Oxford Researchers List Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

Dark Knight

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http://blog.wired.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/07/exeterscarf.jpgNot all University of Oxford researchers are uptight and humorless, "irregardless" of what you might think. In fact, a bunch of them compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Irritating Expressions in the English language -- just because we needed one.

Though maybe "you could care less," the scholars in question keep track of linguistic mangling and overused buzzwords in a database called the Oxford University Corpus. The voluminous record keeps track of books, magazines, broadcast, online media and other sources, watching for new overused, tiresome phrases and retiring those that fade from use (or misuse).

The great hierarchy of verbal fatigue includes:

1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science


http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/11/oxford-research.html
 
One that drives me nuts - when someone is speaking, but are too lazy to finish the sentence, and instead say "and yada yada yada" or "and blah blah blah". Could they not just say "etc."? :confused:
 
Most annoying for me would be "No offense but...."
Because it is usually followed by something offensive, and the person saying it usually knows it will be offensive.
 
Mine is "I love him/her to death but..."
I learned that this actually means you DON'T like the person but you have to.

I also hear "Due to the fact that..." misused ALL the time.
 
#8 drives me up the wall when people TYPE it! It's one thing to say it that way, but at least type it correctly!

(ETA: For those who don't know, it's "Shouldn't have" not "shouldn't of.")
 
I'd like to nominate "throw him/her under the bus."
 
How about when people say: "Quote Unquote" and they do that little hooky thing with their fingers to demonstrate a quote.

Another one: "You didn't hear it from me,but....."

There's also: your and you're and their and they're

I've got a million of them folks! LOL!
 
#8 drives me up the wall when people TYPE it! It's one thing to say it that way, but at least type it correctly!

(ETA: For those who don't know, it's "Shouldn't have" not "shouldn't of.")
Yep,that's a good one too Dark Knight! I SHOULD OF known you WOULD OF thought of that one! LOL!:)
 
Mine is dropping the "g" of words and "betcha" followed by a wink........

Dude is another example.........
 
Yep,that's a good one too Dark Knight! I SHOULD OF known you WOULD OF thought of that one! LOL!:)

YOUR KILLIN me here!!!!! :crazy: Reading that was like nails on a chalkboard to me!
 
A personal bugaboo - "in a good place"....meaning someone seems to be happy or content.

"How's George doing?"
"Oh, he's great. He's in a really great place!"

Blecch!!
 
A personal bugaboo - "in a good place"....meaning someone seems to be happy or content.

"How's George doing?"
"Oh, he's great. He's in a really great place!"

Blecch!!

Me too!!!! I HATE that phrase!!!! Blecch is right!
 
We are pregnant. I can not stand that expression. We are not pregnant. She is pregnant.
And if you really want to set me off use preggers instead of pregnant.
 
How about when people type "prolly" for the word "probably"?


Ick.
 
All of the above, but my number one is "ya know" at the end of every few words!
 
I can't stand it when someone walks in a room and says, "So, how are we doing?"
 
5 - With all due respect

When someone says that to me I brace myself because they are getting ready to trash me or something I did.
 

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