Words & Phrases To Eliminate, Part II

Ravine · June-02-09, 06:55 PM

Some threads from the previous DetroitYES! deserve to be resurrected, and this one was a favorite of mine.
Please forgive me if it's already over here, somewhere. Lazy curmudgeon that I am, I didn't conduct a thorough search.
We can blame WDET's [[and DY participant) Craig Fahle for my urge to re-fire up this thread, thanks to his insistence on repeatedly using the stoopid term, "going forward."
I was just gnashing my teeth about his use of it, today, when-- not 30 seconds later-- he said it again.

**Detroitej72** · June-02-09, 07:51 PM

Words and phrases used all too often by the right:

1)government takeover of the auto industry.

2) socialist used to describe any policy of Obama's.

3) liberal to describe anyone who disagrees with their logic.

4) activist judge, any judge who disagrees with their philosophy.

**rb336** · June-03-09, 07:15 AM

"logic" being used to describe thinking dominated by absurd dogma, especially when it goes against scientifically derived conclusions, and especially when the "logic" requires some nebulous "conspiracy," for which there is zero evidence, to dismiss the science

Ravine · June-03-09, 10:12 PM

Cripes!! This thread used to be simple. Got a word or phrase that you're sick of hearing, or that you think is downright stupid? Get it off your chest, here!!
What the hell is going on?
I get the feeling that you two are grinding some kind of axe, with those posts.
Should I page Cc and tell him that I think a sneak-attack, on him, is being launched on a thread which was not meant to have anything to do with him?

**Detroitej72** · June-03-09, 10:23 PM

You asked, and I responded!!!

BTW, props to a fellow pipe smoker, as we are few and far between!!!

P.S., as I write this, I"m enjoying a Borkum Riff at this moment, since I'm without the fine blends of Hill & Hill's tobacco...

**gazhekwe** · June-03-09, 10:34 PM

Please get rid of preventative. I'm afraid we will soon have Crime Preventation, and we will work very hard washing our hands to preventate colds and flu.

Ravine · June-03-09, 10:36 PM

Gaz: Excellent!! Now that's what we need, here!! My compliments; I didn't know that you could be such a comic.
Detroitej72:
Yeah, yeah, I know. That's why I didn't fire off an all-out rant. It's not for me to say which words or phrases you are allowed to oppose.
*sigh*
Anyway, keep an eye on the Where Is New Pipe-Smoking Guy? thread. I have some tobacco news to post, but since I gotta be up by 6:00 AM, it's time for me to sack out.

**mjs** · June-03-09, 11:02 PM

"Reporting live from" when there's nothing to see and no one to interview. Like the time they were reporting on Kwame's case at 10:30 on a Friday night in front of a dark locked up court house.

**Bobl** · June-03-09, 11:59 PM

How about using a noun as a verb, as in "we partnered to get this done"?

**reddog289** · June-04-09, 12:23 AM

Bailout, Stimulous, and Obama Bucks.These have got this hard of hearing fella refering to alot of stuff in this manner.

**Gistok** · June-04-09, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by Bobl

How about using a noun as a verb, as in "we partnered to get this done"?

... reminds me of one of my favorite bumper stickers... PORK IS NOT A VERB!

**rb336** · June-04-09, 07:31 AM

"impacted" where they should use "affected" [[the trans. verb meaning to have an effect on)

most things aren't wisdom teeth

**mjs** · June-04-09, 09:41 AM

Nonsensical old man sayings such as:

I'd bet dollars to donuts.
Riding the gravy train.
Raining to beat the band.
Are you working hard or hardly working?

**Flanders** · June-04-09, 02:26 PM

Personal responsibility

Pro-[[fill in the blank)

Any word that is prefaced with "America's", "American" or "Americans", giving the impression that anyone or anything else does not exist, is not as good or is bad or Anti-American. The RW is notorious for attaching any one those three terms to their groups and organizations.

**Johnlodge** · June-04-09, 02:49 PM

Anything involving partisan politics on a thread about language pet peeves.

**Johnlodge** · June-04-09, 02:51 PM

The media is in their 3rd or 4th year love affair with the misuse of "sea-change". Cut it out. "Last week so and so said this, now she is saying this, has there been a sea-change in her beliefs?"

A week? Come on now, think about the phrase. You sound stupid.

**rb336** · June-04-09, 03:09 PM

as someone who enjoys a good sail, that phrase always bugged me

**rb336** · June-04-09, 03:11 PM

actually, I think we could fill this whole thread with mediaese and legalese

and jockese

no more giving 110%. no more jockmediaese "if they go up 3-0 this series is over" in a 4-game series

**Johnlodge** · June-04-09, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

actually, I think we could fill this whole thread with mediaese and legalese

and jockese

no more giving 110%. no more jockmediaese "if they go up 3-0 this series is over" in a 4-game series

Has any team come back from 0-3 to win a 4 game series? Trivia question.

**Maxine1958** · June-05-09, 10:36 AM

Not so much words to eliminate, but one word usage abuse that really bugs me:

their - The Smith's are proud of 'their' home. - Ownership
there - Put the box over 'there.' - Place or position
they're - 'They're' going to get wet out in the rain. - Possesive cunjunction of 'They are'

Please people learn the proper word to use!

**rb336** · June-05-09, 10:48 AM

no more "she's 90 years young"
it is so patronizing I could vomit

**Sstashmoo** · June-05-09, 11:53 AM

Looking forward, at the the end of the day, it really doesn't amount to a hill of beans how people word things, it's they're business.

**Pam** · June-05-09, 12:08 PM

Not so much words to eliminate, but one word usage abuse that really bugs me:

their - The Smith's are proud of 'their' home. - Ownership

Your example contains one of my pet peeves- apostrophe misuse. It should say "The Smiths".

**Maxine1958** · June-05-09, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Your example contains one of my pet peeves- apostrophe misuse. It should say "The Smiths".

I've had this debate before. If the house is owned by the Smith family, then it belongs to the Smith's. Possesive use.

If more than one family with the name Smith lives in the house then it might be owned by the Smiths. Plural.

<sigh> Where's my fourth grade English teacher when I need her?

**Pam** · June-05-09, 02:40 PM

If the house is owned by the Smith family, then it belongs to the Smith's. Possesive use.

You are just using the Smiths as the subject of the sentence though, so it is simply plural- Smiths are proud. Plural possesive would be "Smiths' house" with the apostrophe after the s. See rules 4 and 5:

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/apostro.asp