Words you hate

[ADXC]

It's not so much that I dislike certain words as much as I dislike it when they are used improperly.

One example I would say is the misuse of the word anxious. People use it ALL the time for a substitute for what they really mean which is eager. Someone will say, "Man I'm soooo anxious to go to the beach today!!!" Remember, anxious is having a nervous dreading type feeling toward an event or doing something. Eager means that one is enthusiastically awaiting the event.

Another thing is when one says the wrong verb form of a word. Such as something simple as a state of being verb. Like, "Man, he sure were great last night!" The correct word is of course was. I'm quick to correct someone if they say the wrong one. XDD However, I make ONE exception. If you are impeccable about your grammar, then I think you may use the wrong words for emphasis. For example, if someone does something wrong, I would say to them "That just ain't right!" This would just be for emphasis only or if I'm just in a incredibly uncaring mood.


Also, "um" is referred to as verbal garbage and should be eliminated from all speech entirely. If you do not know what to say, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT instead of stammering.

[Furen]

It's not so much that I dislike certain words as much as I dislike it when they are used improperly.

Also, "um" is referred to as verbal garbage and should be eliminated from all speech entirely. If you do not know what to say, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT instead of stammering.

Agreed for the first half

but umm, when people pressure me to say something, they don't stop long enough for me to answer a question or while I try to think, so at least with ummmmmmmmm... They at least give me a half second to stop them from talking.

[ADXC]

Yes that is a tool that we use, but it is still improper.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Any pointlessly difficult language used in academic books (because the authors just have to prove themselves to the readers, and they worked hard for their education, dagnammit). I reckon they make up half of the words and the other half they use without knowing what they're talking about.

[MrKrillz0r]

The only thing that I don't like to hear is people takin' the Lord's name in vain.

Words like "Retarded" and l33t/internet slang is something I use on a daily basis. ^^

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Yeah, well people taking the Lord's name in vain (either Christians or non) is a given. Often Christians are the worst when it comes to disrespecting His name. Sad, really.

[Ally-Ann]

I should perhaps mention that I tend to say "like" a whole lot in everyday conversation. It's kind of a habitual thing, and when I take note of it, I am genuinely surprised by the frequency with which I use it. :/

Join the club. :I When I'm talking and I quote someone, instead of saying, "And he said, "Blah blah blah,"", I'll say, "And he was like, "Blah blah blah"." Even though I don't realize I say it, it annoys me. :/

[ShiroiHikari]

Also, "um" is referred to as verbal garbage and should be eliminated from all speech entirely. If you do not know what to say, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT instead of stammering.

That's a bit harsh, isn't it? Verbal pauses are natural. People do it in every language. Sometimes it takes a minute to collect your thoughts and if you're making "verbal pauses" it lets the other person know you're trying to say something so they don't blow right over you. Also, some people stutter and stammer because they're nervous or anxious or because they have a speech impediment. It doesn't mean you're stupid.

[ADXC]

Informally, it's ok. However, if you are saying a speech, giving a sermon, or address then it really needs to be gone from it.

[goldenspines]

Yes that is a tool that we use, but it is still improper.

Interestingly enough, "umm" is actually not terribly as improper as you may think. Yes, it's a space filler, and yes, it can get tiresome is someone uses "umm" after every word in their sentence, but it can be used as a helpful pause for the listeners as well as the speaker.

In mainly a more casual setting, "umm" is also useful since it implies thinking (if a convo is fast pace, it lets the other party know you still care very much about the conversation, but you need to think of the correct response) or, it can also be seen as being cautious/passive and sometimes polite about one's response. (i.e. "Umm, don't you think you should be more careful around fire?")

Of course tone of voice comes into play much more concerning this as well. It can define the word as being useful to being annoying.

That being said, most languages I've studied have some form of a "umm" (some more evident than others), so it's definitely not something that can be thrown out so easily. We just have to learn how to use it correctly.


