Five Phrases I Would Genuinely Like To See Eliminated From The English Language
(Or, failing that, for anyone who uses them to be instant objects of ridicule. I'm not saying that there need to be thought police, but I mean, I remember a time when the idea of someone calling a city a "market" would be enough to ruin everyone's day, and now all kinds of touring indie rockers say it without a second thought. I'm just saying...)
Count them down:
5) "Put it this way:"/ "...put it that way"
4) "For me (personally)"
3) "To be (completely) honest (with you)"/ "Honestly" / "In all honesty"
2) "At the end of the day"
1) "It is what it is"
In my experience as a citizen of the world, it would totally not be unusual for me to hear every single one of those phrases spoken in a single conversation with any of a dozen people I can think of without even trying. Most of them are also (ab)used by contestants on reality TV shows, which I usually avoid, but certain people I could mention really loved Project Runway, and, you know, sometimes you have to watch something while you wait for the West Wing Monday Marathon to happen. Anyway, I have been accused once or twice of being a judgmentalist, and I really try not to be, because I have only recently stopped hating myself, and I'm no linguist... BUT BUT BUT deployment of the above always sounds to me like a declaration of tin-earedness and hatred of language.
Count them down:
5) "Put it this way:"/ "...put it that way"
4) "For me (personally)"
3) "To be (completely) honest (with you)"/ "Honestly" / "In all honesty"
2) "At the end of the day"
1) "It is what it is"
In my experience as a citizen of the world, it would totally not be unusual for me to hear every single one of those phrases spoken in a single conversation with any of a dozen people I can think of without even trying. Most of them are also (ab)used by contestants on reality TV shows, which I usually avoid, but certain people I could mention really loved Project Runway, and, you know, sometimes you have to watch something while you wait for the West Wing Monday Marathon to happen. Anyway, I have been accused once or twice of being a judgmentalist, and I really try not to be, because I have only recently stopped hating myself, and I'm no linguist... BUT BUT BUT deployment of the above always sounds to me like a declaration of tin-earedness and hatred of language.
posted by Sean Nelson at 3:44 PM
2 Comments:
Put it this way: for me, personally, a ban on these phrases is not at all problematic. In all honesty, they are completely overused. But, at the end of the day, it is what it is. I'm sure that part of the reason they show up so frequently on reality shows is because they serve a "place-saver" function that supposedly sounds more intelligent than "Um." I should ask some of my linguist friends about this.
I thought I was the only one who absolutely loathed "at the end of the day." Thank you.
Post a Comment
<< Home