Any particular word(s), phrase(s), etc. you particularly despise?

[Ivan Seeking]

Power [anything]. [I once thought about marketing a "Power Tie" that came with a plug]
Family values [as it normally is meant to falsely define a particular political persuasion]
You Betcha [a relatively new aversion of mine]
Don't keep your mind so open that your brains fall out [often used as a justification for a mind so closed that nothing can get in]
Be a team player [another way of saying that you need to be flexible.; ie work for free]

Probably my all-time most despised phrase
Let's do lunch [salesman-speak for "let me bore you for an hour with doubletalk"]

 

[DaveC426913]

Taking anything "to the next level". Ye Gods how I hate that hackneyed phrase.

 

[Jack21222]

When TV weather broadcasters pronounce temperature as tempachure. They get every other word right, including technical terms. Why tempachure?

Umm... what's the difference?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/temperature lists tem-per-cher as a correct pronunciation. The only difference between that and what you posted is the r, and the r can be difficult to pick up lodged in the middle like that. -acher and -ercher are very similar, and even as a native English speaker (with a mild Baltimore accent), I have trouble picking up the difference.

 

[DaveC426913]

Umm... what's the difference?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/temperature lists tem-per-cher as a correct pronunciation. The only difference between that and what you posted is the r, and the r can be difficult to pick up lodged in the middle like that. -acher and -ercher are very similar, and even as a native English speaker (with a mild Baltimore accent), I have trouble picking up the difference.

Temprichure would be more acceptable.


I suspect that meteorologoists are rushed. They must learn to talk fast to get thorugh their allotted time. They are proably well aware of the corners they have to cut.

 

[jtbell]

When someone writes "I wanna" instead of "I want to", for me it's like chalk screeching on a chalkboard.

However, I don't feel the same way about "I gotta" instead of "I've got to" or "I have to", or "I dunno" instead of "I don't know", in writing that is deliberately intended to reflect colloquial speech.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

The thing of it is, is, I want to tell you all my thoughts on this thread, because it's time to get hot. You know crunch time. So, with a sense of urgency and regardless of any possibly possible need to be flexible in particular, I intend to work smarter, not harder. After all you got to do what you got to do. So I plug in my power tie and sidle over to my wife who is in the kitchen preparing something. She is half way through the marination, an innovention of hers, which I would guestimate to be a good job. I whisper in her ear "I love you." This shows I have good family values, do you not agree? She took it to the next level saying "Let's do lunch". I replied "Thank you for asking, sounds too good to be true." A rather mute point since everything she cooks is good. I'm a team player, so I eat with gusto. You betcha. Oh well, you can't please everyone.

 

[Chi Meson]

How many times have I seen "reign in", when "rein in" is intended? It twists my shorts every time to see that on supposedly reputable news sites.

I thought it was "rain in." Now they make more sense when they say we have to "rain in federal spending."

 

[Chi Meson]

When someone writes "I wanna" instead of "I want to", for me it's like chalk screeching on a chalkboard.

However, I don't feel the same way about "I gotta" instead of "I've got to" or "I have to", or "I dunno" instead of "I don't know", in writing that is deliberately intended to reflect colloquial speech.

I got to say, I'm relieved. I'd've had to change my posting style otherwise.

I agree with you on rejecting "wanna" That looks and sounds childish, but "gotta" is exactly what it sounds like people are saying in place of "got to." I imagine that I have deliberately used "gotta" several hundred times in posts and emails. I notice that no red line appears under it, so Mr. Spellcheck thinks it's OK!

 

[Jack21222]

Temprichure would be more acceptable.

How so? dictionary.com says both are acceptable. If both are correct, can one be "more correct?"

 

[turbo]

But I noticed you spelled it "joolery" instead of "jewlery", which would have the same sound.Now, I'm not saying you spelled it that way to make it seem like he's pronouncing it that much more incorrectly... actually yes, that's what I'm saying. But I don't think you did it on purpose.

That's exactly how he pronounces it. Jool'-er-y in three syllables with the accent on the drawn-out "jool".

 

[jtbell]

The thing of it is, is, I want to tell you all my thoughts on this thread, because it's time to get hot. You know crunch time. [...]

I agree with you on rejecting "wanna" That looks and sounds childish, but "gotta" is exactly what it sounds like people are saying in place of "got to."

I agree, in the right context I have no problem with it. I use "gotta" and "dunno" occasionally myself, when I'm firing off a causal post in a colloquial tone. I don't use "wanna" myself, but that's mainly because it just doesn't come up in the posts that I write in that tone.

The "wannas" that get to me are in posts in in the "technical" forums here. Over and over again, I see posts that start off with something like, "I want to know how to calculate the proper parameters for a dilithium chamber running at warp nine." It's not just here. I first really noticed it several years ago in a Usenet newsgroup about C++ programming. And it seems to be only "wanna" that gets used that way, not "gotta" or "dunno."

I wonder if it's mainly some particular group of non-native English speakers that does this.

I guess I better just shuddup and live with it.

Now that I think of it, that question about the dilithium chamber would sound perfectly natural coming from Scotty. Of course, he'd never have to ask it because he knows all those parameters by heart!

