Words/phrases I wish would go away

[teen persuasion]

Although I'm probably guilty of doing this at one time or another, I really hate when other people do it:

Mistake a word (in writing) that they've heard used with another unrelated word that sounds similar.  It's a dead giveaway that they don't read much. 

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual. 
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

Variants on this that have been driving me crazy this week:
DH and I watched some documentary about a region of China and the waning traditional crafts that will soon be lost because the elders have no one to pass the knowledge to.  The narrator spoke in excellent English, but multiple times used the words "motive/motives" when they obviously meant motif/motifs (design elements in handicrafts), both in speaking and in the captions.
Advertisement with Adina Menzel singing about "taxidermy", and gets corrected that it's "tax attorney".  To which she replies "oh, yeah, I totally read that wrong".  No - they sound similar, you could have heard it wrong, but they don't resemble one another in print.

Slightly different pet peeve - authors attempting to explain the pronunciation of an unusual character name (usually in a series, in 3rd or 4th book) by said character correcting another character's mistaken pronunciation: "it's A-la, not Eye-la".  The problem with the device is that the name has only been spoken, never read (the opposite problem of the readers), so there's no way the character could be in doubt about the pronunciation.  I've seen it at least twice, and neither time could it be tortured enough so it made sense.

[Travis]

Although I'm probably guilty of doing this at one time or another, I really hate when other people do it:

Mistake a word (in writing) that they've heard used with another unrelated word that sounds similar.  It's a dead giveaway that they don't read much. 

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual. 
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

A coworker keeps asking about our infanstructure. Another about our inflastructure. 

For all intensive purposes...

[sui generis]

Although I'm probably guilty of doing this at one time or another, I really hate when other people do it:

Mistake a word (in writing) that they've heard used with another unrelated word that sounds similar.  It's a dead giveaway that they don't read much. 

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual. 
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

Really egregious one I saw recently in my law blogs - some non-lawyer arguing that Kyle Rittenhouse (of killing-protestors-in-Kenosha-WI fame) couldn't be guilty of first degree murder because there was no malice of gore thought.  I pray this was an isolated incident and this is not what the average person is out there thinking is an element of first degree murder.

[marble_faun]

“In the midst of a global pandemic”

WE KNOW.

Do we though?

lol, chinmaskers.

CHINMASKERS!!!   

Now there's a word I actually needed!

[ixtap]

Although I'm probably guilty of doing this at one time or another, I really hate when other people do it:

Mistake a word (in writing) that they've heard used with another unrelated word that sounds similar.  It's a dead giveaway that they don't read much. 

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual. 
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

A coworker keeps asking about our infanstructure. Another about our inflastructure. 

For all intensive purposes...

Minus well. It has become this one guy's catchphrase, besides. Like he will post himself eating something decadent and the only words will be "Minus well..."

[Paul der Krake]

Wow you guys have a lot of stupid coworkers. You should keep your distances, less it effects your own career.

[merula]

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual.
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

I'm completely lost here. I got fiscal, but what's the word they meant for visual?

[ixtap]

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual.
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

I'm completely lost here. I got fiscal, but what's the word they meant for visual?

Vigil?

[GreenSheep]

Minus well. It has become this one guy's catchphrase, besides. Like he will post himself eating something decadent and the only words will be "Minus well..."

Haha, I had an email from a friend once in which he said, "Minds will kill two birds..." But at least this was back in in college, and all of the rest of us on the mass email made fun of him.

Also, a sad commentary on the state of reading for pleasure these days... People who say "I read it on audiobook." If you listened to it, then you didn't read it. I've had members of my BOOK CLUB, which is for READING, do this.

[iluvzbeach]

I get frustrated when I hear someone say fustrated or flustrated.

[Bloop Bloop]

Asterix

(unless paired with Obelix)

[Morning Glory]

Asterix

(unless paired with Obelix)

There is a type of hand tremor called asterixis that comes from liver failure I think.

There is also a brand of frozen potatoes named after the acquired inability to read.l

[calimom]

I get frustrated when I hear someone say fustrated or flustrated.

I'm devastated when someone spells it devasted. Other commonly misused words are loose for lose. (I'm loosing it). And 'advise' when someone is asking for advice.

Why?

[ysette9]

Asterix

(unless paired with Obelix)

But that would be Astérix, right? :)

[Travis]

"Feel free to delete..."

If the Facebook group's policies dictate that your post is not allowed, the mods are going to delete it whether you make the above statement or not. Group and Forum rules don't have a footnote that says "with your permission."

