# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/21 "2001-06-27T00:42:32Z")
supposably orientated dis-orientated nucular Eye-talian ‘yes, dear’ ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/22 "2001-06-27T00:47:03Z")
Crispy. **WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH “CRISP”???!** ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/23 "2001-06-27T01:28:41Z")
Ekscape. Drownded. “Axed” a question. We’re not chopping wood, folks. Ho. “Ho” is what Santa does in his garden. Is it _that_ complicated to tack an ‘r’ on the end when you’re trying to be insulting? Not enough time in your day for _both_ consonants? (Actually, adding “if you know what I mean” to the end of any sentence makes it sound dirty…if you know what I mean. “ **Scylla** has serious wolf-ass…if you know what I mean.” See?) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/24 "2001-06-27T02:37:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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??? In 1976, I spent a month in England with a buddy of mine. In the last week, we were visiting some ruined abbey. We sit down on a bench in a little garden area to eat our lunch (a cold pork pie and two cans of soda, if memory serves). On a nearby bench are a young, attractive English couple. A little Scots terrier runs up to me and my friend, stops, then sits up and begs. The young woman says in a perfect English accent, “He wants a **nosh!** ” Hearing a Yiddish word in an English abbey really took me and my friend by surprise! Years later, I saw the PBS series “The Story of English” which explained that a few common Yiddish words had entered everyday British English in the 19th century (IIRC) due to Jewish merchants involved in wholesale and retail trade in things such as produce, meat, and fish. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/25 "2001-06-27T03:05:17Z")
Oooh, I have a few! **Troubleshoot** : My boss loves this word. Uses it every chance she gets. “Let’s troubleshoot the software.” “Let’s troubleshoot the paperwork.” Nope, how 'bout we just figure out what the hell is wrong with them! **Underwears** : Yes, with an “s.” Makes me want to scream. I agree about **irregardless**. My first professor in grad school was a real hard-ass kinda guy, clearly thought we were all talentless scum. Hearing him use “irregardless” made my day-- HA, Mister Smartypants! Not that I had the nerve to correct him or anything… **Badly** drives my mom bonkers. Her boss uses it all the time. Poor Mom. ---
**Author:** ![Casey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Casey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/26 "2001-06-27T03:18:49Z")
Libary: Take your books back to the libary. Supposably: Supposably she saw the Loch Ness Monster. I think she seen it in a libary book. Grrrrr… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/27 "2001-06-27T03:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhetoric \* > \*\* 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. > \*\* Bang tang away Rhetoric I love that word! Updation!! It’s my new BSD mega-power word. I’ll use it over and over again and because I’m so charismatic and influential other people will begin using it and it will spread across the globe from pole to pole like a verbal fungus! Thanks for the intro to UPDATION!!! And again one more time! “We have to put this system through a complete updation!” “All all project updations complete?” “Implement multi-level updation.” “Updation for it’s own sake.” “Updation dammit! That’s what it’s all about!” “Get with the updation” ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/28 "2001-06-27T04:05:45Z")
How about this one-- I plan **on coming** to your house tonight… What’s wrong with I plan **to come** … Aaack! TMI 😃 ---
**Author:** ![R3nergy8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e99b99/32.png) [@R3nergy8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3nergy8)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/29 "2001-06-27T04:29:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kalashnikov \* > > If you want to banish words, move to France. > > \*\* ``` Someday when you grow up I will explain to you the word "facetious". ``` ---
**Author:** ![Mobius74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@Mobius74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mobius74)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/30 "2001-06-27T04:38:18Z")
Y’all can “fetch yourself to home”, just don’t TELL me about it… ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/31 "2001-06-27T05:09:48Z")
I can’t stand it when my grandmother uses the word “people” for family. As in,“I wish I had more pictures of my people when I was growing up.” Your people? Were these not aunts, uncles, cousins, etc? Were they not family members, for Chrissakes? My grandfather pronounces “accepted” as “assepted.” It makes it really hard to focus on who got accepted where when I’m trying to figure out where the hell he got the pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Gui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@El\_Gui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Gui)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/32 "2001-06-27T05:16:21Z")
