This time I am just about fed up with the decline of the English language. I know, that makes me sound like a really OLD person. And yet, I don't care. There are things people are saying that just irritate the beejeezus out of me. (Tell the truth, you know you have some too.)
Several years ago, way back when it was the *buzz word* (there's one I hate right there!) I started noticing how much I hated it when people said "State of the Art". WTF does that mean? You can't string any old random four words together and claim it means something, can you? Yet people did it and everyone else followed like sheep saying that nonsensical phrase. Anyhoo, that is when I started noticing things that got on my last nerve.
Here is a list of some. Feel free to add your own annoyances to this!
24/7 - Right at the top of the list where it belongs. What in the world did people do, what could they *possibly* have used in place of this idiotic phrase before it came into existance? Note the sarcasm. Possibly, all the time, continually, etc. You will never catch me saying anything this assinine.
My Bad - Yep, that's another annoying new one. Really, your bad? Bad what? Bad self? Bad grammar?
At the end of the day - You know, the first 5,000,000 times it was clever and catchy, but 20 years later not so much.
It is what it is - To my knowledge the first person who said this and caused the explosion of this phrase was Evel Dick on BB8. Seriously, is it *really* what it is? What else could it be?
Conversating - Is that like conversing? talking? chatting? The first time I heard this I about fell over thinking that person was an idiot. Then I started noticing it over and over. Good Lord!
Snazzy - This is an oldy but baddy. What the hell is snazzy? Snooty and jazzy mixed? I don't know and I don't like it.
I think this started bothering me when we lived in Latin America and I was constantly taking Spanish lessons and my teachers would ask me things like "what is the past participle of (fill in the blank) in English?" Over and over, people who learned English as a 2nd language knew more about it than I did. And moreover, they were speaking a better, cleaner, more correct form than I was. Not as much slang thrown in and the like. I do realize and appreciate how language is a fluid thing and constantly evolving, but I can't help but feel that some of this is a "dumbing down" process.
So, any other phrases, words, etc. strike you as crappy, irritating or just plain bad? Feel free to list away!
haha. I have really started catching myself on the slang now that I work with a group in Mexico. I've said a couple of things that I realized how stupid it was once I tried to explain :)
ReplyDeleteI have to defend 24/7 being used by me at work. If we told a customer that we supported them "all day" then we would get into does that mean business day, or during non-business hours too. But outside of that, I get it ;)
Id like to ad Hispanic to the top of your list. That word can kiss my... you get the point.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side, I was just conversating with my BFF about the snazzy new phone she's looking at buying. I told her "it is what it is" and she got her feelings hurt. So I admitted it was my bad, and Ive just been grumpy like 24/7 lately.
:)
Might I add "think outside the box". 1995 called, they want that one back.lol
ReplyDeleteStaycation is starting to get overdone as well.
As is 'going green'.
I have 3 teens so I get my fill of "like" interjected into like, every sentence....like, at least, like, 3 times! 8-P