Phrases That Make Me Cringe. Bit of a Rant. - Page 10

David Barnett · August 10th, 2008, 11:39 PM

Another one that comes from ignorami trying to look smart -- spelling per se as "persay".

David Barnett · August 10th, 2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unseen

No, it's Blargsniffer Duffy Hypnoblarp

tomi · August 11th, 2008, 02:13 AM

Has this one been done?

"His plan wasn't working, so he decided to take a different tact."

Nope, sorry. Tact is the art of polite reticence. The word is tack, meaning a direction taken when navigating a sailboat. It's a nautical metaphor.

Unseen · August 11th, 2008, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodeoTex

How come my Word grammer checker always wants to substiture 'that' for 'which'?

I think, actually, the checker knows that the two are often confused and is simply asking you to double-check. I doubt if the checker can actually distinguish between the two.

David Barnett · August 11th, 2008, 04:19 AM

"Overexaggerated"

Unseen · August 11th, 2008, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhdfoster

Ahhh, I'm from a college town and our beloved coach Bobby Bowden would say things like "If we want to win in the second half, we'll have to quit fumbling the ball and score more touch downs".

Oh really?

A lot of amusement comes during the sports portion of each evening newscast as sports people almost invariably state the obvious: "We lost because (the other team) played a better game" or some variant thereon can be heard almost every evening. Why do sports fans tolerate that kind of horsesh*t? Suppose the station's resident meteorologist stated that "It rained today because little droplets of water fell out of the sky"?

Nick JD · August 11th, 2008, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unseen

I think, actually, the checker knows that the two are often confused and is simply asking you to double-check. I doubt if the checker can actually distinguish between the two.

The grammar checker is probably differentiating between restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers. It's probably needing commas. Unless you're writing for someone who cares, I'd ignore it.

Colo Springs E · August 11th, 2008, 08:24 AM

"He had already went to the store."

"He ain't got no money."

"It don't matter..."

David Barnett · October 14th, 2008, 07:58 PM

Using "dominate" or "prejudice" as adjectives, instead of "dominant" or "prejudiced".

andromeda673 · October 14th, 2008, 09:03 PM

I got one, I'm watching a hockey game right now, and the announcer just said "there's a disturbance in front of the net" and it was a full brawl

what the heck

B Valley · October 14th, 2008, 11:42 PM

The phrases:
"That being said, blah blah blah" and
"Having said that, blah blah blah".
They're both pointless, meaningless and better left unsaid. I worked with a guy who could not have a conversation without using both of those. He drove me nuts.
Having said that, I will say no more.

andromeda673 · October 14th, 2008, 11:57 PM

i can't stand it when people use the word "like" with every other word, my old roommate was known for it.

"hey dude were like gonna go grab some beers at like mini's, wanna chug with us"

it was a foreign language

cmatthes · October 14th, 2008, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-man

When people spell Squier "Squire".

That's actually the way Fender first spelled it. Seriously.

For me, it bugs me when somebody drops an F-bomb (or similar four letter word) and then says, "pardon my French". That is most certainly not French.

Geo · October 15th, 2008, 12:01 AM

How are you?
"I'm good"

lostpick · October 15th, 2008, 12:05 AM

"and what not"
habitually used as an closing embelishment
on every paragraph.... used by my son's social studies
teacher...i could just picture it and along with the loud
gum chewing....and she had tenure

Unseen · October 15th, 2008, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geo

How are you?
"I'm good"

Well, don't you think "How are you?" is a potentially ambiguous question? If it's an implied "How GOOD are you?" that is a perfectly well response.

On the other hand, if you interpret it as and implied "How WELL are you?," then it's an odd question to ask unless the other person has been unwell lately.

Colloquially, it's something people say to imply all's well (or tolerable) in their world.

gtrplr · October 15th, 2008, 12:43 AM

Sorry if these have been mentioned before. I didn't read the whole thread.

"Peace of mind". This drives me nuts, and it's used in every ad on TV and radio. This insurance gives you peace of mind. Buy this car and you'll have peace of mind. Our security system gives you peace of mind. Get a new air conditioner and you'll have peace of mind. Our gasoline contains new scrub-o-tane which cleans your engine and gives you peace of mind. For peace of mind, buy our brand of soft drink, antacid, athlete's foot remedy, computer, garbage, crap, whatever!!!! I'd like to give them a peace, er, I mean, piece of my mind.

Unquote. How do you unquote something? If you "quote" something, you don't "unquote" it. You "end quote" it.