. . when people refer to soda, Coke, cola, etc. as **“Pop”**. I hate that!! I have no idea why . . . ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/33 "2001-06-27T05:31:58Z")
I say “nosh,” occasionally. I also say “schmutz” (if that’s how you spell it – I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in print). And I always say “pop,” as nobody from Michigan ever calls it anything else… Words I can’t stand: **facilitate** , mostly because an obnoxious teacher used it frequently **enthused** : what’s wrong with “enthusiastic”? Nothing at all. **gift** as a verb. Icky. **should of, could of, would of** Pure, distilled pain. **Anything-gate** I can only imagine the puzzling of etymologists centuries hence. 😉 **literally** as an intensifier. Most people do not literally explode with anger, and if they do I don’t really want to hear about it. **paradigm** For sheer pretentiousness. Alas, I find myself using it far more often than I’d like to (perhaps it’s unavoidable, as I’m pursuing a career in academia). ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/34 "2001-06-27T05:50:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Katisha \* > \*\*I say “nosh,” occasionally. I also say “schmutz” (if that’s how you spell it – I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in print). And I always say “pop,” as nobody from Michigan ever calls it anything else… > > Words I can’t stand: > > **facilitate** , mostly because an obnoxious teacher used it frequently > **enthused** : what’s wrong with “enthusiastic”? Nothing at all. > **gift** as a verb. Icky. > **should of, could of, would of** Pure, distilled pain. > **Anything-gate** I can only imagine the puzzling of etymologists centuries hence. 😉 > **literally** as an intensifier. Most people do not literally explode with anger, and if they do I don’t really want to hear about it. > **paradigm** For sheer pretentiousness. Alas, I find myself using it far more often than I’d like to (perhaps it’s unavoidable, as I’m pursuing a career in academia). \*\* To add to the pain: Could of went, should of did, etc. Arrrggh!!! ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/35 "2001-06-27T05:59:57Z")
Burg_u_lar V_un_erable I especially hate CORPORATE SPEAK. My employers use it all the time. Everything has to have words like “customer focus”, “needs-based”, and “ongoing”. Nouns misused as verbs also annoy me: “We will _action_ that proposal”. “Upskilling”? What the hell is that? I thought the word was “training”. But the two which really upset me are the misused words **product** and **customer**. In my book, a product is a thing which has been manufactured. Nobody told my bosses at Australia Post that mail is NOT a bloody product. It’s a service. Even an apple is not a product. It is _produce_. Funeral homes, railways, hospitals, police forces, customs authorities, etc all seem to be providing a _product_ these days. Yuck! It is similar with _customer_. I’ve got no problem with being a customer when I walk into a shop, but I really miss the good old days when I could also be a passenger, patron, member, client, user, patient, student, or even inmate (yes, at least one mental hospital I know of refers to those in its care as freaking _customers_!). And don’t get me started on those bloody mission and vision statements that have been in fashion for ten years or so now. Even my local Baptist Church has one. ---
**Author:** ![TN\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TN\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TN_hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/36 "2001-06-27T06:03:17Z")
All of the above, with the notable exception of **y’all**. Sorry, but it’s a damn convenient word. In proper English, “you” is singular, and “you” is plural. “Y’all” is specifically plural. Now, if we could just come up with an acceptable word for “s/he.” _Peeve-o-mine:_ “supposedly” pronounced “supposubly.” Peace, y’all. TN\*hippie ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/37 "2001-06-27T09:16:45Z")
Mine are phrases more than words, but 😛 on anyone who complains. **Fixin’ to**. As in, I’m **fixin to** get ready for work. I heard a radio announcer say it the other day and cringed. **Think outside the box**. My boss says that. I _hate_ my boss. TV weathermen who say **thunderboomers** instead of thunderstorms. It sounds stupid to me. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/38 "2001-06-27T09:32:00Z")
kerfridgulate specnaculise refferfiddle thimbobadation Coldfire. pan ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/39 "2001-06-27T11:20:17Z")
“Expedite” At my first job, the owner would never ask me to do something, only to expedite it. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2001, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205/40 "2001-06-27T11:26:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*it will spread across the globe from pole to pole like a verbal fungus! Actually, language is a virus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-me-cringe/70205.md?page=3)