for my heart to sink every time I read the following phrases:

[EvilEyeButterPie]

"I'm not racist but..." (bound to be followed by outrageous racism)

"Political correctness gone mad!" (will be followed by either something totally made up or exaggerated, or totally reasonable, eg selling Eid cards in shops)

Any mention of human rights in any kind of rightwing outlet. As if rights for humans is some kind of controversy.

"The university of life" this is only ever used by people too thick to go to university.

Any more for any more? :o

"Country's going to hell in a hand-cart (or to the dogs)"... used by miserable, pessimistic bastards who wouldn't lift a finger to make a difference but won't do us all a favour and emigrate either :)

Hah hah! I was going to post the same thing.

"Political correctness gone mad!" - the worst phrase ever. I automatically know the person has been reading the Sun and/or Daily Mail.

Hmmmm...what else.

I think anything where someone says "I am just having a laugh" or "We was just joking" aafter some inflamatory comment about women/blacks/gays/Jews/Muslims

'hard-working families' - always precedes an attack on benefits claimants.

"Things aren't what they used to be"

"family values" - almost always implies an attack on single mothers or gay couples.

I'm not being X but......... it is always the but that's the killer.
Youths blah blah blah. Youths are always bad, never good.
Benefits will generally be followed by scroungers.
I'm not even in the UK and I know these phrases.

"Broken Britain"

"With me, what you see is what you get! and I'm only being honest" = "I am a massive cock who will be rude to you and then say "aw I'm only winding you up" Kill me. Kill me now"

and

"I'm entitled to my opinion" = "duhduhduhduhDUH"

'I'm not being funny but'

'No offence but'

...rudeness follows, usually accompanied by extreme smugness

Gah, I hate all these phrases! "Nanny state" is another one.

ARGH, "I'm not being funny but..." is XMIL's favourite phrase, invariably followed by something definitely not funny, so not in need of the warning.

I was going to say 'nanny state' too.

'I'm mad me'. Usually utterly dull and if female likes lambrini, if male likes a comedy tie.

I don't like appropriation of things either. So when somebody says 'I like my music I do' or 'I like me bling me', I automatically know that they're desperately annoying and setting up phantom relationships with concepts due to a lack of ability to relate to real people.

'with respect ...'

"It's Health and Safety gone mad isn't it?". Because clearly keeping people healthy and safe, especially at work, is madness .

I don't mean to be rude, but...

Yes you do - you mean exactly what you are saying and telling me that it isn't rude does not change the fact that it is - not one little bit!!

'Of course in my day we...' usually precedes a quite startling display of bigotry

in all honesty... normally means they're about to lie through their teeth

Any mention of 'Elf and Safety' makes me grind my teeth in an unhealthy and unsafe manner.

Also any references to 'my good lady wife' drive me wild for some reason.

"Too thick to go to university."

Oh and "this is a Christian country", I'm still not entirely sure what that means...

oooooooh a thread about a thread- pathetic

'inappropriate' because it can mean anything from wearing the wrong tie to touching children in a bad way.

"I'm not being funny but......."

Actually not true. What follows is almost always funny, but in the peculiar sense of the word rather than the amusing sense

came on to add "I'm mad, me" or "we're all, like, totally mad"
is this a thread about a thread then?

'Oh, don't take it so seriously' after vile offensive hurtful statement or behaviour.