[Misc] Phrases you hate people saying

[Barrow Boy]

Back in 2008 'Corporate management speak' had reached silly levels at the Global Pharmaceutical facility where I worked as an Operations Team Leader, 'Bullshit' bingo was rife amongst us at meetings. I went away on holiday for 10 days, before which we had 4 Production Streams in my department (named surprisingly enough streams 1 to 4) that would occasionally break down, due to various engineering problems, which would then be discussed and hopefully resolved at a morning meeting. On my first day back at work I was told by my boss to prepare to lead a FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis) meeting. "OK boss, what's the problem"?, he looked me straight in the eye and said "It's a big one, Tower 3 has completely fallen over and Tower 2 is wobbling, some Blue Sky thinking may well be required to sort this mess out". My decision to accept the offer of early retirement and voluntary redundancy was sealed at that very moment as I walked away smiling to myself and shaking my head.

 

[Miximate]

Any response starting with the word “Look”

Politicians are particularly adept at it and drives me nuts!

 

[Icy Gull]

I have recently gone right off "It is what it is"

II heard it again after the Chelsea game

 

[Uncle C]

It's the right thing to do.

 

[The Clamp]

Common people, usually women…

“The thing about me is…”

Usually followed by things like;

I take care of everyone else before myself
I can’t stand fake people
What you see, is what you get. I speak my mind.
I have a lot of patience but once I go, I go
I’m fiercely loyal, anyone hurts my friends and they’d better watch out

Ghastly.

The thing about you, love, is that you’re a ****.

Edit; these “strong” women are particularly prone to emotional breakdowns and floods of tears at the slightest upset. You see them an awful lot on programs like “come dine with me”, and “four in a bed”.

 

[The Clamp]

Back in 2008 'Corporate management speak' had reached silly levels at the Global Pharmaceutical facility where I worked as an Operations Team Leader, 'Bullshit' bingo was rife amongst us at meetings. I went away on holiday for 10 days, before which we had 4 Production Streams in my department (named surprisingly enough streams 1 to 4) that would occasionally break down, due to various engineering problems, which would then be discussed and hopefully resolved at a morning meeting. On my first day back at work I was told by my boss to prepare to lead a FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis) meeting. "OK boss, what's the problem"?, he looked me straight in the eye and said "It's a big one, Tower 3 has completely fallen over and Tower 2 is wobbling, some Blue Sky thinking may well be required to sort this mess out". My decision to accept the offer of early retirement and voluntary redundancy was sealed at that very moment as I walked away smiling to myself and shaking my head.

Terrible.


The major flaw with using jargon is that unless everybody understands and is very familiar with it, it causes confusion. The exact opposite of the objective.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Win.

In my game (drug research) we have to apply for funding (know as a grant) if we want to do any research. For example, typically we may write a grant proposal to the medical research council (MRC). Obtaining such funding is regarded as 'good work' by our employer. If you can do this regularly you will be eligible to apply for promotion.

In recent years our 'leaders' (and indeed some of my academic colleagues) have started to use the terminology, to 'win' a grant. 'You need to be out there, winning grants'.

**** me. People have always sneered about the quality of peer review (e.g., grant proposal refereeing) being poor, with academic referees often dissing or supporting a grant proposal (done anonymously) with very little evidence of understanding of what the application is all about, and some call the peer review in the funding process a lottery. However, applying for research funding isn't ****ing Bingo or the actual sodding lottery.

I see we have this in football commentary now too. Manchester United have won a penalty. They entered the competition, and with a pirouette, backward roll and finely-drawn grimace, they are the winners of their very own penalty. Take a bow.

I find it all, frankly nauseating. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

 

[wuntbedruv]

Must have been mentioned already with all the hipster beardie weirdies on here but I really don't get.

"My Bad" Your bad what? Breath, spelling, driving, attitude?

What is wrong with Sorry I am wrong?

 

[Giraffe]

I was on a call to an American today, and he said "belt and suspenders" instead of "belt and braces". I didn't know what to say.

 

[Lawros Lip]

Chelsea are showing interest in ……

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I was on a call to an American today, and he said "belt and suspenders" instead of "belt and braces". I didn't know what to say.

They are a funny lot over the pond "belt, suspenders and fanny pack" their dress sense is just awful

 

[The Clamp]

Apparently…..


People use it in the exact opposite sense. It means it is apparent. It’s there for all to see. It’s obvious. But in practice what most people mean when they say it these days is

“I read in the Daily Mail”

Or

“My mate Bob said..”

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

"I'm a foodie"

You're a horrifically middle class pretentious **** is what you are.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I was on a call to an American today, and he said "belt and suspenders" instead of "belt and braces". I didn't know what to say.

I hope he didn't move on to that thing his sits on, you know.....

 

[Is it PotG?]

'Making memories'.

Modern social media claptrap.

 

[Icy Gull]

That’s sick

How on earth did that ever come to mean cool?

Any of you young whippersnappers know?

 

[Bakero]

That’s sick

How on earth did that ever come to mean cool?

Any of you young whippersnappers know?

That started in the 1980s so you'd probably need someone in their 60s to tell you how it came to mean cool.

 

[Icy Gull]

That started in the 1980s so you'd probably need someone in their 60s to tell you how it came to mean cool.

Can you help?

 

[Bakero]

Can you help?

Haha. I can try.

It's an example of semantic drift, where the meaning of a word changes over time. Similar things happened with terrific and awesome. The linguistic shift from meaning bad to good seemed to peak in the 80s. I blame Michael Jackson.

 

[portlock seagull]

Earlier today, man in sandwich shop in front of me said “Can I GET, LIKE, a cheese and ham roll”?

I wanted to intervene and respond to him as follows;

a) no you can’t, because that’s the server’s job, and if you’d like to work there you need to apply like everyone else…

b) it’s not the job of the server to guess what near ingredients you’d enjoy that’s similar to cheese and ham. You need to specifically state what you want in your sandwich and then they’ll make it. It’s really that simple, why are you trying to complicate?

Honestly, the standard of spoken English these days is appalling.