Also, I agree with what Shiroi said.

[ADXC]

Well, I mean officially in speeches. You should be confident enough when giving them that you do not have to rely on umm. I've taken Fundamentals of Oral Communication. You were DOCKED points if you used any verbal garbage or "filler."


No matter what you say though it is still improper English. However yeah, we use it to stall time in everyday conversation.

[goldenspines]

Well, I mean officially in speeches. You should be confident enough when giving them that you do not have to rely on umm. I've taken Fundamentals of Oral Communication. You were DOCKED points if you used any verbal garbage or "filler."


No matter what you say though it is still improper English. However yeah, we use it to stall time in everyday conversation.

This depends on the audience. Presidential speeches? Yeah, no "umm"s there. But speeches given in a less formal sense, it tends to work better and if anything, helps you feel connected with the speaker if s/he occasionally uses an "umm" to gather their thoughts/breath. It can been seen as a sign of confidence if used correctly.
Plus, I didn't say anyone should rely on "umm", as no one should rely on any one word anyways.

But if you dislike the word so much, I cannot make you love it. Though, I think it's not a good thing to look down upon people who do and can use the word adequately.

[ADXC]

Agh, read my post. I mean formally it's not that great (You can do it, I just get annoyed when people do).


Informally, which is most of our lives, it is alright.

If I didn't learn that from a class, which costed quite a bit of money, that saying um is bad, then I wouldn't really worry about it.

The OP was words that irritated you and I believe that Um is one of those words for me. Now it's more a matter of preference than dogmatic rules.

[Radical Dreamer]

Agh, read my post. I mean formally it's not that great (You can do it, I just get annoyed when people do).


Informally, which is most of our lives, it is alright.

If I didn't learn that from a class, which costed quite a bit of money, that saying um is bad, then I wouldn't really worry about it.

The OP was words that irritated you and I believe that Um is one of those words for me. Now it's more a matter of preference than dogmatic rules.

Honestly, literally any public speaking class taught in any high school or college setting will tell you that "like," "um," and other filler words like "you know" are to be avoided when giving a speech of any sort, but that doesn't make them improper words (like "costed"--I'm sorry, but I just could not leave that one alone XDDD). In public speaking, words like that can snowball if you're the nervous type, from saying it once or twice to using them every other word, especially if you haven't practiced your speech much at all.

That being said, I've received A's on a number of presentations in public speaking classes (I've had at least three between high school and college) where I ended up slipping any one of the above three filler words into my speech. Sometimes it can be less about the language and more about the way you present it; either way, one or two "um's" isn't going to make anything sound immediately informal. XD

[ADXC]

Eh whatever. I was just stating that's a word that I dislike. Didn't mean for this to become a grammar thread.



Also, I don't see anything wrong with costed.

[Radical Dreamer]

Also, I don't see anything wrong with costed.

The past-tense form of the word is "cost." XD

Trust me, I'm the Grammar Ranger. XD

[ADXC]

Oh alright.

Well, I guess since I use improper grammar all the time that the word um doesn't really matter much to me anymore.



Because of this, I'll still use costed.

[ShiroiHikari]

"Costed" is an improper verb conjugation. The correct form is "cost", as in, "This computer cost a lot of money."

Edit: Too slow!

Also, I've come to dislike the "fail/win" thing. "Addicting" irritates me when people use it in place of "addictive" because "addicting" sounds like a made-up verb and not a descriptor.

[Nate]

Actually, I think the words "um" and "uh" are extremely invaluable and useful in language. It implies you are thinking about something, and are giving an indication as such. For example, imagine I'm giving a speech or presentation, and start to say something but am having a bit of a brain fart. Is it more preferable for me to stand there silently, saying nothing, staring into space like an idiot? Or is it more preferable for me to say something like "Um, hold on..."

I'm of the belief that saying SOMETHING, anything, is preferable to standing there not making a sound.

