Ask Lemmy

So it bothers you when people vocalize their question marks, eh?

I literally dislike it whenever anyone uses the word literally when they clearly mean figuratively.

Its just extra syllables to lie to me.

You "hold the fort". It's a military position.

Only a fort molester would "hold down" the fort.

"Literally" meaning figuratively. I'm fine with most words changing with use; but we need that word! It's how you indicate you're not exaggerating or speaking dramatically! Especially these days, that clarification is important!

I'm also seeing a lot of corporate buzzwords in job descriptions. I get that these are essentially technical terms, but they're not being used for accuracy or clarity here. You just don't like how short your description is.

"I have nothing to hide" -Man wearing pants

Since you asked, "Touch grass" bothers me.

"It's just common sense." No, it's usually either an inference you made based on incorrect information, or it's information you gleaned from your particular environment that not everyone has experienced.

"Turn of phrase."

I much prefer the phrase "parlence of our day."

"It is what it is". This cliche is symptomatic of learned helplessness and only serves to protect the status quo against any sort critical analysis and reform.

I get unreasonably enraged at "am I the only one who". It's so arrogant and dismisses all the people who have been expressing the same opinion. Yes, you're so special and unique, you must be the first person to bring it up.

I've also had it with "literally". There is no need to use that word unless you are saying something that might be interpreted as figurative and you are clarifying that you mean it literally. "We literally live on the same street". Is there a figurative meaning to that? Why do you need to specify you mean it literally?

Any turn of phrase which is stated incorrectly. Eg.

• case and point
• doggie dog world
• at your beckon call
• they're on tender hooks
• should tie you over
• it's a mute point

Oh god; where to start?

• 'literally'. It's best when using the Essex pronunciation of 'litchally' for maximum cringey delivery.
• 'the ask'. Because 'request' or 'question' is too hard to say around the pablum.
• 'the spend'. Off the car lot, it sounds super-douchey.
• 'action this'. Why decide on a verb like 'do' or 'complete' or 'revisit' or 'prioritize'?
• 'begs the question'. Chances are, it really doesn't. And using that wrongly makes you sound like Mike Tyson saying 'utilize'

And now there's one more:

• 'utilize'; or, really, anyone using stilted 'formal' phrasing instead of plain English. You don't sound posh, but you do sound like you're three kids in a trenchcoat trying to fake being an adult so you don't get booted from the R-rated movie.

I dont let my emotions control me like that, but I know what you mean. :)

I've seen/heard a few Americans (old and young) saying something like "it has been a minute" to indicate "it has been a long time". What the hell is that? How did that start? Please someone enlighten me

"Let that sink in..."

All I think about is what does the sink want, and why is it outside? Any point they were trying to make is now a joke to me. Better to say "think about that for a minute."

"to make a long story short" - especially when used multiple times in one story and/or as a mindless audiospace filler to hold control of the conversation while assembling more thoughts/words... without knowing both the long and short version it literally adds nothing to the communication, it literally makes the story longer every time you use it (wasting my time), it's probably the longest socially acceptable way to say that (one could just say: "in short"), and it's got just enough word-scramble verbal complexity to occupy the higher order English parsing logic.

"Let's agree to disagree"

This solves nothing, it just equates to a polite way of saying I'm done talking to you.

"no offense" then proceeds to offend said person, or people using the word "YALL" how did it become popular when 15-20years ago and was considered unintelligent. Also people saying "entitled to thier own opinions" but end up saying thier own opinions matter more.