[sui generis]

"Feel free to delete..."

If the Facebook group's policies dictate that your post is not allowed, the mods are going to delete it whether you make the above statement or not. Group and Forum rules don't have a footnote that says "with your permission."

Agree. Also I usually see this in the form of "... If this isn't allowed." in which case I'm like, can you take two seconds to check whether it is yourself? No? Just want someone else to do that work for you, huh? Cool cool.

[GreenSheep]

"Feel free to delete..."

If the Facebook group's policies dictate that your post is not allowed, the mods are going to delete it whether you make the above statement or not. Group and Forum rules don't have a footnote that says "with your permission."

Agree. Also I usually see this in the form of "... If this isn't allowed." in which case I'm like, can you take two seconds to check whether it is yourself? No? Just want someone else to do that work for you, huh? Cool cool.

Sounds like the online version of "No offense, but..."

[BlueHouse]

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual.
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

I'm completely lost here. I got fiscal, but what's the word they meant for visual?

Vigil?

Yes!  At least that's what I think.  It was a group of mourners praying.

Speaking of that, I really don't like mass grief.  I was raised to grieve privately.  Time and place and all that.  I know it's outdated, but I really do not like when entire communities show up just to grieve -- especially when it's a celebrity that no one knew in real life.

p.s.  I do not intend this to mean protests over injustices that result in deaths.   

[Travis]

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual.
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

I'm completely lost here. I got fiscal, but what's the word they meant for visual?

Vigil?

Yes!  At least that's what I think.  It was a group of mourners praying.

Speaking of that, I really don't like mass grief.  I was raised to grieve privately.  Time and place and all that.  I know it's outdated, but I really do not like when entire communities show up just to grieve -- especially when it's a celebrity that no one knew in real life.

The father of someone in my unit died recently and a card was passed around. It took me a half hour to figure out what to write because a) I prefer to have those conversations in person and b) damn near every comment on the card said "sympathies" and "condolences" and it felt people were just checking the block.

Also, I don't write happy birthday messages on the public facing side of Facebook. If I want to say something, I'll send a direct message.

[shelivesthedream]

A la chinmaskers, we need a word for people who wear visors so far pushed back they're basically like the peak of a baseball cap so all TEH VIRUS can just whoosh underneath. I guess they're protecting anyone substantially taller than them...?

[Dicey]

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual.
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

I'm completely lost here. I got fiscal, but what's the word they meant for visual?

Vigil?

Yes!  At least that's what I think.  It was a group of mourners praying.

Speaking of that, I really don't like mass grief.  I was raised to grieve privately.  Time and place and all that.  I know it's outdated, but I really do not like when entire communities show up just to grieve -- especially when it's a celebrity that no one knew in real life.

The father of someone in my unit died recently and a card was passed around. It took me a half hour to figure out what to write because a) I prefer to have those conversations in person and b) damn near every comment on the card said "sympathies" and "condolences" and it felt people were just checking the block.

Also, I don't write happy birthday messages on the public facing side of Facebook. If I want to say something, I'll send a direct message.

I hear you on what to write. When caught in this situation, I usually go for memories, as in "I hope you have many happy memories of..." or "they will live forever in your memories" or some such. This only works if you know the relationship was not estranged.

[phildonnia]

I now officially hate the word "unprecedented".  First of all, pedantically speaking, whatever difficulties we are having in these times have definitely been precedented in times past, probably to a greater degree. 

And second, it always comes as a prologue to some kind of bad news.  I mean, you could just come out and say: we're closing your work office, and your kids can't play outside.  But first, a little preamble to get you in the mood: "We are experiencing unprecedented times..."  No, its doesn't soften the blow.  It raises my anxiety before you even get started. 

Also, it's a lame excuse.  "We are experiencing unprecedented call volume..." No, you're not.  Your customer service sucks as always, and you're trying to blame it on... a lack of precedent, I guess.

[ketchup]

Although I'm probably guilty of doing this at one time or another, I really hate when other people do it:

Mistake a word (in writing) that they've heard used with another unrelated word that sounds similar.  It's a dead giveaway that they don't read much. 

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual. 
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoneAppleTea/

Lately I've seen "set up"/"setup" and "break down"/"breakdown" used interchangeably.  Just, no.

[Master of None]

"On tomorrow". This one pains me to read. A few of my peers use it frequently and it never reads right.

[Kris]

Although I'm probably guilty of doing this at one time or another, I really hate when other people do it:

Mistake a word (in writing) that they've heard used with another unrelated word that sounds similar.  It's a dead giveaway that they don't read much. 

