Five expressions you must abandon immediately.

Posted byWaldo Jaquith 28 Comments on Five expressions you must abandon immediately.
  1. Tell me something I don’t know.
  2. Would you like some cheese with that whine?
  3. That’s what she said.
  4. Odds bodkins!
  5. That is phat.

(In the spirit of 5ives.)

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

28 replies on “Five expressions you must abandon immediately.”

  11. “Working hard, or hardly working” always makes me want to punch somebody in the face.

    “[you] know what I’m sayin”, which has become a long-winded equivalent of “uh” — a crutch.

    “Basically”, which never improves a sentence. Take any sentence with the word “basically”, eliminate that word, and you’ve basically got a better sentence. (see?)

  12. “Not to mention” aggravates me. The speaker is in fact mentioning when he or she says “not to mention.”

  13. Jon- I hate people who use “you know what I’m sayin'” or “you know?” There’s a guy in one of my classes who uses it at least five times every time he opens his mouth to ask a question. (He also combines it with ‘like’ which is just irritating)

    I personally hate “in my opinion” because, well, who else’s opinion could it be? Occasionally, it can be used well, but not that frequently.

    Also, “ATM Machine.” That is redundant.

  14. About ten years ago I started using “basically.” I used it as a crutch in every damned sentence for a few months until I weaned myself off of it.

    Oh, and right up there with “in my opinion” is the retort that’s just your opinion.

  15. “I thought to myself” is used by people who ought to know better. Who ELSE would you be thinking to? (Well, unless you’ve got a serious ESP thing going with somebody…)

  23. I love saying “I mean…” which has totally replaced “Ummmm” in my vocab.

    Also I’d like to stick up for “That what she said.” If said in a ironic (like trucker-hat ironic) way, it can be hilarious.

    Seriously.

  24. Wsage of the word “like” needs to die.

    and I’m with James Young, talking about “pro-choice” is a mistake. We need to be talking about what it is to be Pregnant in America, and the movement to make second class citizens out of pregnant women.

    James and I agree yet again.

  25. “ZB” wants to eliminate the use of the term “GATE” for every scandal that ever comes up:

    http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2006/03/more_on_leighty.html#comment-14570579

    Can we PLEASE agree to stop using “Gate” to describe everything with the least bit of controversy around it.

    Watergate, I understand since that was the name.

    WhitewaterGate, I understand due to the similarity with the name Watergate.

    Even FileGate, I can see because it’s got a good ring.

    But when we’re getting to PlameGate, LewinskyGate, LeightyGate, it’s time to find another word.

  27. Josh, I understand your fatigue with the -gate suffix, but before we close the door on that one, let’s listen, once more, to Jon Stewart’s description of a recent event: “Dick Cheney Shot a 78-year-old Man In the Face-gate”.

  28. Yeah, that’s a good one Julie.

    I mean you just can’t say “Dick Cheney Shot a 78-year-old Man in the Face” enough. It’s just too funny.

    Also, Dick Cheney really does remind me of the “Penguin”, now that John Stewart pointed it out.

    ;)

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