AIBU about the word ‘horrid’

[VivienneHolt]

I’ve seen this on about 4 different threads in the last couple of days. AIBU that it gives me the rage?

Terry Pratchett said it best in the Hogfather:

‘That’s horrid’.

Horrible, thought Susan. The word is “horrible.” “Horrid” is a childish word selected to impress nearby males with one’s fragility, if I’m any judge. She knew it was unkind and counter-productive of her to think like that. She also knew it was probably an accurate observation, which only made it worse.

I don’t think I’ve ever encountered it in the real world save for in some of Enid Blyton’s more saccharine efforts, but suddenly it seems it’s invading mumsnet. It’s so twee and prim! It’s one of those words that immediately changes my whole perception of the post, regardless of what else it says.

Am I unreasonable to have such a visceral reaction?

What other words give people instant rage?

In my head 'horrid' is always used with a slightly ironic edge - that's always how I hear it used in real life. One of those words that you're slightly mocking yourself for saying as you say it. Similarly 'huzzah' - I hear people use it, but no one is doing so as their actual, unfiltered first response.

A bit like how people go on about millennials using the word 'woke' but I have never, ever heard even my most right-on friends and acquaintances use it without pretty clear implied scare quotes.

I hate the word pardon. Horrid word (see what I did there?!). Just no.

I like "huzzah". I always wave my imaginary musket in the air when I say it, or pretend to take a snifter of brandy afterwards.

The only person I ever knew who said "supper" to mean evening meal was a very posh girl I was at university with. Everyone else around here uses it to mean a quick snack before bedtime.

I hate tummy, poorly (especially if it's poorly sick), horrid, and meal. Pudding is fine - it's the trying-to-be-posh alternatives like dessert and sweet that do my head in.

This probably isn't the right thread for it, but I really hate it when people try to phonetically spell how they imagine northerners speaking. Nobody says "oop" instead of "up", or "fook" instead of "fuck". Geordies don't say "kerl" instead of "Cole" like that moronic fake Twitter account tried to claim they did. Gah.

Don't mind horrid.

As a pp said though "Poorly" is smackworthy.

How about "belly" though? "My belly hurts."

FUCK OFF.

Also can't be doing with, "brew" "Make a brew!"

I always think a brew is a foul concoction made by Shakespearean witches...with horrid things in it.

Ground I hate "meal" too!

Huzzah! Another like me!

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

"Enjoy your meal!"

NO I won't now you fucker!

Terry Prachett had a wonderful, masterful grasp of the English language. It is a real pity it seems to have gone straight over your head! He is a very sad loss that happened far too soon and the only consolation is the work he left behind.

I think exactly the same about horrid OP, and I always think of that passage when I hear it!

‘Poorly sick’ is a godforsaken sign of the apocalypse

Ooh, ooh....what about,

"Mains"

As in "What are we having for mains?"

NO!NO!NO!

He is a very sad loss that happened far too soon and the only consolation is the work he left behind.

Absolutely

I don't live in the UK and everyone here uses "supper" for dinner/main evening meal.

I love ghastly. Horrid I could take or leave.

I feel this way about the word 'cross'.

It's so weak! If I'm annoyed about something, I'm either fuming, raging, pissed off or angry. 'Cross' it just rubbish!

Don't mind horrid - in fact with the hard d at the end I think it's easier to say quite vehemently than 'horrible'.

Ghastly is a fantastic word.

Supper is just normal.

Belly is AWFUL.

Where I used to live the equivalent of 'poorly sick' was 'sicky bad' which is truly horrendous.

I like using 'horrid'. You'd hate me probably because I also like the words 'ghastly', and 'gosh' too. I love using a, what would now be considered, old fashioned word instead of something that everybody else would use.
Mind you, I use 'gosh' because when I trained to be a hairdresser I had quite an old-fashioned boss who didn't want to hear the words 'oh my God' on the salon floor!

Plus, we also like supper. Mind you, it's often the snack a few hours after dinner in the evening, so I think it's valid!

I use 'horrid' a lot. It's much worse than saying horrible. If I was describing something as horrible I would probably just use the word crap or shit or something. But horrid seems to put across my feelings well.

Wow. I’m so happy that I’m not the only one who feels this way and finds that the use of “horrid” renders whatever is being said, ridiculous. I am with you all the way.

Supper is used almost exclusively by people pretending to be posher than they are, imo.

I say supper and pretend to be much less posh than I am. Derive no small satisfaction from it tbh.

I use "horrid", "ghastly" and "awful" rather a lot. I also use "supper" if I mean small snack after dinner, before bed. I only use "tea" if I mean "cup of tea and a bit of cake". I use "cross" when I mean cross, because it means something quite different to "angry" or "peeved". I also like "super", "splendid" and "marvellous". These are all wonderful words and they sound, well, splendid. There are so many excellent words out there - why use the same old ones all the time? And why should it matter if other people use them?

I'm not posh or old, btw - I'm 38. But I probably did read too much Enid Blyton when I was younger.

Only seen people use it on MN, don't know anyone in real life who refers to any meal as supper
As kids we always used to have supper, it was a drink of ovaltine or Horlicks and a couple of malted milk ( cow!) Biscuits.
We give the kids we work with supper, especially if we've had an early tea and have been doing activities in the evening. It's just part of a structured routine and a mental prompt that it is bed time in 15 mins.

I have never heard an adult in real life referring to an evening meal in a restaurant as 'going out for tea' but read it on here all the time
Again we go out for tea. if its around tea time sometimes one of the family will say " shall we go out for tea", the answer is always " yes!"

Oh heck , another one Also can't be doing with, "brew" "Make a brew!
Everybody in my town says it!! From family members old and young, friends, colleagues, managers etc. Where ever you go the normal greeting is ' y're a'right', fancy a brew?' The standard reply is 'aye, why not?'

My word on here that i dislike on here is ' naice' yes I know the history, yes, I know it's about 'naive ham and shopping lists ' but my God it was funny for 5 seconds the other decade!
The other word is ' yummy'. I stopped my child saying ' yummy' when he was 5 because it sounded like it was a baby word. To here adults describe their meal as yummy is ridiculous ( IMO, of course!!)

Ok - what is wrong with poorly? I can see objections with the others but not poorly? I don’t think it is a childish word - is that how others see it? Could it be a regional thing perhaps?

Totally with you OP. Horrid sounds so prissy. Oh you’re just howwid!!

I can’t deal with ‘cross’ for the same reason. Fucking raging is usually the correct term.

Verite it's childish and twee. What's wrong with "Unwell" or a more detailed description such as "Has a cold"?

I love words.

I like making up new ones.

My latest is 'enbiggen'. Something I do to photos on a touch screen.

I do however hate the word

tummy

Everytime DH uses it I want to stab him in the eyes with a rusty fork.

I think there's a lot of regional variation going on here so words that are normal and everday to some (poorly. Supper. Brew. Tummy, etc ) will wind others up and will leave others baffled wondering what the problem is!!