What words / phrases don't you like?

throwaway4372 · 3 Jul 2023 at 12:39

"an historian"
This is just one example of using "an" instead of "a" on the basis of the "h" being silent.
"an honor" is silent, "an historian" is not.
I remember questioning my history teacher on this, she didn't appreciate it, I didn't drop it, she didn't drop it, think I got a C lol.

IvanDobskey · 3 Jul 2023 at 14:47

Emails that start with 'I'm reaching out'

Rilot · 3 Jul 2023 at 19:27

"Basically" - No, I don't want the basic version, tell me the full thing
"I could care less" - Could you, OK then. How to tell me you're an idiot without telling me you're an idiot.
"Me either" - As above. Learn to English.
"Subject-matter expert" - So you mean; an expert then. The "subject matter" part is redundant.

gingergundog · 3 Jul 2023 at 19:37

Bassmansam said:
"my guy" , " x thing is wild" , "x thing slaps"

Totally agree my dude

regulus · 3 Jul 2023 at 21:00

Stu999 said:
Do you ask them where it is?

I ask them that all the time.

potatolord · 4 Jul 2023 at 10:18

"Why are you strangling me?"

I hate it when people say that to me.

AndyCr15 · 4 Jul 2023 at 10:56

People talking about WiFi when they actually mean the internet connection.

Chris Wilson · 4 Jul 2023 at 11:13

"An irregular migrant", used by those with an agenda. Rather like calling a theft an irregular purchase, it reeks of desperation to hide the criminality.

Ayahuasca · 4 Jul 2023 at 11:15

IvanDobskey said:
Emails that start with 'I'm reaching out'

I've started replying to those with 'touching you' as my opener.

Stu999 · 4 Jul 2023 at 11:32

Ayahuasca said:
I've started replying to those with 'touching you' as my opener.

Dear HR, Ayahuasca made a pass at me today. Please deal with him at your earliest convenience.

Regards

Ayahuasca · 4 Jul 2023 at 11:35

Stu999 said:
Dear HR, Ayahuasca made a pass at me today. Please deal with him at your earliest convenience.

Regards

Well, they instigated it.

Terminal_Boy · 4 Jul 2023 at 11:43

COYS said:
'craft beer'

Which is almost always an IPA ruined by using 5 times the accepted amount of hops or adding some weird ingredients.

COYS · 4 Jul 2023 at 12:37

When people claim they literally spat (insert drink) onto their (insert item).

No you didn't.

manic111 · 4 Jul 2023 at 12:42

"Work colleagues". The definition of a colleague is someone you work with.

"Hope you are well". It's "I hope you are well". Dropping the "I" just reeks of you trying to be friendly but not actually putting yourself out there.

sigma · 4 Jul 2023 at 14:25

manic111 said:
putting yourself out there

Are you physically moving yourself out 'there'?

fez · 4 Jul 2023 at 14:29

Bassmansam said:
"my guy" , " x thing is wild" , "x thing slaps"

Yeah, this is a sure sign that the person is an absolute knob. As someone else said, add "my dude" to that.

Ayahuasca · 4 Jul 2023 at 14:30

manic111 said:
"Work colleagues". The definition of a colleague is someone you work with.

"Hope you are well". It's "I hope you are well". Dropping the "I" just reeks of you trying to be friendly but not actually putting yourself out there.

Those both seem incredibly pedantic. I'd probably take myself to the GP to start the process for a diagnosis if that sort of thing bothered me

I'm not particularly fond of those who start every teams conversation or email with "hope you are well" but dropping the I makes pretty much zero difference to how it comes across, it's an empty platitude regardless.

Ormy1 · 4 Jul 2023 at 14:30

People who say "hence why".

As in "That pizza place overcooked my food hence why I'm not eating there anymore".

It's redundant, 'hence' and 'why' mean (almost) the same thing in this context, use one or the other but NOT BOTH. Winds me up so much. I can handle idiots who say "could_of"* instead of "could have" all day long, it barely bothers me anymore, so I've no idea why "hence why" boils my blood so easily but it does.

*OK this just nearly drove me crazy. The forum is auto-correcting COULD_OF to COULD_HAVE (underscores here to prevent it) but it shows the original when you edit post, took me ages to figure out why it wasn't the same thing I typed when posted, but when I tried to edit it was the deliberately incorrect version that I typed. How infuriating. Now I'm wondering what other common grammar errors this forum silently corrects?

dirtychinchilla · 4 Jul 2023 at 14:40

Ormy1 said:
People who say "hence why".

As in "That pizza place overcooked my food hence why I'm not eating there anymore".

It's redundant, 'hence' and 'why' mean (almost) the same thing in this context, use one or the other but NOT BOTH. Winds me up so much. I can handle idiots who say "could_of"* instead of "could have" all day long, it barely bothers me anymore, so I've no idea why "hence why" boils my blood so easily but it does.

*OK this just nearly drove me crazy. The forum is auto-correcting COULD_OF to COULD_HAVE (underscores here to prevent it) but it shows the original when you edit post, took me ages to figure out why it wasn't the same thing I typed when posted, but when I tried to edit it was the deliberately incorrect version that I typed. How infuriating. Now I'm wondering what other common grammar errors this forum silently corrects?

I don't think the forum does auto-correct

And by think, I mean that I know.

Ormy1 · 4 Jul 2023 at 15:03

dirtychinchilla said:
I don't think the forum does auto-correct

And by think, I mean that I know.

Try it yourself. Type "could_of" with a space instead of an underscore, watch it appear as "could have" when you hit post. Then edit post and see it turn back to what you actually typed. I am typing here could-of, could have. I bet it gets changed.

Edit: yes it got changed. I was right. I just tried typing could_of (without the underscore) and putting it in code tags, it still got changed when I hit post. WTF?