Every time I hear someone say ‘eh’ in a questioning tone or to mean ‘um actually’ I lose my shit. Or even just to play something down.
Like I literally come to hate the person instantly. Its a very strong feeling on a very small sound.
Instant downvotes if I see it on Lemmy too. HATE IT.
How about all y’all?
‘could care less’ instead of “couldn’t”. I know it’s just a regional / generational difference, I don’t really care about being a prescriptivist or that my way is more “logical”. Phrases and idioms can be stupid and counterintuitive. But that
'ssaid, it bugs the living hell out of me, and I instantly think anyone using it is an ignorant dumbass.The phrase was used decades ago to be somewhat of a dismissal or threat.
As in I care so little already, do you want me to care even less which will be not at all?
“Dad! You don’t care about my hamster!”
“I could care less…” (bitch again and the next stop for hammy is the freezer)
Like people who complain about “literally” being used hyperbolically, I’m always a tad concerned that someone wasn’t able to discern this to the point of making that inability known publicly.
Gonna bookmark this; it’s a great explanation.
This is the only place (Lemmy) that I’ve informed people and wasn’t met with a series of condescending lectures from kids. Shocked I have no downvotes actually!
Quite so. Isn’t there an Internet law that you can never post something pedantic about language without making a typo or other error?
If I cared any less I’d have to start thinking about how little I care, and I don’t care enough for that.
Absolutely.
Apart from the exact cases the lovely krudler just mentioned I agree with this. The misuse is very annoying.
I literally dislike it whenever anyone uses the word literally when they clearly mean figuratively.
Its just extra syllables to lie to me.
As I said in another comment, it isn’t just using it incorrectly that’s annoying, it’s also using it unnecessarily. People use “literally” for emphasis in sentences where no adverb is needed. It should only be used if you are clarifying that you mean literally when the sentence could otherwise be interpreted as figurative
It’s just become a stylistic habit. People do it in imitation of what they hear everyone else do. This actually makes it even more annoying to me, though I know this is just instinctive human behavior.
“It is what it is”. This cliche is symptomatic of learned helplessness and only serves to protect the status quo against any sort critical analysis and reform.
Pretty context dependant. Some things you can’t change and have to deal with, so it is what it is. We got shit tools but the work needs to be done now so it is what it is.
Fully agree, it contributes nothing but impotence. I make a habit of saying “we’re stuck with this unless…”
Sometimes change is impossible, but not nearly as often as this defeated little phrase gets thrown around.
“It’s just common sense.” No, it’s usually either an inference you made based on incorrect information, or it’s information you gleaned from your particular environment that not everyone has experienced.
Terry Pratchett used to describe that as the school of “what my mate down the pub said” thinking.
I catch that shit in political debate all the time.
“We need some common sense gun laws!”
The speaker is saying, “Whatever I deem to be common sense is the right way of thinking and anyone disagreeing is an asshole.”
Think I’ve eliminated that phrase from my comments and speech. I’ve sure tried.
Any turn of phrase which is stated incorrectly. Eg.
- case and point
- doggie dog world
- at your beckon call
- they’re on tender hooks
- should tie you over
- it’s a mute point
I could care less.
I know what all of these are supposed to be except the tender hooks one. I’ve said it aloud and it’s driving me crazy because I can NOT figure it out.
Is it a regional one maybe? I’m from the US so maybe it’s one from elsewhere in the world? I bet I’m going to feel like a real dumb dumb when I figure out the answer and it’s hella obvious lmao.
Edit: Googled it and figured out that it’s actually “tenterhooks” and just basically means that someone is uneasy. I’ve never heard that phrase in my life. Kinda dope that I learned a new phrase today!
Yes, tenterhooks are used to stretch and stress fabric.
I imagine tenderhooks, if they existed, would probably be to tenderize meat or something. If they existed.
Ah the classics of !aneurysmposting@sopuli.xyz
This really my wife’s story, but: Person: “That really bottles my mind!” My Wife: “You mean ‘boggles’ my mind?” Person: “No, its Bottle.” Ooookay.
One bit of English that’s always stated incorrectly…
…is the word “incorrectly”.
I get unreasonably enraged at “am I the only one who”. It’s so arrogant and dismisses all the people who have been expressing the same opinion. Yes, you’re so special and unique, you must be the first person to bring it up.
I’ve also had it with “literally”. There is no need to use that word unless you are saying something that might be interpreted as figurative and you are clarifying that you mean it literally. “We literally live on the same street”. Is there a figurative meaning to that? Why do you need to specify you mean it literally?
I’ve also had it with “literally”. There is no need to use that word unless you are saying something that might be interpreted as figurative and you are clarifying that you mean it literally. “We literally live on the same street”. Is there a figurative meaning to that? Why do you need to specify you mean it literally?
