# Words you hate and why **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709 "2005-12-15T09:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/21 "2005-12-15T17:14:49Z")
“Judgemental” as in “Don’t be judgemental”. I can see where it could be used effectively in some situations but I knew people in college that used it all the frekin’ time. They were baiscally ordering people from having an opinion on anything or at least never to express it if they did. “I don’t think it is a good idea to drop out of high school and have 4 kids before you are 20”. Gasp: “Stop being so judgemental!” ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/22 "2005-12-15T17:21:19Z")
This older guy that I work with always says " blah blah blah… _and stuff_." I don’t hate it but when I read email that he sends out, it is almost like someone else has composed it because of the absence of _and stuff_. ---
**Author:** ![j2browning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@j2browning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j2browning)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/23 "2005-12-15T17:32:18Z")
Since you mention sloppy pronunciations, the ones that make me cringe are: accept when pronounced “ass-ept” asked when pronounced “axed” or “assed” This is baby talk. Where were their grade school teachers when these bad habits were being formed? I suspect the teachers also talked baby talk. height when pronounced “heighth” This is said by people who can pronounce it correctly only in the phrase “height and weight” but always say “heighth and width” oil and boil when pronounced as two syllables “oy-ill” and “boy-ill” * * * The funniest ones only happened with one friend each, so they never bother me any more. One friend pronounced gesture as “guess-ture”. Another friend always pronounced “quarter” as “courter” And this was after he became a dentist. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/24 "2005-12-15T17:32:35Z")
Commentate. Dammit, commentator is bad enough but I can let that go. But you never commentate, you \*comment/i. Along the same lines is orientate. At orientation, you do get orientated, you get oriented. But the thing I hate most is not a word, but a single letter. W. It is the stupidest thing ever that all other letters in the english language are but a single syllable, but “W” has three frickin’ syllables. Why, O Why did whatever idiot decide to make internet addresses “WWW” whatever? In order to say “www.” you have to say ten syllables! That is so dumb!! I hate W. The End. Thanks for listening. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/25 "2005-12-15T17:33:19Z")
Glean. I just hate the sound of it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/26 "2005-12-15T17:53:09Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > Commentate. Dammit, commentator is bad enough but I can let that go. But you never commentate, you \*comment/i. Along the same lines is orientate. At orientation, you do get orientated, you get oriented. > > But the thing I hate most is not a word, but a single letter. W. It is the stupidest thing ever that all other letters in the english language are but a single syllable, but “W” has three frickin’ syllables. Why, O Why did whatever idiot decide to make internet addresses “WWW” whatever? In order to say “www.” you have to say ten syllables! That is so dumb!! I hate W. I’ve started to say it “wuh wuh wuh”, as in “wuh wuh wuh dot whatever dot com”. 🙂 And to “commentate”, I add “orientate”. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/27 "2005-12-15T17:55:22Z")
Gack. Hit submit too soon… oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Rhinocerous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@Rhinocerous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhinocerous)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/28 "2005-12-15T18:03:13Z")
I am going to pre-object to anyone who does not like the word “panties.” I know it’s going to come up, and I rigorously defend what I consider the best word ever invented. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/29 "2005-12-15T18:12:16Z")
Utilize has long been at the top of my list. Paradigm. As in we need to think in a different paradigm. Of course now people say “think outside the box” which I also don’t like. In terms of. As in “what can we do in terms of fixing the problem.” Well, isn’t that a completely superfluous utilization!!! I have a personal thing about Wednesday, and February. Being from the UK originally, I pronounce Wednesday with 3 syllables. It’s WED-NS-DAY, not WENS-DAY. And February isn’t pronounced like January. It has an R in the middle. You can say “Bruce?” So you can say FebRUary. Same with cloTHes vs. close. As in “Did you wash my close?” (I know the lazy, crappy, uneducated pronunciations are considered acceptable now. Jeesh!) And while we’re at it… I saw; I have seen. Learn the difference. Irrespective; Regardless. Learn the difference! “Pre” is over used as a prefix. As in, pre-drilling, pre-boarding, pre-screening. Either you drill, board, screen or you don’t! Log on! Log on to [www.hyuckhyuckhyck.com](http://www.hyuckhyuckhyck.com) to find more stupid answers. Look, you are not logging on. You are visiting. You are surfing to. You are perhaps going to, but unless you have a specific user name and password you are not logging on! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/30 "2005-12-15T18:18:29Z")
> [@Rhinocerous](#): > > I am going to pre-object to anyone who does not like the word “panties.” I know it’s going to come up, and I rigorously defend what I consider the best word ever invented. Thank you for reminding me of that word. I hate that word–to me, it’s another term that sounds like it belittles the feminine. Why do you like it? ---
