Overuse of "like." I bought, like, 3 oranges and they were, like, the best oranges I ever had.
I used to say "like" until a friend's dad said something to me about it. I'm glad he was so honest. Since then I've controlled it, though it occasionally slips out.
"Blog" Now, I realize that this is an internet term, but it just sprang up overnight and I was immediately expected to know what the hell it was, that's why I hate it.
"My crib." Your an adult now, it's a house/apartment/condo.
This is one of the most entertaining threads i've seen in a while.
Like you John, I am not a fan of words that just spring up overnight. Especially when I am treated like an idiot for failing to understand it the second I hear the word.
Several months back, Amazon.com added a "Plog" to my account, and annoying pop ups kept telling me to "Plog."
I did not appreciate Amazon.com's customer service drones patronizing me with the phrase, "Well, everyone knows what a BLOG is." This was another word I had not heard. For all I knew, it was a new euphemism for a body part or function.
After the customer service department received a number of increasingly hostile e mails, they finally decided to shut me up by removing the feature from my account.
I still have no idea what "plog" or "plogging" are supposed to mean. Maybe they should be added to a list of masturbation euphemisms - example: "Go Plog yourself!" instead of "Go f$#* yourself!"
I just might use that the next time someone gives me a hard time..."Go plog yourself you mother plogger!"
It work's on two fronts, 1. it still retains the effectiveness of the 'F' word and 2. it'll take them a while to figure out just what the hell you said.
Business-speak like "outside the box" and "proactive."
The Dallas Morning News has an article every other week about using and misusing language. Last week's was about the the prefix "pre." Preapproved, preboard, etc. You can't board the plane before you board the plane!
I particularly hate it when a person is spoken of as having "authored" a book or article. What do you mean he authored it? Presumably he is its author, but "author" is a noun, from the Latin "auctor", which is itself derived from the causative form of the verb "augeo", to increase! It's as much as to use "writered" instead of "wrote".
I think AKA for "also known as" is a bit of police-blotter slang, and thus belongs to an earlier age of linguistic corruption than the present.
Alright, for those willing to humiliate themselves, what about word's and phrases that you know you shouldn't say but do on an almost constant basis?
For me...
"That rocks!" or the variation "That kicks so much ass!"
"Cool!"
"Get outta town!"
"Sweet!"
"Awesome!"
"Your harshin' my buzz." Now, I don't drink and I certaintly don't do drugs, but I sometimes say that if i'm feeling happy and someone says something to bring me down.