Also know another word I hate? "A." A isn't a word, it's a letter. Come on, English. You're not fooling anyone.

[Yamamaya]

Actually, I think the words "um" and "uh" are extremely invaluable and useful in language. It implies you are thinking about something, and are giving an indication as such. For example, imagine I'm giving a speech or presentation, and start to say something but am having a bit of a brain fart. Is it more preferable for me to stand there silently, saying nothing, staring into space like an idiot? Or is it more preferable for me to say something like "Um, hold on..."

I'm of the belief that saying SOMETHING, anything, is preferable to standing there not making a sound.

Also know another word I hate? "A." A isn't a word, it's a letter. Come on, English. You're not fooling anyone.

Actually that's not entirely accurate. According to my speech class that I took this semester, it's better to have a moment of silence rather than to fill the time with verbal junk like "um and uh." It calls attention to the fact that you've forgotten what you want to say and it adds more stress on you. In fact, a moment of silence can be good. It allows the audience time to take in what you're saying.

People are more forgiving of small periods of silence than a ton of verbal junk.

[Ally-Ann]

Actually that's not entirely accurate. According to my speech class that I took this semester, it's better to have a moment of silence rather than to fill the time with verbal junk like "um and uh." It calls attention to the fact that you've forgotten what you want to say and it adds more stress on you. In fact, a moment of silence can be good. It allows the audience time to take in what you're saying.

People are more forgiving of small periods of silence than a ton of verbal junk.

Mhm. Whenever my grandpa heard someone giving a speech on TV and they stuttered a lot, he would say, "Uh, um, spit it out!" XD

[Nate]

Actually that's not entirely accurate. According to my speech class that I took this semester, it's better to have a moment of silence rather than to fill the time with verbal junk like "um and uh."

I'll bet you fifty dollars if I stood in front of you in real life, and started talking to you, then stopped mid-sentence and just stared at you silently, you would find that infinitely worse and more disturbing than if I said "Uh...um...hold on, it's on the tip of my tongue."

Fifty bucks.

[blkmage]

There's a difference between one-on-one conversation and an address to a large group.

[Midori]

When I was quite young I had a strange manner of speaking, where I'd have gaps and pauses in odd parts of my sentences when I was thinking of how to continue them. I'm told this is common among people on the autistic spectrum. In about middle school I figured out that putting 'um' and 'uh' in the pauses made me sound a lot more normal. Sure it was a bit more annoying (I annoyed myself when I did it) but at that point in my life, sounding normal was much more important than not being annoying. Nowadays I either wait until I know the whole sentence before saying it or I just leave the pauses, since sounding normal is no longer my priority.

That's just the primary use of such words though. There are other uses. When my father says "Um." it sends chills down my spine, because he only says that when there's something very wrong. You'd never think such an innocuous word would be so frightening.

I've heard "um" and "hm" used intentionally in speeches too, usually to be sarcastic or humorous. Imagine a political speaker saying something like "Political candidate X says he supports Y, but if you look at his history he's given a lot of money to Z. Hmmmmm!" Here the "hmmm" is to make the audience think (or rather, to make the audience *think* they're thinking) in order to bring attention to the alleged hypocrisy of the person being discussed.

[armeck]

i hate it when people say "Jesus" as an obscenity

[Nate]

There's a difference between one-on-one conversation and an address to a large group.

If I was watching a speech, I'd still prefer someone to say "um" or "uh" rather than stopping cold in the middle of their sentence and standing there like they're some sort of pull-string doll waiting for someone to yank their cord so they can continue their sentence.

[Yamamaya]

I'll bet you fifty dollars if I stood in front of you in real life, and started talking to you, then stopped mid-sentence and just stared at you silently, you would find that infinitely worse and more disturbing than if I said "Uh...um...hold on, it's on the tip of my tongue."

Fifty bucks.

As blkmage mentioned, that's a one on one informal conversation. In the context you used, it's a formal speech. Using some verbal junk isn't that bad, but medium length pauses aren't that bad.

