Monday, December 5, 2011

Some Words and Phrases I could Live Without

Parenting:

What a blah word for the most thrilling, painful, exhilarating, difficult, satisfying, frustrating, rewarding job in the world! Can’t someone think up a better word?





Wrongdoing:

A euphemism for evil acts committed by criminals, such as fleecing the elderly of their pensions and retirement funds, gouging the poor by giving them mortgages they can’t afford, and burdening the young with debts it will take them a lifetime to pay off – all for their own greedy gain. “Crime” is the correct word for these deeds.





At The End of The Day:

What exactly does this mean? Tonight? Tomorrow? A week from now? Next year? Or at the Armageddon? I wish someone would please tell me.

I also wish some of you out there would submit your pet verbal peeves. I’m making a list. Unless, of course, you’re too busy parenting or wrongdoing at the end of the day. (Just kidding.)

Robin Hathaway



8 comments:

  1. Every time a news anchor says "Something went terribly wrong..." they should have their perfect teeth rearranged.
    But I suppose that would be wrongdoing.

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  2. Oh, Robin. I could go on and on answering this question, but the first thing that came to mind was "the amount of people." It especially frosts me when radio and tv commentators say it. I shout back at the broadcast: "How does one get an amount of people? With a giant blender?" My poor husband has to listen to me making such gross remarks whenever one of pet peeves comes over the airwaves.

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  3. Right, Annamaria, and any other time a word describing volume is used to describe units that can be counted. Like fingernails on a blackboard, it is. (Wait. Do they still have blackboards?)

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  4. State of the art irritates me. What exactly do they mean by it? It's usually used to describe some device like a new TV or music system, but art has nothing to do with manufacturing the latest models. Why not just say it's the latest or from the latest research?

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  5. Go figue is a phrase I've never been able to translate perfectly. tjs

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  6. My #1 peeve is those who don't understand dictionary definitions -- they'll argue that the second or third use of a word doesn't exist. This peeve is tied for #1 with the misuse of "myself." Those who don't know when to use "me" and when to use "I" think they have covered up their lack of knowledge by saying "myself" for everything.

    I am beyond sick of & disgusted with those who act like ONLY MOTHERS -- not fathers & not anyone else -- can understand the pain of another person who loses children or has any other problem that involves human feelings. The phrases alerting you to an article or news blurb of that ilk include "only a mother could," etc.

    I am sick of newspeople announcing how many children died and ignoring the rest of the victims as though those disasters that only kill those over the age of 18 don't matter.

    I LOATHE those who refer to Social Security & Medicare as an "entitlement" with a tone of voice as though they disapprove of a society that provides a little bit for the elderly.

    I have more pet peeves than I can count as you can tell.

    --BrendaW.

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  7. It's sort of a 'peeve' but more of a love/hate relationship I have to the enigmatic phrase: "...with all deliberate speed...": It was coined by the U.S Supremes in Brown v. Board of Education (1954, integration). I kind of admire the way it stops you dead in your tracks ("What'd they say??). On the other hand, I want to throw a wrench at the Bench when the practical meaning dawns on me: " Don't bother me! I'm busy!"...Still, have to doff a hat to the wordsmithing. Bob

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