# Words that you can't bear to hear used in certain contexts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486 "2005-11-10T23:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/1 "2005-11-10T23:01:58Z")
I hate the word “solution”, but only when used in a specific context. For example, when talking about a solution in chemistry, or a solution to an equation in maths, that’s fine. However, when managers and other business types start using solution to refer to one of their products, like “software solution”, it makes me cringe. I can’t stand to hear the word used in that context, and I’m not entirely sure why. We had a talk the other day given by some big boss from IBM. He was well into his business speak, lots of “networking” etc. etc. and he referred to “software solutions” so many times I couldn’t stand it. What other words can you not stand to be used in a certain context but you are fine with them anywhere else? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/2 "2005-11-10T23:08:22Z")
“Product,” as in “She’s using a lot of product in her hair these days.” I’m not sure why it irritates me, but it does. ---
**Author:** ![ProTem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@ProTem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProTem)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/3 "2005-11-10T23:20:57Z")
I don’t like to hear newscasters talk about the gravitas of anything. It’s this year’s pompous phrase that serves no purpose except to sound like a cliché. ---
**Author:** ![ProTem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@ProTem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProTem)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/4 "2005-11-10T23:22:24Z")
Grow, when used in phrases like “We need to grow our customer satisfaction.” ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/5 "2005-11-10T23:22:59Z")
I agree with the solution one. I don’t know if it’s just a recent thing, but it seems everyone’s describing their products as being a “solution” to something or the other. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/6 "2005-11-11T00:00:38Z")
not so much as a specific word, but pronunciations. Specifically - example 1 - my roomie pronounces ‘thigh’ as thig, rhymes with twig. I detest it. You are not 3 years old, say the damn word. example 2ish - reverting back to the foreign language pronunciation when there is a perfectly valid long established american english pronunciation - if you aint speaking french, dont use the french pronunciation for it … or if there is a perfectly good english word, dont dress up your language with that word of the day calendar. If you mean obsession, dont say idee fixe. If you mean absinthe, say it not absannnnnn[nasal n, drop the ‘t’] ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/7 "2005-11-11T00:06:37Z")
I can’t stand the way a certain radio station news announcer in my area keeps using the word “synchonicity” when she really means “synchonized” or “synchronous.” ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/8 "2005-11-11T00:09:59Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > “Product,” as in “She’s using a lot of product in her hair these days.” I’m not sure why it irritates me, but it does. That one irks the bejeezus outta me. Product. It could be a processed \*meat \* product for crissakes. You need to define the product or it makes no sense! ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/9 "2005-11-11T04:59:00Z")
Anyone who uses “myself” or “yourself” instead of “me” or “you.” “If you have any questions, please contact myself.” It drives me nuts - it’s not correct, it’s not more formal, it’s just wrong and it makes you sound like a pompous moron. ---
**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:** [November 11, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/10 "2005-11-11T05:37:30Z")
“Utilize” or “utilization.” Fucking _use!_ ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/11 "2005-11-11T05:50:53Z")
ax. Its fine if they are talking about trees, but not “I will ax him…” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/12 "2005-11-11T07:59:30Z")
“Marketing” is not “Sales”. Especially phone sales/solicitation. Marketing is a fucking process of product creation, placement and promotion. The phrase “telemarketing” makes me want to pitch lunch. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/13 "2005-11-11T08:22:45Z")
“Empowering”…Latisha’s poetry at the Womyn’s seminar was empowering. Yeah, right…go ask for a raise, Latisha. I wanna see that empower. “Closure”…sorry, but they are still dead. ---
**Author:** ![Zerc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/82dd89/32.png) [@Zerc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zerc)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/14 "2005-11-11T08:40:07Z")
I cannot stand it when the word “resource” is used to refer to a human being. I am sick and tired of statements such as “I’ll see if my resouces are available”. I’m a human being not a stapler! If have also noticed “utilise” being used instead of use. Every time I hear it I want to scream “What wrong with use you moron?” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/15 "2005-11-11T08:54:53Z")
_Issue_, even though I use this one myself all the time, I cringe on every occasion; most of the time, it’s just used because _thing_ doesn’t sound precise enough, even though _issue_ is not really any clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/16 "2005-11-11T12:16:19Z")
**Over Used Buzzwords** Authetic Honor ---
**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:** [November 11, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/17 "2005-11-11T12:56:59Z")
I know it’s perfectly valid, but it still irks me no end when sportswriters use “veteran” to describe an experienced athlete. To me, a veteran is someone who served his/her country in the armed forces. I also hate to hear military terminology used in office settings, e.g.: “Let’s lock and load, people! The division manager is visiting this morning.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/18 "2005-11-11T14:10:40Z")
For some undefensible reason, I hate the word “delicious” and its synonyms when used in non-food-related contexts. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/19 "2005-11-11T14:38:55Z")
Speaking of “solution”, according to my wife this is the new “catchy office verb”. Her boss actually used the phrase “We need to solution this issue!” I’m sorry. If I was in the same room where that phrase was used, I would be rolling on the floor laughing and crying. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486/20 "2005-11-11T15:01:05Z")
> [@YaWanna](#): > > I can’t stand the way a certain radio station news announcer in my area keeps using the word “synchonicity” when she really means “synchonized” or “synchronous.” I’ve heard of “verbing the noun.” I’ve never heard of “adjective-ing the noun.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-cant-bear-to-hear-used-in-certain-contexts/330486.md?page=2)