Rant Words/Phrases that are pretty much meaningless

Not to be pedantic but reduce by a factor of 10 means to reduce to 10% not 90%. Decimate is a good example of words that have had their official meaning changed over time (some to almost be the opposite of the original). English is full of these:

Awful used to mean "full of awe"
If you were artificial you had "artistic or technical skill"
A bimbo was once a "tough guy"
If you were gay you were happy.
There are many more.....

 

I didn't really explain that. I hate that it gets used in completely inappropriate situations, where something unforeseen happens and someone pipes up with this as if it was preventable.

 

Abuse of the word literally...

Why? Because our language is so full of metaphors and exaggeration - which are good - that we need a way to flag phrases we actually mean. Using the word literally when you aren't being literal kills that. Drives me mad.

At the end of the day is a close second.

 

'Do the right thing'

Actually, pretty much any phrase that is latched onto by politicians and continuously used in just about every context.

On top of that it doesn't actually mean anything, the 'right thing' can be different for every single person listening to the phrase, they may as well just say 'do the blah blah'.

 

Run it up the flagpole. WTF.

 

Literally has already been mentioned. People who say like all the time when they speak. I want to throttle them.

The word vintage has lost a lot of meaning as people seem to use it to describe absolutely anything.

 

'and see who salutes it' i think is how it goes.

Daft military term iirc.

 

That's it I knew there was another bit of this ridiculous saying that is absolutely meaningless. Cheers,I think.

 

Synergy

A term I find twatty managers using a lot. I'm just here to do my job - don't try to make me throw up with your stupid word of the day.

Make time

Said to an employee by a manager when aforementioned manager is piling on more work than can be possibly done in the allotted time and the employee complains.

 

Who decided that troop draw down as opposed to troop withdrawal was useful? I do not know if it is even one word or two and how did it come to mean the withdrawal of troops anyway?

 

I hate it when people state the obvious in this form -

"Is Geoffrey coming to dinner?"
"If he does, he does, if he doesn't, he doesn't"

I hear this sort of nonsense all the time...

 

Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills made a good parody of that, though mimicking it has been known to backfire....

 

Hard working families

what the hell does that mean?

 

Families in the Indian subcontinent.

 

I was being sarcastic

If you have to say it, then the effect is clearly wasted on the person

 

I was watching the last episode of 'Lewis' (recorded) this morning and he made a phone call to a friend and I assume got voice mail. Everything fine so far except he said "hi it's me just touching base".

Excuse me, an old fashioned cop in Oxford would say that? I don't think so only the Americans and those who really want to be American would say that surely?

Is not touching base something to do with the American version of rounders? A game we used to play as children.

 

Yeah... soz. I know what you mean. But I don't brandish to anyone but my GF and one of my cats. The other cat I own is a *****.

 

Nono, you need this to get away with insulting stupid people who don't fully understand that you aren't being remotely sarcastic.

I hate 'Gimme a___' in coffee shops.. Whats happen to: Can I have a ____ please, or Please can I have a _____

We aren't American.

 

When overhearing a phone call and the chap signs off with, "Ciao!" ...eesh :-\

 

Or "bye now".

What the funk does that even mean?