Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To really, really hate it when people use words like 'practicable'?

119 replies

Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:10

That's just it, really! When did these misused and annoying developments in email business speak become so common? If you mean it's practical, say it's practical! If you mean it is something that is possible to try and put into practice, say 'it's possible'. What the eff is practicable? I get a bit stabby every time i hear it...

OP posts:
VampyreofTimeandMemory · 05/03/2014 00:12

also, utilize instead of use.

LessMissAbs · 05/03/2014 00:13

I like it. I like it more than the use of "elf n safety" to cover anything in life that might be remotely dangerous, whether its at work or not.

And it is the standard of care required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. I think its meant to encompass more thought and regard for safety measures than being just practical.

Reasonable practicability. Perhaps some of the writers have been on a law course and misunderstood its use though?

ChaosTrulyReigns · 05/03/2014 00:13

Practicable is a normal word.

Confused

It's not management speak like incentivise and Ican'tthinkofanymoreasit'slate.

It's REAL.

BitOutOfPractice · 05/03/2014 00:13

Sorry to burst your bubble but practicable is a very old word and one which I use regularly

Definition here

It's not made up

And anyway, many many words were "made up" at some point. Shakepeare was a major culprit. I rather like it

shakinstevenslovechild · 05/03/2014 00:14

I thought practicable was an actual word. Shows how much I know then Grin

nightowlmostly · 05/03/2014 00:18

It is a real word!

Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:19

I also hate utilise, conversation, actioning, and using feedback as a verb.

Oh- and I know it is actually a word. I don't mind when it is used correctly. What I dislike is when it is used to make someone sound more intelligent or professional...

OP posts:
Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:19

Sorry, I meant conversate. Even auto-correct hates it.

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 05/03/2014 00:20

That's not what you said in the OP. Do I need to make you go and stand in the corner? Grin

SelectAUserName · 05/03/2014 00:20

Yes, those pesky people with a wide vocabulary who use actual words, don't you just hate them? I find them so discombobulating.

scurryfunge · 05/03/2014 00:22

We use "as soon as practicable" frequently at work. Didn't know it was uncommon.

AgaPanthers · 05/03/2014 00:23

Unless you are using it in lieu of practical, it's fine.

BOFtastic · 05/03/2014 00:28

I don't mind it, used properly. What grinds my gears is stuff like 'alternate' instead of 'alternative', and the misuse of 'disinterested'.

Even 'momentarily' to mean 'in a moment': "We'll be landing momentarily"- what, we'll touch down in 30 seconds, or we'll touch down for 30 seconds, then take off again before the seatbelt sign goes off?

fairyfuckwings · 05/03/2014 00:28

I don't think I've heard the word "practicable" although my phone recognises it.

Guy at work keeps using his own made up word of "normallary". I pointed out he'd merged two words together - normally and ordinarily - and he realised he had but couldn't seem to stop using it. It used to really irritate me but 3 years later I find it quite amusing and just one of his "quirks".

Best made up word ever though is "huggle". My daughter made it up when she was 3. Obviously means a cross between a cuddle and a hug (ie a long hug). We kind of adopted it as a real word in our family. As did all my daughter's friends. Then when she was around 10 my daughter and her friend came home outraged at the teacher who had tried to tell them both that "huggle" wasn't an actual word.

I still think it should be though.

SelectAUserName · 05/03/2014 00:30

fairyfuckwings I used to work with someone who said "huggle".

Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:31

Ha, I wrote my op in a fluster of wine-fuelled annoyance at an email I was reading and was perhaps loose with my words! I consider myself quite articulate, and do use a broad and varied vocabulary.

What I mean about practicable is that I have noticed that some people use it to convey a certain tone when it isn't necessarily the word they want. In the same way that utilise is a word, but is misused in place of 'use', if you see what I mean.

I also hate

OP posts:
Monty27 · 05/03/2014 00:33

YANBU

Grump yes, it's arrogant and management speak-ish to use crap like that. You know when people say why use 10 words when 3 will do? It's using 10 syllables when 2 will do.

Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:36

Sorry hit send too soon...

I also hate forward planning, touching base, actualising, actioning, "I will feedback" instead of "I will give you feedback", "I inboxed you", moving forward (instead of what??), at the end of the day, with all due respect, and evidence...

I don't know why. Maybe I just hate work.

OP posts:
ScarletStar · 05/03/2014 00:37

I hate the word 'timeously'- wanky wanker word!

Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:39

Timeously?

What the fuck? Some people should be shot.

OP posts:
fairyfuckwings · 05/03/2014 00:39

Selectausername - really? Maybe one day it will get it's rightful place in the dictionary!

My youngest daughter says it (inherited) and I've pointed out it's a lovely word but it's made up!

SelectAUserName · 05/03/2014 00:41

Yes, really! This would have been early 90s so probably not your daughter...

ChaosTrulyReigns · 05/03/2014 00:41

Plethora bothers me when used to mean 'a lot'.

Relation used as a noun to described someone to whom I'm related bothers me, but Ifear iI'm wrong on that one.

My old boss used to tell me to diarise things. I growled. Lots.

And invite as a noun, but I reckon I've just got to be FUCKING ZEN about that.

Grumpasaurus · 05/03/2014 00:42

Diarise- definitely brings out the stabby in me.

OP posts:
fairyfuckwings · 05/03/2014 00:47

There's loads of management speak words I hate. Basically, anything from the apprentice - sourced (ya mean found), thinking outside the box (when thinking decidedly inside the box - or alternatively thinking irrationally), piece of work (job or project), transparency (just a buzz word when quite often the opposite is true), timeously (in stead of on time).

God I could go on forever. And on and on and on...

Swipe left for the next trending thread