'You CANNOT give 110% effort – an explosion of pent up nerd rage' blog discussion

antonia1

I agree that the 110% thing is pretty annoying, but it is only symptomatic of a more fundamental problem - using comparative language without a benchmark.

For instance, if I were to say "today I am 5cm taller", you would also need to know what I was 5cm taller than. Am I 5cm taller than I was when I was 10 years old, or 5cm taller than I was yesterday?

As another example, hair conditioner is often sold as ensuring hair has "5 times less damage from brushing". Less than what exactly?! Is that 5 times less than using supermarket own brand conditioner, or 5 times less than using no conditioner at all?

Giving 110% of the effort I was giving yesterday is fine (as yesterday was an average working day), but giving 110% of my maximum possible effort is impossible. It is not the phrase itself which causes a problem, it is the lack of proper explanation.

2sides2everystory

I think the most interesting aspect of the phrase in common usage is who is using it and what is unsaid but which they intend to convey by it.

When used in a business or political environment it is usually intended to convey a mixture of arrogant assertion designed to spin.

As we all spend so much of our lives in a spun environment it is then not surprising that we find phrases from the office end up in common (corrupted) usage too.

Million_Percent

This is a major pet hate of mine, hence the username. I agree that Simon Cowell has a hell of a lot to answer for.


The best example I saw was in our blessed tabloid press when Gordon Brown said he supported Tony Blair 101%. The papers tried to make a story out of it because he'd said ONLY 101% as though it were meant in a negative way.

Dave_C_2

My emphasis

aliasojo wrote: »

I think the whole thing is ridiculous. It's an expression, offered simply as a way of conveying the strength of something. Pedantry at it's best.

We all have our bugbears though, so rant away. :rotfl:

The pedant in me has to point out that it should be its best.

Dave

mathsmaster

ROCK ON!!!!!

edinburgher

an explosion of pent up nerd rage

Is this a title, or a description of Martin on TV in general?

Mobeer

I think using 110% is ok in the short term. For example being asked to do 110% of your normal office hours on Monday is ok, so long as there is an understanding that on Friday you will only do 90% of normal. 110% becomes dangerous when it starts becoming the routine figure.

gilligansyle

Agree that you can't give 110 % effort, but to do so implies that previously you weren't really doing much.
Many expressions are now common usage and are frequently used in advertising - a pet hate of mine is 'now with 80% less fat' - so how much was in it originally??

dseventy

...to join forces to together defeat the scourge ...

..blight on the lexicon of our country and it needs to be stopped....

...annoys me so much…

Such a strong stance against 110%!

Shame this type of language and condemnation was not applied to the NOTW issue!

D70

CFC

when I interview people for jobs, if they say they will give 110% I just think that they are flannel artists and they go down in my estimation.