Comments on: What piece of jargon would you like to see thrown into the linguistic trash can?

By: SchadenfreudianSlip

SchadenfreudianSlip — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:16:58 +0000

I wish media organizations would police their unretrenchant use of what I consider verbal ticks; phrase-habits delivered by an erstwhile-respected quasi-journalist, such as

1. “The fact of the matter.” According to whom?
2. “At the end of the day.”
3. “Going forward” [allergic to saying "in the future?"]
4. Granular. Grrrrr…it’s “detail” a-holes.
5. “Bandwidth”
6. “Human capital.” Nothing says dehumanizing humans by referring to them as a commodity. After all–in one of the most deliciously ironic aphorisms of all time–”people are our most important resource.”

Going forward, I’ll provide granularity concerning the bandwith required to plan and execute strategic human capital plans.

By: Julie in Alaska

Julie in Alaska — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:13:30 +0000

I am very weary of the constant use of “sort of” in every context. Often, to make a major point, it is weakened by the insertion of “sort of.” For example, someone might say, “It’s sort of imperative that action is taken if more people are to be included under Medicare.”

And I also have noted the officials in the Obama White House and outside the White House starting their explanations with the word “Look,” which I think comes directly from the President, who uses it a lot! Sounds a bit arrogant to me, as if to say, “Look, you idiot, I will go over it more slowly and perhaps this time you will understand!”

By: DB

DB — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:50:03 +0000

You can grow beans and you can grow radishes but you don’t “grow” an economy or an education system.

Thirty-some years ago, John Dean testified about “that point in time.” Since then, no one who speaks for government remembers the word “then” for “that point in time,” and the word “now” for “this point in time.”

By: slowtaxi

slowtaxi — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:17:32 +0000

OK . . . two items of concern here. First, the expression “it is what it is”. Could you be a bit more vague please? Granted, perception is often misinterpreted as reality, however, this expression-is it in opposition to “it is what it appears to be”? I don’t quite get it. Secondly, the term “viable” as in “a viable solution” or “viable alternative”. If they weren’t viable, is it not the case that they would be either a solution or an alternative?

By: falphoenix

falphoenix — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:13:58 +0000

PLEASE stop saying ‘look’ when making a point on the radio!!! Where exactly am I supposed to look? Y’all are talking to me – if you have to say something, say LISTEN!

By: gleninchi

gleninchi — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:12:19 +0000

Most of my least favorite phrases come from working in an insurance agency. One of our producers cannot seem to master the phrase “please call…”. He constantly uses “reach out to” which just sounds so pompous. I agree with everyone who wants to scrap “think outside the box” and “moving forward”.

By: jhillr64

jhillr64 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:11:02 +0000

It’s a long list, but it begins with two extremely annoying entries: “Same difference”, and “irregardless”. After that the word “like” has come to mean what a silent pause used to mean…why so afraid of simple silence between thoughts? It has also come to mean “I said” or to describe a wordless reaction “I was like, no way.” We are getting dumber by the day.

By: ccjmodsl@embarqmail.com

ccjmodsl@embarqmail.com — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:10:13 +0000

I am tired of the term “Moving Forward” and especially “At the end of the day”. Nothing wrong with “in the future” or “Finally”. Last but not lease “You know” If I knew, you wouldn’t have to be telling me!….Thanks for hearing me out.
ccj

By: billhink

billhink — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:09:06 +0000

shock and awe

By: momey badwon

momey badwon — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:08:37 +0000

“It’s a no-brainer…”

I’ll bet the person who says it operates on the practice most of the time.

I’ve also heard more than I care to of the tag line “…so you don’t have to.”

By: mariacure

mariacure — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:07:58 +0000

I would abandon “bring to the table ”
I just hate that..

By: nrcbtm1

nrcbtm1 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:06:06 +0000

This may not be jargon per se, but I have noticed scientists initiating their answers to questions with an inappropriate interjection of “so.” It seems to have replaced the audible pauses of “er” and “uh”. Example:
Q. What is your area of expertise?
A. So, I am a geologist.
Q. What do you do as a geologist?
A. So, I use sound waves to find discontinuities in the earth below ground.
Q. How does that work?
A. So, sound waves of will echo back when they reach a sudden change in density.

By: cjgermany

cjgermany — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:05:24 +0000

Like I’m really tired of people saying like. Like you know I mean like?

By: Suze E

Suze E — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:04:08 +0000

“in this day and age”

By: bluepopper

bluepopper — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:03:24 +0000

“Nothing could be further from the truth.” It always makes me think, really? Nothing at all?

“I could care less.” The speaker always means the opposite, i.e., that he or she could NOT care less.