The "like" thing. The guy who works next to me uses "like" as if Webster's had a sale on the word, and he bought out the entire stock.

studio1087 · October 15th, 2008, 12:54 AM

I think we should all watch the movie Fargo.

Lots of people in WI say yaaaaaaa (dragging the vowel) when the mean yes. Hey is added to the yaaaa when something is very impotant.

"Yaaa hey the Packers are on at noon"........it hurts my ears.

Dave Hopping · October 15th, 2008, 12:59 AM

Mike Love,1963-"NOW my girl will be workin' on her pompoms NOW".
Paul Mc Cartney,1973-"But if this ever-changing world IN which we live IN ".
I'm like,these dudes are AWESOME and stuff,but HELLOOOOO.

charlie chitlin · October 15th, 2008, 01:00 AM

How about, "At this point in time"?
As opposed to what?
This point in space?
"At this point" will do nicely.
And where did con-tro-ver-see-ul come from?
Con-tro-ver-shul is still correct.
And a "factoid", is a simulated or imagined fact...something that resembles a fact, but really isn't...it's not a little fact.
That would be a "factlet"; but I don't think it's a real word.
My all-time favorite, though, is: after I once "dissed" a teenage girl, she said, "Totally, like, whatever!"

Papa Joe · October 15th, 2008, 01:41 AM

The one that really bugs me is "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"..
If a mind is terrible then it should be wasted..
It should be " to waste a mind is a terrible thing",or "it's a terrible thing to waste a mind"

macheesmo3 · October 15th, 2008, 01:46 AM

Just looked through the whole thread..... I discovered that nobody ever gave the correct wording for the OP's problem. ( a broadcatser said " for all intensive purposes")
The proper way to say this ( which has been bastardized ) is " For all intents and purposes"

I know it makes me sound like a word **** , but well , I guess I am !

Unseen · October 15th, 2008, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Hopping

Mike Love,1963-"NOW my girl will be workin' on her pompoms NOW".
Paul Mc Cartney,1973-"But if this ever-changing world IN which we live IN ".
I'm like,these dudes are AWESOME and stuff,but HELLOOOOO.

Two for the famed Department of Redundancy Department.

Unseen · October 15th, 2008, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa Joe

The one that really bugs me is "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"..
If a mind is terrible then it should be wasted..
It should be " to waste a mind is a terrible thing",or "it's a terrible thing to waste a mind"

But at the same time, I'm glad grammarians don't write dialog because the "correct" forms aren't how people actually speak and would make for a dreadful read.

The only wrong way to speak (in nonacademic colloquial terms) is in a manner that leads to misunderstandings.

Slow Reflexes · October 15th, 2008, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macheesmo3

Just looked through the whole thread..... I discovered that nobody ever gave the correct wording for the OP's problem...

Nobody but the OP, you mean? ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by e-merlin

I just heard a newscaster say,

August 10th, 2008, 11:39 PM	#361 (permalink)
David Barnett Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: LIttle Rock, AR Age: 52 Posts: 5,411	Another one that comes from ignorami trying to look smart -- spelling per se as "persay". __________________ "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." -- H. Simpson

August 11th, 2008, 04:19 AM	#365 (permalink)
David Barnett Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: LIttle Rock, AR Age: 52 Posts: 5,411	"Overexaggerated" __________________ "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." -- H. Simpson

August 11th, 2008, 08:24 AM	#368 (permalink)
Colo Springs E Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 5,174 5 Photos	"He had already went to the store." "He ain't got no money." "It don't matter..." __________________ Think I'll pack it in and Buy a pickup Take it down to LA...

October 14th, 2008, 07:58 PM	#369 (permalink)
David Barnett Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: LIttle Rock, AR Age: 52 Posts: 5,411	Using "dominate" or "prejudice" as adjectives, instead of "dominant" or "prejudiced". __________________ "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." -- H. Simpson

October 14th, 2008, 11:42 PM	#371 (permalink)
B Valley Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2008 Location: Glendale, Az Posts: 539	The phrases: "That being said, blah blah blah" and "Having said that, blah blah blah". They're both pointless, meaningless and better left unsaid. I worked with a guy who could not have a conversation without using both of those. He drove me nuts. Having said that, I will say no more. __________________ How many guitars is enough? Just one more...

August 11th, 2008, 02:13 AM	#363 (permalink)
tomi Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 361	Has this one been done? "His plan wasn't working, so he decided to take a different tact." Nope, sorry. Tact is the art of polite reticence. The word is tack, meaning a direction taken when navigating a sailboat. It's a nautical metaphor.

