Language & Grammar discussion

In the Boston Globe, Jan Freeman (language columnist) made her choice among many expressions we'd like to never hear, read, or see again. So I wondered: What expression are YOU sick to death of? (Could it be "to be sick to death of something"?)

Her column:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ide...

cool dude!

let's give a shout-out to-!

to be honest with you! (what, you weren't before?)

1.Whatever

2.So what

3.Technically speaking

4.In other words ...(what other words are there)

5. What part of No don't you understand ...the n or the o

parameters

"At the end of the day...."

When all is said and done

"Back in the day..."

When I was your age.......

When we examine the parameters of the recent crime wave...

We have to set parameters in the war on terrorism...

There are those who don't understand the parameters of life in the city...

Nuff said?

Everyone has an angle, some more pronounced than others. hahahahahaha

"It goes without saying that . . ." after which the speaker proceeds to say that which supposedly did not need to be said.

It goes without saying that I agree with Ruth.


"The piece we need to look at is..." (in reference to an idea, not an object)

"We need to consider the outliers..." (small thanks to Gladwell's book)

"To make a long story short..." (then get on with it!)

"Someone who needs no introduction,....." (So shut up then!)

And the reason being....

I've said this before in another thread, but I really hate this: low-hanging fruit.

to be honest with you! (what, you weren't before?)
yes but I think it's subtler than that - it invites intimacy as if, to be honest with only you. I like the connotations that phrase has I must say.

I would get rid of 'like# being spoken in the middle of sentences though!

"Well I don't want to be mean/nasty/unkind...BUT..."

I'd like to see fewer stories or focus on celebrity gossip!

Less focus on all their hanky-panky, which adds to the image of the spoiled, rich Americans that terrorists love to hate!
Tiger Woods, the latest casualty, who set the bar pretty high as a good, clean role model for young athletes, has now become laughing stock and fodder for some of the raunchiest jokes in years!

Do you mind..... of course I will mind if you have to ask

Yay Rob! You're back! Getting back to Beijing must have been a shock to the system!

"in these tough economic times..."
"if I got a penny every time I heard...___...I'd be rich!"
"... the fact that ..." (totally useless waste of words, just state the fact already!)
"I'm not being racist/sexist/whatever but..." (insert racist/sexist comment here)

Well, Gabi, it does in your mind at least.

D'ya listen to Kevin Bloody Wilson?

I thought nothing could be worse than, "Have a good day."

That is until I started hearing, "Have a good one."

Waiters:

"How you 'guys' doin'?" (no matter the gender ratios)

$42 should be your royal Highness or yes your Majesty.

Speaking of waiters, how about when they say:

"And how are we doing here?"

WE? hmmm... I'm doing good, not sure about you!

Jimmy wrote: "Speaking of waiters, how about when they say:

"And how are we doing here?"

WE? hmmm... I'm doing good, not sure about you!"

YEP!... That bugs me too!.... The WE!
"Have "we" decided what "we" want to order yet?"
Are there 2 of me or what?

Waiters again. What about, "Can I take your plate or are you still working on that?"

Sheesh. It's really work to go out to dinner and eat this delicious food I ordered because I wanted to eat it.

"If you need me, my name is Erin"

(and if you don't need me, my name is Jennifer?)

Heehee!

that being said...

Radio traffic reporters here say, "If you're headed home on the 10, your'e stalled, because there's a crash at Fulano St." And if you're not headed home there, the crash disappears.

Shades of Schrödinger's cat!

moe!!!! You're back!!!

Some may call me Moe
Some may call me Joe
The often call me Speedo
But my real name is Mister Earl.

just don't call me late for dinner...;)

And speaking of late...

"Happy belated birthday" drives me nutz. The modifier's in the wrong place. It's not the birthday that's belated, darn it. It's the wishes.

Belated happy birthday wishes to you all.

Belay that birthday cake, and pull it on deck.

Why thank you, but you're early. Be-earlied happy birthday wishes, you want.

Good to get a jump on things!

Is that an expression you wish would go away? I wish the song "Happy Birthday" would go away. It is inane.

Try getting everyone to sing it as high opera.....that'll put a smile on your dial!!

Opera? Strictly a choral music guy myself (you'll find me in church, not the opera)

Newengland wrote: "Is that an expression you wish would go away? I wish the song "Happy Birthday" would go away. It is inane."

Every party needs a pooper
That's why we invited you

/channeling my father

I don't do birthdays any more. (what are you six feet under?)

Me too. I worked long and hard to get to this age so I need a little R*E*S*P*E*C*T.

Summer, you've got my number! (But I celebrated, don't worry. The Good Wyfe is the Curmudgeon Equalizer.)

Pretending? Or feeling better afterward?

"kewl"

also, on a recent visit to the states, in response to a simple a "thank you," I often heard "you're so welcome."

a little overdone folks, imo. guess I've been away too long.

Ruth - you should send your complaint to Hallmark. They could make new grammatically correct cards that say

"Happy Birthday, belatedly"

Or "Happy Belated Birthday, solecisticaly."

"It's all good"

No, no it isn't. If it was really "all good" there would be no need to say that. Grrr.... :)