If I was watching a speech, I'd still prefer someone to say "um" or "uh" rather than stopping cold in the middle of their sentence and standing there like they're some sort of pull-string doll waiting for someone to yank their cord so they can continue their sentence.

The key is the length of time the person is silent. If they're silent for 30 seconds, then yes that would probably cause some discomfort. However, filling that silence with about 20 odd ums and uhhs would probably make it worse.

[Regina Ignom.]

Ummmm... I think the thing that bugs me the most at the moment, is the use of any phrases related to "judging". This can include, "you're judging me," "don't judge me," et cetera. I think the above phrases have been waaaaay overused lately and it needs to stop. Seriously. It has gotten so bad that I could go up to a person (my brother) and tell him that I don't like his hair, his clothing, or his choice in music. He will tell me "I don't like it when you judge me like that". AAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Really though, if you think about it, whenever you hold an opinion about a person you are judging them to some degree. It doesn't matter whether it is a good or a bad opinion, it is still a judgement. Even if you choose not to have an opinion, that in itself is an opinion, therefore a judgement.
People even use it when you disagree with their opinion. Seriously, they don't teach debate in schools anymore. It seems all anyone ever learns is how to say "Don't judge me" whenever someone states something they dislike about a person. Why can't they just say "I disagree with you because...". Is that so hard?
What are they teaching nowadays? I think they need to teach logic in schools. And perhaps how to properly disagree with one another.
Rant over.

[MomentOfInertia]

I don't mind cussing/don't get offended by it, but it is pretty annoying when people center their vocabulary around cuss words. Completely out of context... like "Hi, I want a bleepin' burger with bleep bleep fries and a side of bleep! Oh, and - bleep! - is that $6.50? Can I use a bleepin' credit card?" That's rather unclassy I must say... XD It just sound very weird and kinda goofy in that case...

Yes, I agree completely. Without this Green Hornet would have been an excellent pointless action movie but, noooo.

Bigoted is a word I dislike, but mostly in terms how often it is abused. Same with discriminating. Few things angers me more than a teenager who has a relatively decent living standard firing those blind punches. I put these words in because they just make something in my mind tick every time I notice them, but that does not mean I always disagree with their use. Just when the words are diminished beyond their original meaning, which sadly has been quite often with some people I know.

I'm not quite sure what you mean here, could you elaborate?

What else.... Oh, I hate it when one word is traded for another. Just because it is suddenly deemed inappropriate, or been neutral and picked up a bad rep. Now, true enough some alterations are justified, but other times it is just trivial.

Yes, particularly annoying when the offended party continues using said word.

I would also like to second the complaints about the constant uses of gay and retarded, these aggravate me for both being incorrect usages of the words and for as examples of being offensive for the sake of being offensive.

[Sapphire225]

Actually, I think the words "um" and "uh" are extremely invaluable and useful in language. It implies you are thinking about something, and are giving an indication as such. For example, imagine I'm giving a speech or presentation, and start to say something but am having a bit of a brain fart. Is it more preferable for me to stand there silently, saying nothing, staring into space like an idiot? Or is it more preferable for me to say something like "Um, hold on..."

I'm of the belief that saying SOMETHING, anything, is preferable to standing there not making a sound.

Also know another word I hate? "A." A isn't a word, it's a letter. Come on, English. You're not fooling anyone.

I was going to say something along those lines. But yeah, when someone says "Um" or "Hm," I usually regard it as someone giving thought to something or indicating that they are taking some time think of what they are going to say.

Also, your last statement had me guffawing.

i hate it when people say "Jesus" as an obscenity

This. The same applies when people say God's name in that fashion as well.

Also, I kind of annoys me when people use text speech out of text speech. My sister literally says "Lol!" when she isn't doing it. I mean, it is kind of obvious your laughing out loud, you don't need to say it, especially when you are not.