 

[mugaliens]

Just "nuke-you-ler"

 

[JaredJames]

Just "nuke-you-ler"

Seconded.

That and "aluminum" - I know it's not strictly wrong, but is there really a need for it?

I use "wanna" and "gotta" in IM conversations, texts and informal emails. I never use "dunno", it sounds 'dumb' to me. Not sure why, just don't like it.

 

[Astronuc]

A phrase I read last night -"BEFE (bio-electric energy field enhancement) is based on Quantum Field Science" - in reference to an ionic foot bath that is supposed to generate 'healing frequencies' that 'rebalances' the body's 'bio-electric field'. And people buy this stuff.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Don't keep your mind so open that your brains fall out [often used as a justification for a mind so closed that nothing can get in]

You don't like that one? I think it's pretty clever, especially when responding to someone who believes in some crazy idea and they say you should keep an open mind about it

Taking anything "to the next level". Ye Gods how I hate that hackneyed phrase.

I say something similar to that. I sometimes say that I'm "taking it up a notch". I say it in more of a funny way, though, never will I say that when I'm completely serious.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/temperature lists tem-per-cher as a correct pronunciation. The only difference between that and what you posted is the r, and the r can be difficult to pick up lodged in the middle like that. -acher and -ercher are very similar, and even as a native English speaker (with a mild Baltimore accent), I have trouble picking up the difference.

That pronunciation completely omits the A. I don't think that's right.

When someone writes "I wanna" instead of "I want to", for me it's like chalk screeching on a chalkboard.

However, I don't feel the same way about "I gotta" instead of "I've got to" or "I have to", or "I dunno" instead of "I don't know", in writing that is deliberately intended to reflect colloquial speech.

I type "I want to", but I do say "I wanna" if I say it fast.
I hate "I dunno". And I don't really like "I'm gonna", but "I'm going to" just sounds so robotic.

 

[fourier jr]

I heard tofu pronounced "toe-few" for the first time yesterday. It sounded kind of funny

 

[GeorginaS]

At the end of the day...
That being said, let me say this...
With reference to same...
No worries/not a problem (in response to "Thank you")
The thing is is that...
Anything to do with pushing envelopes
Moving forward...
Anything that doesn't properly distinguish between the use of "that" as opposed to "which"
"People that..." rather than "People who..." If it involves a human it's "who", folks, not "that"

And probably lots and lots and lots of others.

 

[Evo]

The thing of it is, is, I want to tell you all my thoughts on this thread, because it's time to get hot. You know crunch time. So, with a sense of urgency and regardless of any possibly possible need to be flexible in particular, I intend to work smarter, not harder. After all you got to do what you got to do. So I plug in my power tie and sidle over to my wife who is in the kitchen preparing something. She is half way through the marination, an innovention of hers, which I would guestimate to be a good job. I whisper in her ear "I love you." This shows I have good family values, do you not agree? She took it to the next level saying "Let's do lunch". I replied "Thank you for asking, sounds too good to be true." A rather mute point since everything she cooks is good. I'm a team player, so I eat with gusto. You betcha. Oh well, you can't please everyone.

I'm embarrassed to say that I don't use wanna, gonna, dunno, etc... unless I'm trying to be intentionally funny.

A person I worked with couldn't say "precipitation", they'd say participation, as in "there's a 10% chance of participation today".

 

[waht]

Having said that...

 

[Evo]

It goes without saying...

 

[lisab]

Having said that...

It goes without saying...

Perfect pair .

 

[Dembadon]

...when "as such" is used in place of "therefore."

...when Americans place punctuation outside of quotation marks¹.

¹ http://grammartips.homestead.com/inside.html"

 

[Mathnomalous]

Ok, I got a new one:

"It is what it is."

Of course it is! Otherwise it would be something else!

 

[jtbell]

"I could care less." (instead of "I couldn't care less.")

 

[lisab]

"I could care less." (instead of "I couldn't care less.")

The in me uses that one all the time, haha.

 

[Mathnomalous]

The in me uses that one all the time, haha.

We couldn't care less! ;)

"I got something to tell you." Followed by "not here/now" and "don't worry, it's not important."

Then why torment me!? I want to know!

 

[nobahar]

I remember a comedian made a joke (as they do) about how annoying they found it when poeple 'do' quotation marks with their fingers - to emphasise a point. Many people seem to find it annoying, or at least amusing and silly, and since then I do not like doing it. The thing is [I'm sure someone considers this phrase an annoyance], it communicates really well a point (usually a disclaimer or an implication)!

P.S. I can't believe no one has mentioned "No offence, but..."

 

[lisab]

We couldn't care less! ;)

"I got something to tell you." Followed by "not here/now" and "don't worry, it's not important."

Then why torment me!? I want to know!

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

If I have offended anyone, it was not my intention.
Instead of, I apologize.

 

[Mathnomalous]

"I'm not racist or anything, but [followed by a racist/very offensive comment]."

Oh! This one I truly despise:

Me to wife: "What's wrong, love?"
Wife: "Nothing..."

Aaargh! You haven't talked to me in hours, woman! Of course something is wrong!