Some things I've seen recently: 
Neighbors were invited to attend a visual. 
A coworker wanted to know if our budget year was a calendar year or a physical year.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoneAppleTea/

Lately I've seen "set up"/"setup" and "break down"/"breakdown" used interchangeably.  Just, no.

That bugs me a ton. And “workout”/“work out”... “login”/“log in”...

There are so many.

[ysette9]

A la chinmaskers, we need a word for people who wear visors so far pushed back they're basically like the peak of a baseball cap so all TEH VIRUS can just whoosh underneath. I guess they're protecting anyone substantially taller than them...?

I saw some italien study showed that the face shields were not effective in preventing the spread of covid, unlike masks. So maybe it doesn’t matter too much how they are work since they don’t work either way.

[ysette9]

"On tomorrow". This one pains me to read. A few of my peers use it frequently and it never reads right.

What does that even mean?

[Master of None]

"On tomorrow". This one pains me to read. A few of my peers use it frequently and it never reads right.

What does that even mean?

It is used similar to...."We will meet on Friday at 5pm." In this case it would be, "We will meet on tomorrow at 5pm." Or On tomorrow we will go to the store. I just can't.

[ysette9]

"On tomorrow". This one pains me to read. A few of my peers use it frequently and it never reads right.

What does that even mean?

It is used similar to...."We will meet on Friday at 5pm." In this case it would be, "We will meet on tomorrow at 5pm." Or On tomorrow we will go to the store. I just can't.

Oh weird. I’ve never seen that.

[ketchup]

"On tomorrow". This one pains me to read. A few of my peers use it frequently and it never reads right.

What does that even mean?

It is used similar to...."We will meet on Friday at 5pm." In this case it would be, "We will meet on tomorrow at 5pm." Or On tomorrow we will go to the store. I just can't.

Oh weird. I’ve never seen that.

I've known two that do this.  One is a coworker.  I've also heard her say "on today."

Both people were originally from Texas.  Not sure if that's a pattern or not.

[Morning Glory]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

[DoubleDown]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

Hmm, that one never bothered me, any more than it would bother me to hear someone describe a neighborhood (or advice or anything else) as "questionable", "skeezy", "untrustworthy", etc. It doesn't seem like a "code" word or dog-whistle word to me (but I'm a white man).

[Paul der Krake]

Meh. I use sketchy for all sorts of questionable neighborhoods, businesses, people, and even geographical features. The common thread is that they shouldn’t be trusted.

[marble_faun]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

Hmm, that one never bothered me, any more than it would bother me to hear someone describe a neighborhood (or advice or anything else) as "questionable", "skeezy", "untrustworthy", etc. It doesn't seem like a "code" word or dog-whistle word to me (but I'm a white man).

Yeah, I don't think there is anything wrong with "sketchy" itself, beyond any other type of negative descriptor. 

It seems less racist than describing anything a little rough as "ghetto," as people did back in my day (the 90s).

[RetiredAt63]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

Hmm, that one never bothered me, any more than it would bother me to hear someone describe a neighborhood (or advice or anything else) as "questionable", "skeezy", "untrustworthy", etc. It doesn't seem like a "code" word or dog-whistle word to me (but I'm a white man).

Yeah, I don't think there is anything wrong with "sketchy" itself, beyond any other type of negative descriptor. 

It seems less racist than describing anything a little rough as "ghetto," as people did back in my day (the 90s).

Ghetto, slum area occupied by a minority.  Which is why "student ghetto" is a thing, rental housing close to colleges and universities is often both expensive and horrible.  Like the McGill ghetto in Montreal.  Like the apartment my DD lived in for a month that was horrible, literally a fire trap.

[dividendman]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

So basically you're saying people who use sketch and sketchy are sketch AF.

(I hate when people say AF at the end of something like "sketch AF")

[John Galt incarnate!]

"On tomorrow". This one pains me to read. A few of my peers use it frequently and it never reads right.

What does that even mean?

It is used similar to...."We will meet on Friday at 5pm." In this case it would be, "We will meet on tomorrow at 5pm." Or On tomorrow we will go to the store. I just can't.

Oh weird. I’ve never seen that.

I've known two that do this.  One is a coworker.  I've also heard her say "on today."

Both people were originally from Texas.  Not sure if that's a pattern or not.

I've read "on the morrow" that means (I think) "tomorrow."
.

[John Galt incarnate!]

