Words or phrases that drive you mad

biscit

"It's political correctness gone mad."

"You can't say [bigoted turn of phrase] without people [reasonable reaction to someone who said that]"

"Speak English mate" (in response to a vaguely technical explanation that any reasonably intelligent person would understand).

RussJK

The_One_Who wrote: »

The incorrect use of the word 'literally' is annoying, and seems to be spreading.

It's literally spreading into dictionaries:

Adverb: literally
1. In a literal sense
"literally translated"; "he said so literally"
2. (intensifier before a figurative expression) without exaggeration
"our eyes were literally pinned to TV during the Gulf War"

Good enough for Princeton, but not the OED.

Funny how the meanings of words change to match changes in usage. It's almost like language is adaptive rather than static... most perplexing.

RussJK

hippyadam wrote: »

Anyone who uses the word "s*****y". Ever.

I'm unhappy with your use of the word, and refuse to reprint it!

RussJK

essexgirly wrote: »

oh and another one is: "I'm a 110% sure"

If I only needed 10 loaves of bread, and I had 11...

They are just saying they are even more sure than they need to be; they've exceeded their own standards of certainty for whatever situation they are judging.

I'm 67% sure of this.

anotherbaldrick

Them ( Usually Chugger) Hi, how are you doing.
Me .Ho, how am I doing what ?

(anyone mentioned "Sorta Fing ")

RussJK

Actually one phrase that puzzled me a lot when I first came to the UK, was how people would keep asking me, "You alright?" and "You okay?" etc, as though I was ill, and I would always reply, "Yes, why?" with a baffled look on my face.

In Australia, you might ask "are you alright" if you had just witness someone fall over or bang their head on something.

Obviously I figured out that they were just asking "How are you?" eventually...

CrazyNerd

RussJK wrote: »

Actually one phrase that puzzled me a lot when I first came to the UK, was how people would keep asking me, "You alright?" and "You okay?" etc, as though I was ill, and I would always reply, "Yes, why?" with a baffled look on my face.

In Australia, you might ask "are you alright" if you had just witness someone fall over or bang their head on something.

Obviously I figured out that they were just asking "How are you?" eventually...

I didn't get that one either, I moved here 13 years ago from America.

hansi

Eenymeeny wrote: »

Draw r ing as in drawing room or drawing closer. It's used by tv presenters quite often. Why doesn't someone tell them it's wrong? Mirrow is another one on the 'house programmes' It's MIRROR!
'2 seconds', used on the phone just before they put me on hold.... do they mean that they'll be back in 2 seconds? because they never are....:(

What about "in awe of coming out as " in oar of"!

hansi

What really irritates me is when I go into a shop and an assistant comes over and says" You alright there?" My answer is always "Fine thanks, how are you?"

Whatever happened to the good old ("May I help you sir?")

Another irritation is shop workers addressing me as "mate". I complained about this in a Tesco store and the supervisor was surprised as she though it was perfectly ok to be addressed like that. Ye gods!

xangeleyes

I was on the phone to some customer service guy and he kept saying to me at the end of his sentences 'You get me'
I found this rather weird and he said it so many times that I wanted to scream NO I DON'T GET YOU.

My husband said the other day after agreeing to a conversation 'True that/dat'....erm, are you trying to be a teenager? A teenager that doesn't make sense? ha. My husband is 34 years old lol.