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There's a bunch of phrases in the English language that drive me insane.

Surely I cannot be the only one.

Today's Phrase Up for Exile: Reverts Back


Reasoning: The phrase "reverts back" is redundant because "revert" already implies returning to a previous state. The word "back" is unnecessary since "revert" alone conveys the idea of going back to an earlier condition.

Any sentence using the word "literally", because it's almost never literal.

I’ve literally heard that word used incorrectly.

I.

Could.

Care.

Less.

*rule Britannia plays. Turned up to one hundred and eleventy twelve*

Our language. Our rules.

In fact, I’m going to take this opportunity to be incredibly foul mouthed whilst baffling everyone who can’t speak Mr Goddington’s own language proper, innit. Bruv.

Winnits.

Tagnuts.

Half a tea cake

Stamped Bat

Child born out of wedlock

FORNICATION!

"Tell me <blank> without telling me <blank>" is such an overused, unoriginal, wannabe-edgy phrase that I grind my teeth whenever I hear it.

 Valkyrie wrote:
"Tell me <blank> without telling me <blank>" is such an overused, unoriginal, wannabe-edgy phrase that I grind my teeth whenever I hear it.

Yet, when used appropriately?

And as someone whose profession involves hearing the unsaid and reading the unwritten? There is truth to that thing.

It is massively overused though.

I'm just saying.....


Which typically translates too "I'm going to insult you/boss you around/be rude" but the person is trying to make it sound like they are "just saying"

 Overread wrote:
I'm just saying.....


Which typically translates too "I'm going to insult you/boss you around/be rude" but the person is trying to make it sound like they are "just saying"

No disrespect, but... <is disrespectful>

People can still he honest and “tell it like it is” with tact and diplomacy. You can be open, honest, and straightforward and not be a jerk.

Some people have zero empathy and social skills, but wrap it in phrases like these.

“Swear down” - I’m about to tell a whopper of a porky pie.

 ScarletRose wrote:
Any sentence using the word "literally", because it's almost never literal.

When someone tells me they're "literally on fire", they'd either better be literally on fire, or else I'll make them correct.

I hate that young people decided to use the word 'literally' figuratively, when those two things mean VERY DIFFERENT THINGS! ::yells at cloud::

“For some strange reason”. Another near guarantee the person is about to lie to my face.

 BorderCountess wrote:

 ScarletRose wrote:
Any sentence using the word "literally", because it's almost never literal.

When someone tells me they're "literally on fire", they'd either better be literally on fire, or else I'll make them correct.

I hate that young people decided to use the word 'literally' figuratively, when those two things mean VERY DIFFERENT THINGS! ::yells at cloud::

Why so much yelling at Cloud? Were you not a Final Fantasy fan?
[

"Close proximity". Just say "close to", otherwise you're saying something is "close close", which makes no sense.

I had a manager once who demanded 110% from all his staff, all the time. He seemed to think it was inspirational or something, whereas I thought it just made him sound like a moron.

Let me be pacific.

Slipspace wrote:
I had a manager once who demanded 110% from all his staff, all the time. He seemed to think it was inspirational or something, whereas I thought it just made him sound like a moron.

Are they going to pay you 110% if you did?


"I don't know if you saw/know/heard/etc...." instead of assuming they didn't and carry on.

"Adulting"

"I did a thing..."

"Do you see what I'm saying?"

Three phrases that make me want to scream incoherently and flee the conversation like Kermit the Frog (Arms in the air too).

I’m going to defend Adulting.

It is a very modern term, but is a useful catch all for all the things that don’t make being an Adult as much fun as it looks to kids.

For instance? Taxes. Having to keep your own house clean, including laundry, DIY. Myirad, often smaller things, which erode your time and fun. Things which children and teenagers don’t typically have any real concept of.

Slipspace wrote:
"Close proximity". Just say "close to", otherwise you're saying something is "close close", which makes no sense.

Both Cambridge and Merriam Webster include "close proximity" as an appropriate form. I can appreciate your position though

I am also quite fond of "adulting" as a term, but that may be driven by the Adulting song from one of the Phineas and Ferb films.

Very important not to mix up adulting and auditing though.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I’m going to defend Adulting.

It is a very modern term, but is a useful catch all for all the things that don’t make being an Adult as much fun as it looks to kids.

For instance? Taxes. Having to keep your own house clean, including laundry, DIY. Myirad, often smaller things, which erode your time and fun. Things which children and teenagers don’t typically have any real concept of.

Agree. I actually use it a fair bit. The boring and mildly irritating tasks that compose the maintenance of life, and need to be done.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Let me be pacific.

And now I have Bloodhound Gang stuck in my head.

Bless you, kind sir.

Chuffed to bits

Only because I want to see what folk who say chuffed to bits will fall back on

My work refers to lessons as 'learnings', and calls training a 'capability uplift'

 Flinty wrote:

Slipspace wrote:
"Close proximity". Just say "close to", otherwise you're saying something is "close close", which makes no sense.

Both Cambridge and Merriam Webster include "close proximity" as an appropriate form. I can appreciate your position though

Yeah, it's one of those phrases that sounds redundant, but actually has a practical use.

Similarly, people adding 'of' after 'myriad' used to drive me into a rage, and then I discovered that it was actually correct usage under certain conditions.

Oh, a super nerdy pet-peeve that I gained working at a comic shop one summer.

D.C. Comics is short for Detective Comics Comics.

 Nevelon wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I’m going to defend Adulting.

It is a very modern term, but is a useful catch all for all the things that don’t make being an Adult as much fun as it looks to kids.

For instance? Taxes. Having to keep your own house clean, including laundry, DIY. Myirad, often smaller things, which erode your time and fun. Things which children and teenagers don’t typically have any real concept of.

Agree. I actually use it a fair bit. The boring and mildly irritating tasks that compose the maintenance of life, and need to be done.

Also, it allows for the “sod it, no more Adulting today”, for when out of boredom, frustration, mental or physical exhaustion occurs, and we sack it all off for another day, and instead have a wee indulgence. Could be watching tv. Could be going to see a movie. Could be having a tub of ice cream for dinner. Or indeed breakfast.

For those of us choosy about socialising, it’s also a nice, catch all “no, sod off” response. Sorry, I can’t go to X’s party, I’ve got too much Adulting to do before work on Monday, for instance.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Two Times Effective.

Unless it’s repeating say, the cleaning process twice? Twice as effective is the term you want. And if you don’t get it right, I’m going to assume it’s incorrect on purpose, as a way around advertising standards, and your cleaning product (to continue the theme) is, in the words of A Shouty Man, up to a bit percent better at getting stubborn stains out my undercrackers than pond water.

ATM Machine. The "m" in ATM already stands for machine.

Eh, I chalk up ATM Machine and DC Comics to stuff like River Ouse, Mount Fuji etc, which respectively mean River River, and Mount Mount.

 cuda1179 wrote:
ATM Machine. The "m" in ATM already stands for machine.

Aren't Tautologies great...?

Naan bread, and so many others.

“As a Christian”, when used before something awful and/or completely and blatantly untrue comes out their mouth, as if their faith somehow means they’re actually, secretly, right.

This is from my experience skirting the conspirasphere. It is not a criticism of common or garden variety people of the Christian faith, nor when preceding an explanation/demonstration of their personal values, which is best addressed on a case by case basis

"Do you're own research" when said online.