The most irritating expression in English and Spanish

[InsanelyOne]

Originally Posted by jrhartley

actually I'm not keen on the word Brit, I'm either British or from the United Kingdom.....Brit usually goes with something derrogatory,Brits abroad etc. It would be awesome if you could use the correct term

Well then, I must apologize for my ignorance. I was under the impression "Brit" was a benign reference ... as I've always believed "Yank" is a benign reference to an American.

Let me then restate myself:

Every time I hear a Briton say "brilliant" I want to scream.

[jrhartley]

errrm not quite....British person....lol.I though yank was offensive if its not an American using the term

[catcherintherye]

People will continue to use "Brit", "Yank", "Gringo", "Canuck", and all other "terms of endearment", despite how we perceive the various connotations associated with those terms.

BFD! We're all big boys and girls, and I guess we can take a little ignorance thrown our way. I mean there is plenty of that out there.

By the way, I think Brits are swell. I've got no problem with them, except for the way they talk. OMG!

Just kidding!

[wuarhat]

Originally Posted by Berzin

Here's an english saying that drives me up the wall, and no one has been able to tell me what it means-

Not for nothing, but...

I used to wonder what that meant also, until I read this in Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (not completely sure of the exact work): “It’s not for nothing that …” followed by an explanation of why something happened. It struck me how old the “not for nothing” expression was and how it had more clarity of meaning in the older usage.

Originally Posted by El Rey de Mangu

My favorite English irritation is: "like".

"You know, like, I mean, like I was so wasted the other night"

The more modern irritation: "so"

"I am SO over that".

Just horrible.

Originally Posted by Black Dog

"Totally awesome" In my 51 years I have seen some things that ARE "totally Awesome" but NOT everyday! eg We were in NY at the Lion King and a couple were shown to their seats which they described as "totally awesome" actually they weren't even good! I know a Canadian, ask her how she is "totally awesome".
"Have you heard Britney's new single? it's totally awesome" NO IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phew, sorry about that!!!!!

The whole “valley girl” dialect is ridiculous. There’s the “So not awesome”, “Totally awesome”, “Whatever”, etc., but I find the use of inflection, meant for a question, at the end of every sentence and sometimes even every phrase, even worse than the actual word selection.

Originally Posted by samanasuenos

I hope I am not the only one who is fed up to HERE with "Out of the box" Business English slang. Of course, the ubiquitous "At the end of the day", "to be part of the conversation", "lt's percolating, OR let it percolate."

I was ready to puke at a meeting recently at which there seemed to be a competition on - who could avoid clear and concise speech, in favor of the above B.S.

If you want someone to " be part of the conversation", just frigin invite them to the meeting. done.

If it is percolating, can't we just say we are thinking it over? Mulling it over.

What is so unattractive about regular speech? It is as if, in the USA American way of newer equals better, we reject traditional words for new phrases.

I'm sorry to rant, but trying to find zesty equivalents while translating in and out of English (this percolating kind) into Spanish and French annoys me.

Thanks for letting me vent!
-- Sammy

P.S. I am from the USA,

Originally Posted by El Rey de Mangu

I always found corporate human resource speak EXTRA annoying.
It's always about "challenges and opportunities". Personally, if the house is burning down, you need to say "get out, the f------ house is on FIRE!

I suspect that users of this kind of language are either much smarter than I or they haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about, but since I don’t really care what they’re talking about I’ve never delved into it. If they want to drag me into the conversation, I’ll start talking about how I have to go home and wash my dog tonight or some other issue that’s very important to me.

[granca]

Here's my ten penneth:
I dislike the utterances " I got it (off of) the table.". "You know" is it a question or a statement?
The abbreviations mentioned are mostly in connection with children " Come on , eat up your veggies" then you can say " Yummy yummy yummy I've got num nums in my tummy" . I hope you don't get "tummyache" then!
I find it also intensely irritating when sitting in a Doctor's surgery and some well meaning character say "hello, how are you?" If I were to answer the truth " Bxxxxy awful, why do you think I'm sitting here?" he'd be upset. (subjunctive)
I've only ever heard "autostop" used in France but "pepestop" seems pretty universal.
An enjoyable thread!

[pedrochemical]

If I am visiting with my Granny, pray tell who we are visiting?

I couldn't care less, please - not could care less.

Off of the table - AAAARRRGGHHHH!!!!!

1 Panino / 2 Panini?? But Paninis????


You could have got it right - not could of got it wrong

He is really good at pitching but he did not pitch real good.

And to gratuitously split an infinitive - that really chaps my knackers.

A quantum leap should be the smallest leap possible.

And I am not waiting on anything - I am waiting for something - maybe I am waiting on tables - but only because my English sucks real bad.


Having said all that, if I spoke like my great grandparents I would sound even more ridiculous than (NOT THEN!!) I already do. Language evolves and I am happy that English embraces these changes. The French have a government department to protect their language. They see it as part of their culture. That is why it is no longer the Lingua Franca

Americans from the USA can curse batter than any other nation. "Pulp Fiction" illustrates this point. That is one reason I think they are cool.

[jrhartley]

I telephone my bank in the uk to enquire about my money and was asked this question

Did it not came back to yers already? I decided the English have lost the plot
People from Liverpool should be banned from answering telephones- is that racist

[SKing]

"aahh, 'po 'ta bien"

SHALENA

[Lucille]

"aahh, " 'po 'ta to"
Lucille

[jrhartley]

potato ? .................