I get frustrated when I hear someone say fustrated or flustrated.

Your posting of "flustrated" is the first I've ever seen or heard  it.

I like it as a portmanteau word of flustered + frustrated.

[John Galt incarnate!]

Really egregious one I saw recently in my law blogs - some non-lawyer arguing that Kyle Rittenhouse (of killing-protestors-in-Kenosha-WI fame) couldn't be guilty of first degree murder because there was no malice of gore thought.  I pray this was an isolated incident and this is not what the average person is out there thinking is an element of first degree murder.

Despite the seriousness of the matter I just guffawed.

[marble_faun]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

Hmm, that one never bothered me, any more than it would bother me to hear someone describe a neighborhood (or advice or anything else) as "questionable", "skeezy", "untrustworthy", etc. It doesn't seem like a "code" word or dog-whistle word to me (but I'm a white man).

Yeah, I don't think there is anything wrong with "sketchy" itself, beyond any other type of negative descriptor. 

It seems less racist than describing anything a little rough as "ghetto," as people did back in my day (the 90s).

Ghetto, slum area occupied by a minority.  Which is why "student ghetto" is a thing, rental housing close to colleges and universities is often both expensive and horrible.  Like the McGill ghetto in Montreal.  Like the apartment my DD lived in for a month that was horrible, literally a fire trap.

Ghetto was slang for anything shabby and ludicrously bad.  Like if you had to attach a broken side-mirror to your car with duct tape: "That's so ghetto." People my age (old millennials) said this all the time, and it was a reference to black ghettos. Sketchy seems like a non-racialized alternative.

[RetiredAt63]

Did I mention "sketchy".  As in "this neighborhood is a little sketchy". (Even worse it can be used to describe a person).  I automatically assume that the person saying it is either racist or a snob. It's antonym appears to be "better schools". It sounds even worse when they shorten it to "sketch".

I live in the land of passive aggression and covert racism. Thanks for letting me rant.

Hmm, that one never bothered me, any more than it would bother me to hear someone describe a neighborhood (or advice or anything else) as "questionable", "skeezy", "untrustworthy", etc. It doesn't seem like a "code" word or dog-whistle word to me (but I'm a white man).

Yeah, I don't think there is anything wrong with "sketchy" itself, beyond any other type of negative descriptor. 

It seems less racist than describing anything a little rough as "ghetto," as people did back in my day (the 90s).

Ghetto, slum area occupied by a minority.  Which is why "student ghetto" is a thing, rental housing close to colleges and universities is often both expensive and horrible.  Like the McGill ghetto in Montreal.  Like the apartment my DD lived in for a month that was horrible, literally a fire trap.

Ghetto was slang for anything shabby and ludicrously bad.  Like if you had to attach a broken side-mirror to your car with duct tape: "That's so ghetto." People my age (old millennials) said this all the time, and it was a reference to black ghettos. Sketchy seems like a non-racialized alternative.

So ghetto morphed from super bad housing for a particular group (student ghetto, Warsaw ghetto, etc.) to super bad anything.  Language changes. 

[simonsez]

Adding 's to non-possessive words when the normal plural would work just fine.

[Kris]

Adding 's to non-possessive words when the normal plural would work just fine.

And family names. Which we will see a lot more of with the approaching season of holiday cards. Ugh.

[nessness]

Adding 's to non-possessive words when the normal plural would work just fine.

And family names. Which we will see a lot more of with the approaching season of holiday cards. Ugh.

Yes! I recently ordered a custom sign that said "The Smiths" (not my actual name, but mine isn't any more complicated). The woman making it messaged me to confirm I didn't want it to say "The Smith's".

[John Galt incarnate!]

"Infantile" is today's entry in the file of misused/mispronounced words.


When reporting on the infinitesimal incidence of voter fraud a  reporter said "infantile."

[Miss Piggy]

Maths.

That's my new most hated word.

[sui generis]

Maths.

That's my new most hated word.

Oh, I feel like you are going to get some pushback on that one! I used to be skeptical, too, until a British friend pointed out that mathematics is plural so why not the shortened version?

[John Galt incarnate!]

Maths.

That's my new most hated word.

Your post is the first I've heard or read of "Maths."

[SunnyDays]

Pivot.  It's the new catch word.  Everyone is pivoting their business.  I think of basketball every time.

[dandarc]

Pivot.  It's the new catch word.  Everyone is pivoting their business.  I think of basketball every time.

Just don't change your business' pivot foot. That's a travel and a turnover (unless your competition is Duke and they do it).