Words / phrases that annoy you

"Brought" when the person means "bought" is annoying.

As is "pacific" when they mean "specific"

"Can you be more pacific?"
 
"I'll do that in a couple minutes".

Couple of minutes? Hear this from every american ever. Weird.
 
AndyT said:
A phrase that seems to have gained popularity is the "unpacking" of subjects or ideas.

It makes me cringe every time I hear it. "Let's unpack that idea", "Let me unpack that for you".

Seems in most cases to be used by people who have a very high opinion of themselves, but with no real idea what they are talking about.
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I've not had that one yet, but I already know it's not going to end well.

EVH said:
"I'll do that in a couple minutes".

Couple of minutes? Hear this from every american ever. Weird.
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Reminds me of the ''what do we got?'' saying Americans like to use.

"We are just reaching out to you" or "thank you for reaching out to us today" - they're lucky it's in an email, that's all I'm saying. :p
 
FoxEye said:
Because it's not the same.

"Going forwards" means from hereon out. "From hereon out" is an archaic phrase; let's try something else... "From this point onwards"; "Starting today".

"In the future" means "at some point in the future" and does not imply continuity between now and whenever this future point is. "Next week" implies a finite period of one week beginning in a few days.

Perhaps you don't like it because it's over-used, but it really does have a quite specific meaning that's not captured by either of your suggestions. Naturally that doesn't mean you aren't hearing it mis-used and reacting to that.
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Nah, it's mostly because it's the kind of language that's only used by management types who are trying to make their babble seem legitimate using these 'holiday-inn-regional-manager-enable-your-inner-meta-guru-training-seminar' style phrases.
English is a wonderful and diversely communicative and subtle language that doesn't lack for variety in vocabulary - it doesn't need to be dummed down with buzzword management obfuscation.
I tend to switch off when I hear someone using that kind of thing in meetings.
 
People who ask you a question with either yes or no at the end.

"...so you'll be completing that over the weekend, yes?"
 
AndyCr15 said:
This thread makes me glad I'm not so easily annoyed... :)
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I think it's an age thing - the older I get the less tolerant of tossers I seem to be.

Thankfully, I don't have a great deal of face-to-face contact with the general population. :P
 
Just thought of another....

“Don’t forget to do abc. Xyz is key”

Everything is key, apparently :rolleyes:
 
EVH said:
"I'll do that in a couple minutes".

Couple of minutes? Hear this from every american ever. Weird.
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Far be it from me to doubt you, but as someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in the U.S., it’s new to me, could they possibly be saying “I’ll do that in a coupla minutes?”
 
Jean-F said:
Far be it from me to doubt you, but as someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in the U.S., it’s new to me, could they possibly be saying “I’ll do that in a coupla minutes?”
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Nope. Definitely “couple minutes”
 
-"Grinds my gears" - this grates :)
-"Brexit" - I had originally thought this was some sort of trendy fad phrase dreamed up by the tabloids that would die out, I refused to use it initially but it has now become ubiquitous, politicians use it, we use it at work etc
-"[nice] place to be" in relation to automobiles, see this all the time in Motors sub-forum
-"....., yeah?" - i.e. when people make a statement and suffix with a rhetorical 'yeah?', usually moving on straight afterwards before anyone has an opportunity to challenge

Agree with Lopez above - business speak is generally OK with me, and I also dislike the use of "banter" as a get-out-of-jail-free card for any form of verbal bullying.... "I'd eat that cake quick before that fat bird pinches it... loool lighten up m8 just bantz innit".
Thinking about it I have become indoctrinated in the use of business speak so I have over the years started using the following (and probably others I've forgotten):

-Get the ducks lined up
-COB
-Productionise
-Ping me an email
 
Another one that has crept its way over from America - the use of the word 'thing'.

e.g. "...since when has that been a thing?" or "apparently it's a thing now that you have to..." or "yah, that's totally a thing now".

Or another one that's probably already here, although I personally haven't heard anyone over here using it yet, is when people like to emphasise the word 'done' by saying "yah, I'm totally done with that, as in done done".

Or the use of the word 'super' as in "it's really super easy to do" or "that cake was super tasty".
 
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