KellyC

Have you ever liked a certain word because of its sound, but then someone comes along and use it either excessively, in the wrong context, pronounce it wrong, or just say it in a really annoying way and totally kills the word for you?

I have a few words that other people runined for me, in that in dread to use it and will avoid to use it at all cost (except in this post).

That word is "kudos," I used to really like that word because it sounds cool, there's a certain sophistication--exotic even--to that word. Then my HS principal uses it, wayyyy too much. Every morning she'd go on the intercom and announce something, when she gets to complimenting some one--student, teacher--she'd say "Kudos to _____ for _____" and she just keep on using it over and over and over again, it's almost as if she doesn't have any other words for to replace that word. I don't know when she started using it, but it wasn't until a couple friends of mine talk about it that I realize, yes, it's annoying. Then I'd start paying attention to her speaking on the intercom and specifically listen for that word, and every time she says it, I just wince. This drags on until the end of the year when I finally catch the break of summer.

Thank god she was fired during the summer because of a scandal or else I might've gone crazy.

So folks, any words?

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FngKestrel

I had one instructor who overused the word, "potentially". It drove me nuts. We would have discussions in class and he would use that word to answer every question. One student in my class picked up the habit unconciously and he and the instructor had the most surreal conversation ever.

A word that doesn't bother me, but I suspect bothers Inigo Montoya would be "inconceivable".

dlish

my sister in law uses the word actually in nearly every sentence.

sometimes as the first word of the sentence.. "Actually, did you know..."
sometimes as the last word of the sentence... " Did you know that..... actually"
sometimes as the first and last words of a sentence " actually, did you know... actually"
sometimes with a double actually.."did you know actually, actually..."
sometimes with a double actually and an actually starting the next sentence..

ok so you get my drift... it used to get on my nerves like theres no tomorrow.. but after 2 years now, im growing immune to it.

actually, it wouldnt actually be that bad if she actually wasnt an english teacher actually.. really!

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Suave

Dichotomy. My god, if there was ever a word loved by academics (and a couple of my friends)... last year I think I heard it at least twice a day (coincidence? I think NOT!), which is too often for a word so uncommon.

On a slightly related tangent, I like the word niggardly, but chances are slim to none that I will end up using it in conversation due to the word it resembles.

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ChistledStone

Either the word "like" (teenaged girls broke it) or totally. I want to use those words without sounding like a 14 year old just hitting puberty.

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A.minor.fall.then.a.major.lift

Blackthorn

One of my current client peeps says "Having said that... blah blah blah". It shows up so many times in every conversation that we've started keeping track. The current record is six HST's in a single 1 hour meeting. Annoying....then again it's tough being perfect.

Single words... "like" and "dude" and so help me if you use them both in the same sentence. Having said that... like dude ... you should switch to decafe! Arrrrrgh...

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Charlatan

Eclectic... as in, "I have eclectic taste" or "that film was eclectic"...

over and misused.

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Fremen

Two words that I hate to hear together at the start of a sentence now are, "I mean".
Or the overuse of "um".

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Google

gremlinx8

I'd go with plethora. I didn't use to hear it so much, but now I hear it quite a bit. Even my mom uses it.

Gatorade Frost

Inconceivable!

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Emo Philips

politicophile

Irregardless - It's not even a real word.

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The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

noodle

Whenever. I had a friend who used to start every single flipping story with "Okay, so whenever I was going ..." Not like "each time", but that specific time. So obnoxious. And terrorism. My boss actually used it in talking about sexual harrassment at work. My coworkers so do not terrorize me.

Phrases from Hell:
"I think we're going to need to process map this before..."
"Thanks for all you do."
"We know you love your job, that's not in question, but..."
"You're so full of energy."
"I hear what you're saying."
"Keep up the good job."
"You've got a great personality."

I cringe every single time I hear one of those because they're so loaded and most end up being quite negative.

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Elphaba

I had a professor that couched most of his statements with "arguably or arguable." I still get the "ACK" response whenever I hear the word now.

optik_nerve

I know this one chick and she uses the most uncommon words ALL the time. I honestly think she does it to sound more intelligent than what she really is. Having said that, she actually has a book of words that she writes down and uses in conversation. It's like a...plethora dude. It's almost eclectic and I have to give her kudos for doing this...I mean, who can sit there and look up the word smitten and clamidya and use it in everyday conversation. It's inconcievable.

FngKestrel

All those damn catch phrases at work, never liked them:
"Touch base..."
"Going forward..."
"Action items..."
"Bandwidth..."

AquaFox

Syllabus --- why can't people just say schedule or course outine?



terrorist--- to over applied lately... they even refer to great wild west criminals terrorists... since when was billy the kid a terrorist? ... and i've even heard newscasters calling kids terrorists when they do stupid stuff like pull fire alarms and less serious pranks

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...AquaFox...

skier

I hear what you're saying. Actually, this is arguably the most, like, annoying paragraph in this thread. I expect to see some dichotomous replies in response to it. I can't say I find any words particularly annoying. I have a friend that has a word of the day calendar and finds a way to put the word in our conversation, but it's more funny than aggravating.

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Marvelous Marv

"At this point in time" instead of "at this time."

"You know" ad infinitum.

For those in the medical professions, "contraindicated."

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777

It sounds cool and nearly causes you to abandon hope, and give in to the villians after hearing it. But after just about every villian at some point now says, "Resistance is futile.", it loses it's edge.

