Phrases that Currently Get Up Your Nose

mkchen · Post by **mkchen** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:50 am

"At the end of the day..." heard ad nauseum at every congressional hearing, e.g. from Alberto Gonzalez.

"...on the ground..." referring to someone on the scene of some happening, heard ad nauseum on innumerable TV and radio newscasts, even NPR!

Ming

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:56 am

mkchen wrote:"At the end of the day..." heard ad nauseum at every congressional hearing, e.g. from Alberto Gonzalez.

Mea maxima culpa. I used to hate it too, to bits, even, and then I found myself using it (long before Gonzalez and the other arrivistes du buzzword ever had). My shame knows not even the limit of a horizon.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:54 am

lalit wrote:From the "ridiculous and frighteningly widespread malapropisms" department:

WEARY (pron. "weery"), when what is meant is WARY.

People don't seem to realize that "weary" means "tired". Arrrggggh!

Thank god for this thread.

Edited to add some clarifying punctuation -- don't want to turn into one of them misconstrued bad-talkin' types.

i grew up in pennsylvania and live in southern west virginia. the pronounciations sometimes are so different down here. i'm going to pay attention to weary/wary and see how folks pronounce that. for reasons beyond my understand the way i say seven & ten sound the same to these folks. you really have to hear a local store clerk say "aisle eight" to appreciate the troulbes i see.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:55 am

Nanohedron wrote:
mkchen wrote:"At the end of the day..." heard ad nauseum at every congressional hearing, e.g. from Alberto Gonzalez.
Mea maxima culpa. I used to hate it too, to bits, even, and then I found myself using it (long before Gonzalez and the other arrivistes du buzzword ever had). My shame knows not even the limit of a horizon.

I think a lot of us probably use phrases we hate. If you find yourself stuck with someone who thinks in cliches, it can reassure them to drop the occasional one yourself; furthermore, at least you know you'll be understood. When stuck with this kind of person for an uncomfortably long time, it can also be amusing to see if you can take the mickey without them noticing.

When push comes to shove, at the end of the day, what goes around comes around, and that's, like, the bottom line, dude.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:05 am

Wombat wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:
mkchen wrote:"At the end of the day..." heard ad nauseum at every congressional hearing, e.g. from Alberto Gonzalez.
Mea maxima culpa. I used to hate it too, to bits, even, and then I found myself using it (long before Gonzalez and the other arrivistes du buzzword ever had). My shame knows not even the limit of a horizon.
I think a lot of us probably use phrases we hate. If you find yourself stuck with someone who thinks in cliches, it can reassure them to drop the occasional one yourself; furthermore, at least you know you'll be understood. When stuck with this kind of person for an uncomfortably long time, it can also be amusing to see if you can take the mickey without them noticing.

The work associate you cited, Lorraine, comes to mind.

Wombat wrote:When push comes to shove, at the end of the day, what goes around comes around, and that's, like, the bottom line, dude.

You are so teh roxxorz. It's six of one and half a dozen of another, but when all's said and done, you make your own bed and reap what you sow, so no use crying over spilt milk. That's water over the dam and under the bridge, big time. Word. Peace out.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:21 am

Nanohedron wrote: That's water over the dam and under the bridge, big time.

Before or after it's off a duck's back?

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:27 am

Wombat wrote:
Nanohedron wrote: That's water over the dam and under the bridge, big time.
Before or after it's off a duck's back?

That's a horse of a different color. But it goes without saying you first-off determined that it walked and quacked like one. Proof in the pudding, and all that.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:33 am

Are we having try-outs for Sancho Panza or something?

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:36 am

Cynth wrote:Are we having try-outs for Sancho Panza or something?

All in the eye of the beholder. Clichés are the bee's knees, because they are the smoking gun that there's more than one way to skin a cat. But it's hell to pay if you hope to not repeat your little gems.

lalit · Post by **lalit** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:31 pm

mutepointe wrote:
lalit wrote:From the "ridiculous and frighteningly widespread malapropisms" department:

WEARY (pron. "weery"), when what is meant is WARY.

People don't seem to realize that "weary" means "tired". Arrrggggh!

Thank god for this thread.

Edited to add some clarifying punctuation -- don't want to turn into one of them misconstrued bad-talkin' types.
i grew up in pennsylvania and live in southern west virginia. the pronounciations sometimes are so different down here. i'm going to pay attention to weary/wary and see how folks pronounce that. for reasons beyond my understand the way i say seven & ten sound the same to these folks. you really have to hear a local store clerk say "aisle eight" to appreciate the troulbes i see.

If it were an interesting regional pronunciation, it wouldn't bug me so much. But I'm on the US west coast, where it can't be accounted for in our regional accent. It's mostly spreading via those members of the 20-something-and-under set who don't put a lot of stock in education. It definitely started here as a mispronunciation, and has spread through copycatting. My nearly-40-yo brother has started to pronounce it that way because of his contact with a younger crowd. But I've heard it in public places and --

-- even on TV.

lalit · Post by **lalit** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:43 pm

While I'm at it, I'd like to put in some kind thoughts for the subjunctive:

If it were an interesting regional pronunciation...

(Rather than "If it was an interesting regional pronunciation...")

It adds so much richness to our language, but I wonder whether it could be headed toward extinction as fewer and fewer people bother to use it.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:28 pm

i don't know enough about grammar to know for sure but i think someone just got dissed.

lalit · Post by **lalit** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:58 pm

Don't worry mutepointe, I wasn't dissing anybody with the subjunctive bit -- just a little pre-emptive nostalgia.

And the weary/wary thing -- the only person I may have dissed was my own brother, and I'm pretty sure he would tell me what to do with that!

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:41 am

brothers were meant for dissing. i have three older brothers who did their fair share and one younger brother. all i had to say to him was, "you can cry if you want to." and he'd start.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 3:08 pm

Boy answers door.

Visitor: I would like to speak to your mother or father.

Boy: Thay ain't here.

Visitor: Young lad, where is your grammer?

Boy: She's in the kitchen...