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Original poster

Irritating phrases

54 replies

Hallandporridgeoats · 22/04/2024 15:04

I can be reading a great book, and then the author will introduce one of these phrases that I find so irritating...and so many seem to use them.

"She was fiercely independent" or "he was so very tired" or "she loved him so very much". Aargh.

Do you have phrases that you feel this way about?

OP posts:
LaMarschallin · 19/08/2024 09:19

I think the use of "padding" that's stuck with me most (and is the only one that made me feel slightly queasy) was in a column written by AA Gill. He'd just left his wife and started living with his girlfriend and celebrated by writing about how gorgeous his girlfriend was. The phrase "Beauty padding around the flat in a towel" wasn't one of his best moments.

LostaraYil · 19/08/2024 07:59

A variation of 'his mouth was an 'o' of surprise'. I swear every child uses this in GCSE English and now when I see the phrase in a real book I want to throw it across the room.

TFMinx · 19/08/2024 07:51

I'd love to learn how to 'pad around' mainly so I know what it actually is, but also so that I can come onto threads like this and say that I 'pad' 😆
I always imagine padding to be akin to the walk baddies do in Scooby Doo etc. weird.

RaininSummer · 19/08/2024 07:42

This one isnt a phrase really but i have just read several Lisa Jewell books sequentially and noticed that she often mentions the smell of a character's scalp. Quite peculiar.

missdeamenor · 19/08/2024 07:34

'everything happens for a reason'! yeah, like animals and kids being tortured, innocent people being executed and horrible things happening to good people and great things to evil bastards. It's such a stupid statement.

FleetwoodCam · 19/08/2024 07:30

Oh and not a phrase but so many protagonists just have one female friend who has absolutely nothing going on in their own life, so is always available and over invested.
I don't know anyone like this!

FleetwoodCam · 19/08/2024 07:24

"Her eyes widened". Not so much the phrase but how common it is. It makes me imagine all these people walking around with their eyes expanding and shrinking like some creepy horror film.

Nowcelibate · 19/08/2024 06:59

StepCombatAttack · 22/04/2024 15:34

Describing people ‘padding’ anywhere. Usually barefoot.

I’m 3 chapters into The Exorcist and the characters have padded places 1,813 times (possibly an exaggeration).

Sethera · 19/08/2024 06:50

"A beat" meaning a short pause. It's everywhere and it's irritating.

TheAverageJoanne · 19/08/2024 06:27

Yes. No. I don't know.
X took Y by the elbow.
You're incorrigible.
A muscle twitched/tensed in his jaw. Never happens with a female character.

All seen in lots of different books by a range of authors. It's as if they copy each other.

@FortunataTagnips raising an eyebrow, can you raise just one? I can't.

moonshinepoursthroughmywindow · 14/05/2024 00:08

"Breathed."

"Oh, Daddy," she breathed, her eyes shining, "it's beautiful!"

Well, I should bloody hope she breathed. She'd be dead otherwise.

tobee · 24/04/2024 18:20

What annoys me is repetition of a phrase. But not in a literary way- which would to deliberately emphasise the similarities or as a rhythmic thing. But, instead, seems rather to be poor editing.

FortunataTagnips · 23/04/2024 17:05

His eyebrow quirked.

Absurdgiraffe · 23/04/2024 14:29

"But that wasn't the point".

Just started a book and this phrase keeps getting repeated. Very annoying writing style and I don't think I can bear to read any more of it.

GalileoHumpkins · 23/04/2024 14:28

Her breath caught in her throat.
He smelled like cinnamon.
I read something recently where one of the character's bowels turned watery and hit the toilet bowl with a loud splash.

FortunataTagnips · 23/04/2024 14:20

“Her breath hitched”.

Overtheatlantic · 23/04/2024 14:09

Drinking “plenty” of water. Never a lot or more. It has to be fucking PLENTY.

KittytheHare · 23/04/2024 14:06

Sighing heavily

pastypirate · 23/04/2024 14:05

Making curlicues with her hands

GalileoHumpkins · 23/04/2024 14:04

His/her eyes darkened.
The corners of his/her mouth curled up (yes it's called smiling!)

ChessieFL · 23/04/2024 12:30

‘She felt the cold liquid slide down her throat’ when drinking wine.

Original poster
Hallandporridgeoats · 22/04/2024 18:13

@StepCombatAttack oh yes, padding, I hate that one.

OP posts:
TinkerTiger · 22/04/2024 17:37

'Curled up with a book'.

See it loads on MN, it reminds me of the language in books I used to read as a teen.

Just read a book!

isthesolution · 22/04/2024 16:12

Everyone letting out breaths they don't know they are holding! Every. Single. Book.

SilverBranchGoldenPears · 22/04/2024 15:52

I once read a book that commented on a woman‘s breasts vibrating ‚alluringly‘ while the plane took off.
Seriously, stop that high school nonsense middle aged male writer!!!
I‘ve not come across it a second time, but if I do it’ll be very bloody irritating.