I hate when people use "reticent" to mean "reluctant." I just looked it up in the dictionary, so I now know it's technically correct, but it totally annoys me.
Mine is "Irregardless" - its use gives me the chills. It's REGARDLESS! I'm old school that way - Struck and White so to speak. I actually keep a whole list of words I either can't remember how to use or have seen others misuse...I'll send it...you can add to it yourself.
But, see, all these examples are *wrong*. Reticent is technically correct, I just hate it. What do you hate that is technically correct? Utilize is another one I hate, because you can almost always say "use" instead, and "use" is just a better word.
People who use the wrong form of there/their/they're make me want to bang my head with a rock. Even if they're speaking - *I* know they're using the wrong form!
Seriously though, given my line of work and business school background, nothing gets me hotter under the collar than consultant-speak. Being "proactive" about "synergizing" efforts to "implement change management" and needing to "touch base" to "reengineer" the way we can "optimize the global marketspace" with "bleeding-edge, cross-platform, knowledge transfer" to bring about a "paradigm shift".
I hate the word "externship." As far as I can tell, it's a word used exclusively by law students to differentiate internships done on campus from "externships" done in, well, the external world. But it seems like a completely unnecessary piece of jargon, given that everyone else gets along just fine with "internship."
Also, I hate it when people say "insure" when I think they should use "ensure," even though it's technically ok to use "insure" in contexts not involving insurance.
...we play "Buzz-word Bingo" at meetings -- I've been "caught" several times and just smile. I live and work in a world of jargon and acronyms - it's painful sometimes....nauseously determininig if there their yet with they're buzz-words; hyphenated for effect.... Don't get me started on Affect and Effect. :)
Back at my (only) real job, people used to use 'overwhelm' as a noun. Like in "Teachers are often prone to overwhem." It drove me crazy.
Also, a weird convention at my current university is to say "homeworks" instead of "homework" being both the singular and the plural. And some of the forms have employee spelled with one 'e'. 'Employe' just looks wrong!!!
When M.Bro still worked for the state Dept of Administration, everyone received a memo from the head chief someone-or-other to remind them that "employee" is now spelled with two "e"s. I thought it was some sort of prank, but we looked it up and apparently, yeah, that's an acceptable historical spelling.
Piling on the train of grammatical hate (a train that has derailed from towwas' original plan) - Hey, homemade sign-makers, apostrophes aren't for pluralization!
13 comments:
What about people who use "disinterested" to mean "uninterested?" Or people who use "literally" when they actually mean "figuratively."
Yeah, I've read that the "literally" issue is, historically, squishier than you'd think.
Mine is "Irregardless" - its use gives me the chills. It's REGARDLESS! I'm old school that way - Struck and White so to speak. I actually keep a whole list of words I either can't remember how to use or have seen others misuse...I'll send it...you can add to it yourself.
I hate it when people say they're nauseous. You should say that you are nauseated. Nauseous things make people nauseated.
But, see, all these examples are *wrong*. Reticent is technically correct, I just hate it. What do you hate that is technically correct? Utilize is another one I hate, because you can almost always say "use" instead, and "use" is just a better word.
NEVER use "ize" word constructions -- they are wrong, IRREGARDLESS....:)
People who use the wrong form of there/their/they're make me want to bang my head with a rock. Even if they're speaking - *I* know they're using the wrong form!
Seriously though, given my line of work and business school background, nothing gets me hotter under the collar than consultant-speak. Being "proactive" about "synergizing" efforts to "implement change management" and needing to "touch base" to "reengineer" the way we can "optimize the global marketspace" with "bleeding-edge, cross-platform, knowledge transfer" to bring about a "paradigm shift".
Yeah, I'm nauseated just writing it.
I hate the word "externship." As far as I can tell, it's a word used exclusively by law students to differentiate internships done on campus from "externships" done in, well, the external world. But it seems like a completely unnecessary piece of jargon, given that everyone else gets along just fine with "internship."
Also, I hate it when people say "insure" when I think they should use "ensure," even though it's technically ok to use "insure" in contexts not involving insurance.
We writers are a crotchety bunch, aren't we?
:)
...we play "Buzz-word Bingo" at meetings -- I've been "caught" several times and just smile. I live and work in a world of jargon and acronyms - it's painful sometimes....nauseously determininig if there their yet with they're buzz-words; hyphenated for effect.... Don't get me started on Affect and Effect. :)
Back at my (only) real job, people used to use 'overwhelm' as a noun. Like in "Teachers are often prone to overwhem." It drove me crazy.
Also, a weird convention at my current university is to say "homeworks" instead of "homework" being both the singular and the plural. And some of the forms have employee spelled with one 'e'. 'Employe' just looks wrong!!!
When M.Bro still worked for the state Dept of Administration, everyone received a memo from the head chief someone-or-other to remind them that "employee" is now spelled with two "e"s. I thought it was some sort of prank, but we looked it up and apparently, yeah, that's an acceptable historical spelling.
Piling on the train of grammatical hate (a train that has derailed from towwas' original plan) - Hey, homemade sign-makers, apostrophes aren't for pluralization!
Yay these examples are fun. Who knew employe was once acceptable? Not me!
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