words that annoy

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I'm trying to think of a common incorrect usage of "begs the question" and can't. Examples?

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:05 (twenty years ago) link

The common usage is "suggests the question I'm about to say in my next phrase," and it's supposed to be used to mean "you dolt, the thing you said uses as evidence something that has yet to be proven, even though you said it as though it were obvious!"

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:14 (twenty years ago) link

(Usually in strictly correct usage, there won't be anything following the phrase in the sentence; "begging the question" is a logical fallacy, and generally people who realize that will simply say "such-and-such begs the question," period, and go on with their next sentence to talk about the problems in so-and-so's reasoning. When I worked as a tutor, this was something I had to correct all the time because instructors would list "begging the question" on a worksheet of problems you could find with an opponent's argument, without explaining.)

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:20 (twenty years ago) link

Which begs the question, why did I just disregard Tep's whole careful explanation and use it wrongly again?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:28 (twenty years ago) link

It must be all those panties sounding so lecherous.

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:31 (twenty years ago) link

Hmmm. So I've been misusing it all these years, then? I guess I've always thought "begs" in this instance was more or less a synonym for "raises" or "provokes."

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:32 (twenty years ago) link

(Well, and especially since it sounds so idiomatic. I'm actually having trouble figuring out what it would mean to literally "beg a question.")

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:34 (twenty years ago) link

It's ... hm, my access is limited right now because the IU library is redoing things. The alt.usage.english FAQ entry on it says that it comes from the Greek and offhandedly implies that "begin" and "beg" have a common root (that's one of those things I can't look up right now).

It also mentions the other common usage -- "avoiding the question" (which I don't think I really hear that much) -- as being about a hundred and fifty years old, so the confusion isn't new or anything.

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:40 (twenty years ago) link

Some useful examples are given here:

http://www.intrepidsoftware.com/fallacy/begging.php

Now, if you really want to intimidate people, call it by its Latin name: petitio principii. Remember to pronounce the 'c' hard.

Could it be said to be the same thing as circular reasoning?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:41 (twenty years ago) link

i used to hate the word panties too, for the same reasons jeremy cites. only rainy can get away with calling em panties.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 26 September 2003 07:10 (twenty years ago) link

Doesn't overqualified just mean that they'd be happier paying someone who won't get a better job or ask for more pay?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 26 September 2003 08:31 (twenty years ago) link

I hate the word BUDDY. i don't want to have BUDDIES. it sounds like an illness like shingles or crabs or something. NO BUDDIES FOR ME. i like having friends, thanks

― Vic (Vic), Friday, 26 September 2003 08:54 (twenty years ago) link

but what about the snapper song?

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Friday, 26 September 2003 08:57 (twenty years ago) link

TS: Panties vs Manties

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 26 September 2003 13:00 (twenty years ago) link

Haha, Vic OTM about "buddies." That word makes me think of this hockey-playing riff-raff I knew in college, who'd say things like, "A couple of buddies of mine are gonna go out for a drink later" or "I've got a buddy back in Boston who ..." It has this connotation of a particular kind of male friendship I don't like.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:25 (twenty years ago) link

Everyone needs a buddy! Who else are you going to say all of those inappropriate thoughts that have been socialized to the deep recesses of your mind to? (In my case, my "buddy" = ILE HA)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:29 (twenty years ago) link

wherever you go, WE GO!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:35 (twenty years ago) link

"Use other words please."
Four Words: Use Other Words Please
"Taking Things to a Whole `Nother Level!"
Commonly used phrases that inexplicably bug you

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:35 (twenty years ago) link

Words that should earn the author a slap
dumbest music journalist term
More music journalisms we are tired of hearing

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:39 (twenty years ago) link

Lately I annoy myself by using "as" to mean "because." I have this prejudice that "as" in the United States should mean only "while" or "like" unless you are purposely trying to sound like a ponce.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:59 (twenty years ago) link

I quite enjoy sounding poncy, as I am a ponce to begin with.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 26 September 2003 15:02 (twenty years ago) link

"Paradigm"
(A meaningless buzzword unless it is followed by the word "shift" and preceded by an ACTUAL Paradigm Shift. Not a corporate hierarchy reorganization. Not a department renaming. Not a change in the color of a letterhead. A paradigm shift is what happens when your entire industry has been instantly rendered obsolete, and you have to do something much, much more drastic that do any of the three things listed above.)

"Synergy"
(Normally a cool word. It even has TWO Y's in it! But its used by the same whistleheaded Brooks Brothers Straightjacketed metadrones that misuse "Paradigm"; and in similarly flawed and sloppy fashion.)

"...On a going forward basis..."
(AAAAGH! As opposed to WHAT!? A Going Backwards Until We All Delolve Back into Monkeys Basis? Every damned thing is on a 'going forward basis'. For mortal humanoids time only goes in ONE direction! You silly, Tassel-loafered dinosaur!)