**Author:** ![Rhinocerous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@Rhinocerous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhinocerous)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/31 "2005-12-15T18:20:23Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Thank you for reminding me of that word. I hate that word–to me, it’s another term that sounds like it belittles the feminine. Why do you like it? Because it belittles the feminine. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/32 "2005-12-15T18:34:21Z")
I just hate ebonics in general. We be… I be… AM IS ARE WAS WERE BE BEING BEEN… People, please learn them all, and when to use them… ☹ And no I am not racist in any capacity at all. So don’t start that… ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/33 "2005-12-15T18:39:38Z")
“Better” used as a verb instead of “improve.” It always sounds ignorant to me, as in “them folks be wantin’ to better theyselves.” If you want to make yourself better, you want to improve yourself. If you want to move to a higher station in life, you want to advance yourself. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/34 "2005-12-15T18:47:29Z")
Poignant. The most pretentious word I can think of. Very ugly-sounding on its own, and makes the speaker sound like Frasier Crane, and makes me want to punch said speaker in the face. This, on the other hand: > [@quadruple\_u](#): > > … like my own personal Vogon poetry … is brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/35 "2005-12-15T19:05:43Z")
While I do agree that many people misuse it as a direct substitute for “use”, “utilize” _does_ have a nuanced difference in connotation. [Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=utilize) explains the difference and gives a good example: > [@Dictionary.com](#): > > …the sentence The teachers were unable to use the new computers might mean only that the teachers were unable to operate the computers, whereas The teachers were unable to utilize the new computers suggests that the teachers could not find ways to employ the computers in instruction… ---
**Author:** ![EmeraldGrue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@EmeraldGrue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmeraldGrue)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/36 "2005-12-15T19:20:23Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Thank you for reminding me of that word. I hate that word–to me, it’s another term that sounds like it belittles the feminine. Why do you like it? Another vote against “panties”, which sound like flimsy floppy tiny things with lace on them. “Panties” should really just be a sub-species of “underwear”. I hate “liberry”. And for real words, “obtain” instead of “get”. “When will we obtain our papers?” Ahhhhhhhh! ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/37 "2005-12-15T19:51:20Z")
The “word” **physicality** , when used in such sentences as “The NHL’s new rules have taken all of the physicality out of the game.” It used to be that only Pierre McGuire used it, but it’s spreading at an alarming rate. Speaking of Pierre McGuire, I third(or whatever we’re up to) **utilize**. The only purpose of that word is to sound pretentious. **Elret** , I think that [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) is splitting way to fine a hair. Do anyone actually use “utilize” in that sense? The word **loose** , because an incredible number of people confuse it for the word “lose”. The words don’t even sound the same! I must say that I’m surprised at the vote for **poignant** , though. What alternative would you suggest? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/38 "2005-12-15T19:57:05Z")
[QUOTE=EmeraldGrue] Another vote against “panties”, which sound like flimsy floppy tiny things with lace on them. “Panties” should really just be a sub-species of “underwear”.QUOTE] This idea just baffles the shit out of me. Panties just sound like “little pants” to me which is kind of what they are. I absolutley don’t see how this is belittling or sexist in any way. You don’t call men’s underwear panties because they are a different style and they need to be differentiated easily sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/39 "2005-12-15T20:09:17Z")
I have to agree with friend Liberal here about the word utilize. It is one of those words that, while it technically may have a use and meaning, has been so hijacked by incompetent middle manages that is has become irrevocably tainted. As a matter of fact I pretty much despise that whole sub set of the language. ---
**Author:** ![Rhinocerous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@Rhinocerous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhinocerous)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709/40 "2005-12-15T20:13:44Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] > [@EmeraldGrue](#): > > Another vote against “panties”, which sound like flimsy floppy tiny things with lace on them. “Panties” should really just be a sub-species of “underwear”.QUOTE] > This idea just baffles the shit out of me. Panties just sound like “little pants” to me which is kind of what they are. I absolutley don’t see how this is belittling or sexist in any way. You don’t call men’s underwear panties because they are a different style and they need to be differentiated easily sometimes. I actually don’t understand how the word is remotely sexist, either. But I do find the word arousing . . . it evokes images . . . hardly original, but yes, the cheerleader sleepovers, pillow fights, naughty schoolgirls. All of my favorite fantasies include panties. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-hate-and-why/335709.md?page=3)