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > “Anon” (meaning “immediately”. Actually, I have no clue where I picked it up, I’m pretty sure it’s archaic) I was going to correct you, as **Triskadecamus** did, that “anon” means “soon” or “presently”, only to find that it can mean “right now”, “soon”, or “later”, making it the most useless word in the English language. I say “Oh my stars and garters” to replace profanity in front of the kids. I was thrilled when Kelsey Grammer said it in the 3rd X-Men movie. ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/54 "2008-09-23T18:41:02Z")
to name a few… elucidate huggermuggery kerfuffle bugger (not common in TX) ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/55 "2008-09-23T18:49:12Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I was going to correct you, as **Triskadecamus** did, that “anon” means “soon” or “presently”, only to find that it can mean “right now”, “soon”, or “later”, making it the most useless word in the English language. > > I say “Oh my stars and garters” to replace profanity in front of the kids. I was thrilled when Kelsey Grammer said it in the 3rd X-Men movie. Yeah, “immediately” is the archaic definition. I mostly just use it to confuse people (like the abomination that is “deceptively” using that in a stand alone sentence will tell half of the people in the room one thing and half the opposite). ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/56 "2008-09-23T18:55:33Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > “Anon” (meaning “immediately”. Actually, I have no clue where I picked it up, I’m pretty sure it’s archaic) > “Meh” > “Albeit” > “By the gods!” (Multiply this by the fact that I’m an atheist and you get some squirms. I don’t even say this jokingly anymore, it’s reflexive). > As an extension of the above, “lad” or “lass” as in “By the gods lad/lass, what have you done!?” when a friend screws something up or does something weird > “Bloody 'ell!” > “Dichotomy” > “Dissonant” > “Exceedingly” (combine with above “Exceedingly Dissonant”) > “Betwixt” > “Skulduggery” > “Thrice” > “Utilize” > “Eschew” > “Alas” > “For sooth!” > “Rue” > “Reckon” (Either “I reckon” or “reckoned with”) > “Ire” > “Blast!” > “Curses!” > “A pox on your kin!” > “Aberration” > “God forsaken” (or “forsaken” at all for that matter) as in “God forsaken beast that yearns for apocalypse.” (oh… and yearns) > “Foul” (i.e. “Positively foul”) > “Shall” > “Methinks” > “Pray tell” > “Inane” > “Banter” > “Quell” > “Placate” > “Proles” (“Quell/placate the proles.” In reference to a bunch of other random people in the room getting restless, and the need to find a way to keep everyone occupied. I don’t really even regard them as “proles” it just comes out that way because it sounds good) > “Twilight” > “'Tis” > “Inquire/Inquiry” > “Emulate” > To be fair I don’t use all of them seriously, but they do slip out without thinking in lighthearted conversation. There are probably more as well, I’ll post as I remember them, for example I’ve been known to use random lines from Jabberwocky to illustrate a point (or confuse people, whatever). Anon actually means later. Never mind…hadn’t read far enough yet…agreed on uselessness! ---
**Author:** ![InappropriateHumor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eb8c5e/32.png) [@InappropriateHumor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InappropriateHumor)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/57 "2008-09-23T19:10:54Z")
I love the word anon precisely for its ambiguity. “In the fullness of time” is also very useful, as most people have no idea what I’m talking about and are too shy to ask. I also enjoy: vex(ed) my stars! piffle expansive (even though, or maybe because, most people think I said “expensive”) lest I’ll most likely be appropriating some of the aforementioned words for my own use. And lest you think me a snob, I also use “yonder”, “ya’ll” and “howdy”. I’m very big on “please” and “thank you”. (♪ they are the magic words ♫) P.S. Let’s add appropriating and aforementioned to the list. ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/58 "2008-09-23T20:09:37Z")
> [@Litoris](#): > > Inspired by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=484401) thread: > > [ul] > [li]methinks[/li][li]meh[/li][li]eh[/li][li]thrice[/li][li]shall[/li][li]I’m doing well and you?[/li][li]Please, thank you, you’re welcome, bless you, etc[/li][li]pray tell[/li][/ul] > > I am sure there are others, but those are the ones that popped into my head first. My children also use a lot of “outdated” words regularly – they do converse with me in the house, so have massive vocabularies. Yes, they have both had to define words for their teachers at least once. > > What words or phrases have earned you the “WTF did you just say? No one talks like that in real life!” comments? > > ETA “Cuckold” – I used the word the other day in an IM with a friend who had never heard the word prior – I think it’s now his favourite word! I use lots of rather outmoded words and phrases- including latin and french. Several of my co-workers and friends have admitted to either having to stick with context to figure out what I have spewed out or just let it go over their heads. I find that frustrating as hell!!! If you can’t figure out what I meant- ask me to clarify! ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/59 "2008-09-23T20:12:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > \ > > A common stereotype of Americans is that we are too polite and this one holds true. > > \ Hah?😕 No, no - loud, rude, and arrogant braggarts… ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727/60 "2008-09-23T21:32:59Z")
juxtapose perturbed shall peckish and definitely “meh.” The perfect word to express ennui or enervation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-that-i-say-that-people-dont-say-in-real-life/464727.md?page=4)