I came here only to search for this one. And to add some, but that’s later.
“Let that sink in…”
All I think about is what does the sink want, and why is it outside? Any point they were trying to make is now a joke to me. Better to say “think about that for a minute.”
“Most people think ___.” No, unless you’re citing a statistic or roughly quantifying how many anecdotes you’ve heard agreeing with you to support that statement (both of which rarely happen), that’s just your opinion wrapped up in language to avoid actually justifying it.
Additionally, even if most people think something, I don’t care what most people think. In my experience what most people think vs what the best thing to think is are often not aligned.
When talking politics:
“It’s plain as day” “Common sense” “I don’t know about that” “We all know” “It’s just natural” “Normal” “Everybody (verbs) (x)”
Like that kind of stuff irks me in normal conversations but when we are talking about something that is part of common debate, obviously it’s fucking not already known “common sense”, and dismissing evidence that clearly contradicted it by saying “I don’t about that” or similar just sends me.
It’s a problem with trolls, strangers, and even loved ones for me. It’s just wild
I tend not to boil people down to their habits. They likely don’t know it bothers you and don’t know why they’ve made an enemy of you. Their reaction to me bringing it up will absolutely determine how I feel about them, though. I can teach myself to get past almost anything if I can justify their action in good faith.
“Bro” or any variation thereof that assumes familiarity where none exists.
The artifice offends.
Started getting offended by “bro” sometime in my early 40s. “Dude” is much the same. If we’re friends? I won’t even notice. But if the speaker is older, I feel talked down to. If they’re younger, it feels disrespectful.
Most of my friends are half my age, I’m fine with that address from them. Other people? “You don’t know me like that.”
Yeah I also don’t notice it if we’re friends. It’s the assumption of familiarity that bugs me/feels disrespectful, I think…
Oh god; where to start?
- ‘literally’. It’s best when using the Essex pronunciation of ‘litchally’ for maximum cringey delivery.
- ‘the ask’. Because ‘request’ or ‘question’ is too hard to say around the pablum.
- ‘the spend’. Off the car lot, it sounds super-douchey.
- ‘action this’. Why decide on a verb like ‘do’ or ‘complete’ or ‘revisit’ or ‘prioritize’?
- ‘begs the question’. Chances are, it really doesn’t. And using that wrongly makes you sound like Mike Tyson saying ‘utilize’
And now there’s one more:
- ‘utilize’; or, really, anyone using stilted ‘formal’ phrasing instead of plain English. You don’t sound posh, but you do sound like you’re three kids in a trenchcoat trying to fake being an adult so you don’t get booted from the R-rated movie.
‘action this’. Why decide on a verb like ‘do’ or ‘complete’ or ‘revisit’ or ‘prioritize’?
FWIW, ive been questioning our use of a security tool and get blank stares when I say “it doesn’t change anything”. Yet somehow they understand “it generates great data but our process doesn’t action anything”
In writing: “A Masterclass in X” to describe some sort of exemplary behavior. Hate hate hate seeing it.
I’m more forgiving with spoken language, but agree with the use of “literally” to mean “figuratively”, it bothers me.
And in niche hairstyling lingo I hate when people use the word “micro-plopping” to describe scrunching or blotting with a cloth, because that technique precedes the word by at least 25 years, it wasn’t invented recently and didn’t need a new word. Plopping is tying your wet hair up in a cloth in a accordioned arrangement for awhile, and scrunching is just scrunching. What they are describing is better explained by saying they blotted with a cloth and/or scrunched with a cloth.
Similar to a ‘masterclass in x’ that I dislike is ‘the art of x’
“No offence, but …” followed by an insult.
Or starting off with an insult, then ending it with “Just saying …”
As if these phrases nullify being a dick. If you’re going to be an asshole, own it. Don’t make excuses up.
That is the most Ricky Bobby thing ever, but sadly its also a very southern thing
Ricky Bobby
Sadly we get this phrase in ireland too. Especially from a certain class of society
Shake and bake?
“Literally” meaning figuratively. I’m fine with most words changing with use; but we need that word! It’s how you indicate you’re not exaggerating or speaking dramatically! Especially these days, that clarification is important!
I’m also seeing a lot of corporate buzzwords in job descriptions. I get that these are essentially technical terms, but they’re not being used for accuracy or clarity here. You just don’t like how short your description is.
Eh, to make a long story short, corpos have been using jargon and buzzwords in job descriptions, literally forever. 🤪
I’ve taken to using ‘actually literally’ to indicate I’m not being literally figurative. It’s a losing battle, though. Anything we come up with to mean being literal will become a dramatic enhancer eventually.
Yes, and some people manage to make it slightly worse by trying to be correct saying figuratively instead. You don’t need to add that!