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Roger Zelazny

feelgood

"Dude, I'm trippin out"
"Whoa dude, im stoned"
"Dude..."
"Dude!"
"Dudeeeeeeeee"
"Dude, did you see that?"
"Dude! that's sick!"

You get the drift

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tec-9-7

w3rd! 1. The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

5757

Ouch...........that almost sounds like me

Yeah, so the word that I can't stand anymore is...............................
essence.

In essence
In essence
In essence
In essence
In essence!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


Also for+sure= Like, for sure! OMG. Kill me please if I have to hear that one more time. (My sister is 16)

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sadistikdreams

Blatant.

When people are all like, "god what a blatent lie", "it's so blatantly obvious", "he blatantly did whatever".

Come on, get a new word, man.

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The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
-Lin Yutang

hearts, by d.a.

fresnelly

Comedian David Cross does a good bit about the misuse of the word "Literally"; especially by sportscasters.

For example:

"Oh Man! He literally tore the quarterback's head off with that tackle!"

No, he <i>metaphorically</i> tore his head off you @*&$%&!

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cellophanedeity

"unique"

Ugh... I hate people who say that they are "unique" or that anything is "unique." It's overused, and most of the time it's not true!

aKula

"Going forward". It puts me in a state of mind where I don't even really listen to or attempt to comprehend the rest of the sentence.

MSD

http://www.askoxford.com/results/?vi...r=score%2Cname

Informal != not real


I try to vary my vocabulary usage so I don't get into the habit of using one word too much. I have my catch phrases, but those are reserved for use at proper times only.

Overall, misuse and abuse has destroyed the word "literally," and I frequently hear it used in place of "practically," "nearly," or "essentially."

little_tippler

anyway..........
and basically.........

I hear them a lot.

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Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

maleficent

empowered... 5 cent pop psychology word used by anyone who took a psych 101 course.

Love - most over freakin' used word in the world...

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Leto

I have a word and a phrase:

The word is 'absolutely' when used as a agreement. Such as: Q: 'would you like to come to the movie with us?' A: ' Absolutely'


The phrase is 'in essence'. I was in a meeting once, when a guy used this phrase 13 times within 10 mins. We took score. It was pathetic.


edit:

oops, dudes! Basically I just scrolled back, and saw the phrase 'in essence' logged above. In essence, I absolutely did not perform a unique search of this forum, whick I am empowered to do, blatantly creating double entries irregardless of the toolset available to me...

Redlemon

I'm prone to doing that; I realized it about a half-year ago, so I'm trying to make an effort to stop. So, thanks for reminding me to listen to myself again.

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5757

Actually dude, its uh, okay to actually repeat what someone else says in a thread. Just as long as it is actually your opinion. You actually can have the same opinion as somebody else actually. In essence it's all good. Be yourself. Don't do a search to make sure you aren't repeating somebody else's actual opinion. Your's is still unique and lovely. Anyway, that's basically it dude. Got it? Absolutely fantastic! Kudos to you!!

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stevie667

I destroy the meanings of words all the time, in fact i destroyed the meaning of my own name for a few days a couple of years back. That was annnoying i can tell you.

Gets even more annoying when someone else does it for you.

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Kadath

NO. It was added because they had to cave to the fact that millions of fools were using it. Think about the word. Ir- = not. Regardless = without regard to. Therefore, "irregardless", if such a word was acceptable, would be with regard to. It does not. It "means" (and by that I mean does not mean) the same as regardless. This kind of stupidity that has inflammable and flammable meaning the same thing. Hopefully one day the English language will be a complete impediment to communication.

I've been using "dreadful" too much lately, but my least favorite word right now is "Google." as in "Just Google it!," as delivered by my tech-deficient father, who thinks he's discovered the Holy Grail and needs to tell every about it.

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guthmund

Geez, that's me...

Fantastic. That's my word. My new boss uses the word 'fantastic' to describe everything. The amazing thing is, it sounds the same everytime. Like she's genuinely thrilled with what you've done.

"I've got that new reference list for you."
"Oh, fantastic!"

"I've finished shelving the new arrivals."
"Oh, fantastic!"

"Well, if you must know, I had a sandwhich for lunch."
"Oh, fantastic!"

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No signature. None. Seriously.

Coppertop

For me it is "very unique." Yeah, that really chaps my hide.

Lately my girlfriend has taken to saying "ironic" or one of its iterations, seldom properly. Experience, however, has taught me to hold my tongue.

leftyderek

It is similar for me, just like the word 'awesome'.
I hate it when I tell someone something random or of low importance, they reply 'oh that's AWESOME!'

And another thing I can't stand is, people say 'how's it going?' to me and walk away when I was about to reply- why ask if you don't even care? why can't they just say 'hi' or 'oi' etc.?

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-Die Lust der Zerstörung ist gleichzeitig eine schaffende Lust.

-...and god said
Lx1,go!
and there was light...

Willravel

ever since the chumba wumba episode of family guy, everyone around me has been saying "nice" too often.

5757

Niiice. I love when people make me laugh out loud on here. Fanastic!

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Hey! Wait! I've got a new complaint, Forever in debt to ((your)) priceless advice. - Nirvana

hambone

If you have ever worked in tech support, you should hate the word 'basically'

If you have worked in tech support and DON'T hate that word....you are probably the guy/girl who uses it way too much.

If everything was soooo 'basic' they wouldn't be calling the tech support line anyway

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