# Words that make me cringe **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205 "2001-06-26T14:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhetoric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rhetoric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhetoric)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/1 "2001-06-26T14:14:52Z")
There are just some words that make me want to slap people for saying. You know what I’m talking about. For me, it always seems to be the _oh so omnipotent_ bosses that use them. They have the smug grins plastered on their faces as they spout out about how magnificently they handled a situation. Then they shoot off a word like **irregardless**. Can people really be that clueless? Did you know that **irregardless** has been misused so often that it is becoming a legitimate word? It even has an entry in your dictionary. I work for a software company as a business analyst. I send design specs to programmers in India. When I received the most recent completed utility from them, I began to test it as always. Upon completing the update it was designed to perform, a message box popped up that said “ **Updation** Completed” Sometimes I feel like banging my head against the wall. Any words that drive you totally insane when used? ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/2 "2001-06-26T14:27:07Z")
It used to really bother me when my two step-children would say: “She **axed** me a question…” …after a few years, I finally got them to say “ask” or “asked.” ---
**Author:** ![Rhetoric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rhetoric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhetoric)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/3 "2001-06-26T17:31:09Z")
Preventative ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/4 "2001-06-26T18:51:21Z")
Breast Reduction Surgery 😃 _conversely:_ Icepick Through the Scrotum :eek: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/5 "2001-06-26T19:53:35Z")
Proactive. Anyone using this word in my hearing gets ignored for the remainder of their hopefully short lives. I don’t care if they were using it correctly. ---
**Author:** ![shell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@shell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shell)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/6 "2001-06-26T19:56:43Z")
**Orientated**. I blow a head gasket every time I hear this one. Can’t people just say ‘oriented’? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/7 "2001-06-26T20:34:30Z")
i hate envelope when pronounced **on** velope, due to a horrible, horrible, horrible 7th grade english teacher named Mr. Freers. did i mention he was horrible? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/8 "2001-06-26T20:57:02Z")
“Myself” used in pompous mode, the way a former boss of mine used to do it. I saw a letter he had written to a job candidate: “Myself and Eric enjoyed meeting you . . .” Ack ptui ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/9 "2001-06-26T21:00:46Z")
**Empowered**. Its use seems to be declining, but not fast enough. And **flexibility**. When administrators/management people use this term to justify something they’re doing, it generally means “we want enough freedom to screw everybody just the way we want.” ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/10 "2001-06-26T21:04:51Z")
“Idear” instead of idea. “Exspecially” instead of especially ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/11 "2001-06-26T21:11:24Z")
My nomination is **flustrated**. If it ever gets into the dictionary it should be: _that split minute between when a person is flustered and then becomes frustrated._ I hate to mention this but: “If you know what I mean” used too much in conversation is also annoying. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/12 "2001-06-26T21:17:03Z")
**Copacetic** I had a rather imperious boss-of-a-boss who was a relentless micromanager _and_ not-invented-here zealot. While this word is supposed to mean “working in harmony” he would use it when he really meant “we’re doing things my way and I’m pleased.” And the worst part about it is that he thought he was using it in the first meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Ad\_Noctum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ad\_Noctum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ad_Noctum)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/13 "2001-06-26T21:29:14Z")
I get pissed when I hear “guesstimate” either it’s a guess, or an estimate. the one word I can’t stand though, is “it” Nee! nee! nee! ---
**Author:** ![night](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@night](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/night)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/14 "2001-06-26T21:43:23Z")
I really gets to me when people say whatever in the middle of a conversation, it’s like they don’t even care what your talking about. When something someone doesn’t like is called gay it really gets to me too, I mean come on were not back in ye’old day here. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/15 "2001-06-26T22:05:31Z")
For mispronounced words, “nucular.” For real words, “empowerment,” which in my company means, “It’s your fault if something goes wrong, but you still have to do it our way.” Also “breakout session” for “let’s talk about this in little groups.” ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/16 "2001-06-26T22:42:06Z")
Then, **Fisher** , you’ll like the sign posted in the lobby of the nuclear physics lab that I worked in at college: **THOSE WHO SAY “NUCULAR” NOT PERMITTED BEYOND THIS POINT** ---
**Author:** ![R3nergy8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e99b99/32.png) [@R3nergy8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3nergy8)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/17 "2001-06-26T23:02:27Z")
A few things that drive me crazy: When people use Y’all; maybe it’s just that I’m not from the south ,but geez!!! That drives me bonkers!! When people say: “Who is you?” instead of “Who are you?”. Something else that I read in magazines and tabloids that makes me cringe every time I see it: Nosh or Noshed ex.( The crowd of celebrities noshed on gourmet food) or ( There was plenty of great food to nosh on) I don’t know what it is about that word that makes me hate it so much, but I do wish they would banish it in all forms of writing. I mean, who actually SAYS that word in everyday spoken english??? ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/18 "2001-06-26T23:43:15Z")
What really bothers me is when someone finishes every thought with the phrase “know what I mean?” It’s like they need validation for their life from me and actually gets to sounding like they are studdering and rather than use “uhm” they use that phrase. During a sporting event the announcers will invariably use the word “badly”. As in “he struck out badly”. Just gives me the heebie-jeebies. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/19 "2001-06-26T23:55:13Z")
**Agrravated**. It means to make worse, e.g., “The medication aggravated my dermatitis.” While the medication could also irritate your dermatitis, aggravate and irritate are **not** synonyms. When someone says “I was really aggravated” I start wondering exactly how low that person’s IQ really is. Unfortunately, aggravated has been used synonymously with irritated so often that most dictionaries list them as meaning the same thing. Damn those spineless lexicographers! **Loose** , as in “I don’t gamble because I don’t want to loose.” You are all losers. Not “loosers.” Get it right. **It’s**. “It is” is contracted “it’s.” The possessive of “it” is “its.” No apostrophe. No no no. **Penultimate**. Far too many people use this to mean “Ultimate.” They don’t realize that they’re off by one. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/20 "2001-06-27T00:38:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by R3nergy8 \* > \*\* > > Something else that I read in magazines and tabloids that makes me cringe every time I see it: Nosh or Noshed I don’t know what it is about that word that makes me hate it so much, but I do wish they would banish it in all forms of writing. I mean, who actually SAYS that word in everyday spoken english??? \*\* Jews. It’s a Yiddish word. If you want to banish words, move to France. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205.md?page=2)