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Friday, 26 September 2003 23:36 (twenty years ago) link

(*Custos vents the remaining steam, and the entire thread suddenly looks like a Turkish bathhouse.*)

I also second that vote for "Touch Base"
Damn that is such an obxious phrase.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Friday, 26 September 2003 23:38 (twenty years ago) link

IT'S BANGIN' SON

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 26 September 2003 23:42 (twenty years ago) link

Ah. Someone already beat me to the "Paradigm" and "Synergy" problems.
Someone please remind me to always click "Show All Messages" first.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Saturday, 27 September 2003 00:26 (twenty years ago) link

"copacetic" makes me want to gouge my eyes out.
Copacetic™ might not be right for everyone. Serious side effects may include terminal annoyance and gouging out of the eyes. Talk to your Doctor to see if Copacetic™ is right for you.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Saturday, 27 September 2003 00:34 (twenty years ago) link

'Bitch', as used on ILX in thread titles such as, 'Who all up in this bitch is Jewish?' gives me the absolute heebie-jeebies. Of course the irritation increases exponentially when it's spelt 'beyotch' or similar.

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Sunday, 28 September 2003 08:33 (twenty years ago) link

People who use "formally" instead of "formerly". Also the "would / should / could of" thing.

And apostrophes (not that misuse of apostrophes really falls under this category but I just wanted to get this off my chest)! I went to buy an anniversary card for mr ailsa the other day, and I found one which said "for all the year's we've been together". I mean, WTF? Who proof-read that one?

I also once had a colleague who insisted, as an administrator, her job involved administrating things. IT'S ADMINISTERING!! Idiot. (she also misused the word "literally" and overused "basically" until I wanted to throw things at her. She also claimed that her spellchecker was wrong and that "seperate" and "apparant" were correct spelling and went out to buy a dictionary to prove herself right. Ha fucking ha.)

However, Colin is my new hero for his dismissal of the concept of steep learning curves, and I am going to point this out next time someone uses the phrase in my presence.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 28 September 2003 09:59 (twenty years ago) link

My ex-wife's solicitors claimed a while back that they would "revert" to me shortly. It was a surprise to discover that they had formerly been me.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 28 September 2003 14:17 (twenty years ago) link

the phrase "passers by" pisses the hell out of me as one that screams "see! See how literate and gramatically correct I am!" when, in fact, the opposite is usually true and "passers by" is the only proper form they know.

― ModJ, Sunday, 28 September 2003 14:21 (twenty years ago) link

It so doesn't scream that! It's just what people learn and repeat accordingly. No one says 'passer bys' just because it would sound weird.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 28 September 2003 14:23 (twenty years ago) link

"RBIs" (arr bee eyes) referring to "Runs Batted In" (a baseball statistic that measures a batter's performance when other people on his team are in a position to score).

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 28 September 2003 15:46 (twenty years ago) link

Quite right. The correct plural form is "RsBI" (arrs bee eye).

― felicity (felicity), Sunday, 28 September 2003 16:02 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.hayesart.net/images/fantasy/bee-pirate.jpg

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 28 September 2003 16:08 (twenty years ago) link

"Arrrr! Aye, bees be we!"

― felicity (felicity), Sunday, 28 September 2003 16:25 (twenty years ago) link

"Arrrr! Aye, bees be we!"

I'm so going to use that as a title of a song someday.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 28 September 2003 16:29 (twenty years ago) link

"so" can be quite an annoying word sometimes

― freedom dupont, Sunday, 28 September 2003 16:41 (twenty years ago) link

Wait, Vik, what about "fuckbuddies"? Do you like them? Or do you prefer fuckfriends?

― Chris P (Chris P), Sunday, 28 September 2003 16:42 (twenty years ago) link

Bedbuddies, Buttbuddies, Rumprangers.
Sure, those words are juvenile, puerile and possibly homophobic, but they are so mellifluous and conjure such comical imagery.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 28 September 2003 22:00 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.fuzzlogic.com/flex/a/119.php

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 29 September 2003 01:58 (twenty years ago) link

Word that most annoys me when others say it: Bam!

― ScottRC (ScottRC), Monday, 29 September 2003 03:25 (twenty years ago) link

(As in, "I took one look at her and Bam! I knew I was in love." It seems to be a "guy thing" -- creating the illusion of interesting dialogue by inserting action movie/comic book sound effects.)

Word I hate to use and avoid using whenever possible: Feet. But only if I'm referring to human appendages; I can say "feet" without a care in the world when I'm talking about measurements. If I'm talking anatomy though, I'll say "legs" or "ankles" or "shoes" or whatever, even if it's not quite accurate, to avoid calling feet feet.

― ScottRC (ScottRC), Monday, 29 September 2003 03:34 (twenty years ago) link

Sweet. Especially when Mr. Flipflops McBusinessmajor casually shouts it into his cellphone. "You goin' out? Sweet, buddy..."

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 29 September 2003 03:42 (twenty years ago) link

"Spoken like a man/woman who.... [x]"

Makes me think of either Pierce Brosnan trying to put the moves on you or some dilapidated old granny fruitlessly attempting to be charming

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:19 (twenty years ago) link

"interestingly"

THE WORST!!!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:19 (twenty years ago) link

I still hate "enlighten me."

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:22 (twenty years ago) link

What about "enlighten me, BIATCH!"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:25 (twenty years ago) link

what about it?

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:26 (twenty years ago) link

Well I think it's a-ok! Cause "enlighten me" has this sneery passive-aggressiveness to it that you can't exactly hold the speaker accountable for.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:29 (twenty years ago) link

on the $$$

― Annouschka Magnatech (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 10 October 2003 10:30 (twenty years ago) link

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