October 14th, 2008, 09:03 PM	#370 (permalink)
andromeda673 Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Port Washington, WI Age: 24 Posts: 435	I got one, I'm watching a hockey game right now, and the announcer just said "there's a disturbance in front of the net" and it was a full brawl what the heck

October 14th, 2008, 11:57 PM	#372 (permalink)
andromeda673 Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Port Washington, WI Age: 24 Posts: 435	i can't stand it when people use the word "like" with every other word, my old roommate was known for it. "hey dude were like gonna go grab some beers at like mini's, wanna chug with us" it was a foreign language

October 15th, 2008, 12:01 AM	#374 (permalink)
Geo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hendersonville, TN Age: 59 Posts: 2,471 15 Photos	How are you? "I'm good" __________________ "Somewhere between culture and agriculture"

October 15th, 2008, 12:05 AM	#375 (permalink)
lostpick Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Staten Island, NYC Posts: 1,006	"and what not" habitually used as an closing embelishment on every paragraph.... used by my son's social studies teacher...i could just picture it and along with the loud gum chewing....and she had tenure

October 15th, 2008, 12:43 AM	#377 (permalink)
gtrplr TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Age: 55 Posts: 55	Sorry if these have been mentioned before. I didn't read the whole thread. "Peace of mind". This drives me nuts, and it's used in every ad on TV and radio. This insurance gives you peace of mind. Buy this car and you'll have peace of mind. Our security system gives you peace of mind. Get a new air conditioner and you'll have peace of mind. Our gasoline contains new scrub-o-tane which cleans your engine and gives you peace of mind. For peace of mind, buy our brand of soft drink, antacid, athlete's foot remedy, computer, garbage, crap, whatever!!!! I'd like to give them a peace, er, I mean, piece of my mind. Unquote. How do you unquote something? If you "quote" something, you don't "unquote" it. You "end quote" it. The "like" thing. The guy who works next to me uses "like" as if Webster's had a sale on the word, and he bought out the entire stock. __________________ Randal Smith alias Smitty the Kid "I'm so much cooler online." http://i-s-o-p.com/SmittyBio.htm

October 15th, 2008, 12:54 AM	#378 (permalink)
studio1087 Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Near Milwaukee Age: 44 Posts: 3,961 36 Photos	I think we should all watch the movie Fargo. Lots of people in WI say yaaaaaaa (dragging the vowel) when the mean yes. Hey is added to the yaaaa when something is very impotant. "Yaaa hey the Packers are on at noon"........it hurts my ears. __________________ JLG Carry On

October 15th, 2008, 12:59 AM	#379 (permalink)
Dave Hopping Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Aurora,Colorado Posts: 606	Mike Love,1963-"NOW my girl will be workin' on her pompoms NOW". Paul Mc Cartney,1973-"But if this ever-changing world IN which we live IN ". I'm like,these dudes are AWESOME and stuff,but HELLOOOOO.

October 15th, 2008, 01:00 AM	#380 (permalink)
charlie chitlin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bucktown, Pa Age: 47 Posts: 2,289	How about, "At this point in time"? As opposed to what? This point in space? "At this point" will do nicely. And where did con-tro-ver-see-ul come from? Con-tro-ver-shul is still correct. And a "factoid", is a simulated or imagined fact...something that resembles a fact, but really isn't...it's not a little fact. That would be a "factlet"; but I don't think it's a real word. My all-time favorite, though, is: after I once "dissed" a teenage girl, she said, "Totally, like, whatever!" __________________ Nil illigitimi carborundum http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...6-bf3537901a07

October 15th, 2008, 01:41 AM	#381 (permalink)
Papa Joe Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pontiac Mi. Age: 79 Posts: 208	The one that really bugs me is "A mind is a terrible thing to waste".. If a mind is terrible then it should be wasted.. It should be " to waste a mind is a terrible thing",or "it's a terrible thing to waste a mind" __________________ Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body,but rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up,totally worn out,and loudly proclaiming:"WOW,what a ride!"

October 15th, 2008, 01:46 AM	#382 (permalink)
macheesmo3 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ocean Springs , Mississippi Age: 35 Posts: 480	Just looked through the whole thread..... I discovered that nobody ever gave the correct wording for the OP's problem. ( a broadcatser said " for all intensive purposes") The proper way to say this ( which has been bastardized ) is " For all intents and purposes" I know it makes me sound like a word **** , but well , I guess I am !