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?

The expression "very well" in books, as an affirmative is irritating because it's really not in common usage even amongst poshos, as much as novelists think it is. Maybe in the1940s but not now. So dated!

As in "Very well. We'll begin the investigation in the morning" SAID NO ONE SINCE 1940.

Huzzah as an affected way of saying Hurrah or Hooray gets on my tits. Usually ageing goths, in my experience and I'm all for ageing goths as I am one but no one else says it. Probably LARP related.

Brava for bravo because it's a woman irritates me too. I take the point but I can't help a toe curl.

It's really beastly to have a poorly tummy, I feel horrid. Mummy gave me ghastly medicine and said I can only have a light supper. Jolly bad show!

I can only think of one person in real life who has ever used the word horrid. I thought you had to be a member of the Famous Five to use it.

I think I'd need to buy a flat cap and a whippet before using the word tea to describe a meal. Though an Indian neighbour in London once invited my parents and I to tea, and we were surprised when that turned out to mean a mild vegetarian curry rather than a hot drink.

Hubby is the worst of the worst. Terry Pratchett's word is law. However, in this case he made a horrid mistake.

I like horrid. It's more succinct than 'horrible' and can be said with a clipped venom, whereas 'horrible' is less satisfying.
I also like 'vile', 'grim' and the step up, FOUL!

Nothing expresses the nihilistic horror of a severe hangover than a pale, limp, quavering, "Everything is ghastly" annuciated with crystal, articulated precision.

To me, horrible is the 'normal' word and horrid is the 'posh' one. Ditto dinner and supper.

Of course I might be being a perfect dolt.

Poorly is a colloquialism. Common in Lancashire. Pronounced pooh-were-lee.

Train station annoys me. Fine if you are three. Otherwise, railway station or simply 'station' will suffice.

Same with 'fighter jet'. Often used by journalists to describe any military aeroplane regardless of its role or means of propulsion.

4 of the words I can't stand that I keep reading on Mumsnet...

Horrid

Chums

Gotten

Non? Instead of No?

About 30 years ago when I was primary school age our next door neighbours were like something out of the 1950s.

There were 3 daughters who were always in smocked dresses and bobs with hair clips. They were fairly religious and the kids were only allowed to read "improving" books the only music we ever heard them play was religious and TV was strictly controlled, they were allowed to watch the BBC adaptation of The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe because it was religious allegory.

The mother was a maths teacher at a girls school, she once asked me if I was chewing gum. If her kid's wouldn't eat something at diner she would serve it to them at every meal until they did, we also used to regularly hear her threaten the girls that she would "Pull down your knickers and spank your bare bottom".

She was also the only person I had ever heard use the word horrid up until I was probably in my 20s. She used it a lot. Even now when I hear it I cringe, it so strongly reminds me of her.

I quite like cross though, but only because I like to use understatements, I will say "I'm a little bit cross" when I mean I am absolutely incandescent with rage and about to erupt at any moment.

I love and use regularly:

Horrid ("horrid little man")
Ghastly ("ghastly dress she was wearing")
Frightful ("did you see their colour scheme? Just frightful!")
Hideous ("she served the most hideous pea soup")

And on the positive side I'm a fan of
Super!
Marvellous!
And
splendid!

All of these can be prefixed with "simply"

I shall go back to the 1950s...

Ps I also say supper. That is totally normal in Hampshire.

I dislike the overuse of the word horrendous to describe minor inconveniences, especially when it’s used by someone over the age of 20. Teens are allowed a little drama but when a 40 year old English teacher is telling me that having to park 1 minute away was ‘horrendous’, I cringe.

I don’t like the words supper or horrid either, they just make me think of Little Britain’s laaddddiies. ‘Supper was horrid, Emily.’

I like (and use) so many of the words people hate: horrid, ghastly, grim, poorly, pudding, I must give people the rage every time I open my mouth.

And what do people call their second or third course if not pudding? "Dessert" is very Hyacinth Bucket imo and "afters" is just naff.

I like tummy. I hate belly.

I use horrid, cross, and frock. We quite often use huzzah and good-o in the office.

I think beastly is due a comeback 🤔

I really enjoy using most of the words cited. I particularly enjoy cross precisely because it is so mild, I really can't think of a suitable alternative that would quite capture the right level of mild irritation!

To me horrid and horrible are not interchangeable so both are equally useable.

I also use with regularity:-

Splendid
Supper
Super
Horrendous
Awful
Awfully
Frightful
Marvellous
Hurrah (Huzzah only used in jest)

I do use poorly and tummy for children but wouldn't for an adult.

In in my late 30s, not especially posh but I grew up reading a lot of Wodehouse and Just William type books (not Blyton though, even aged six I loathed those little creeps in the Famous Five). I like to think I mix deliberately mild, quaint and slightly outmoded language with lavish obscenities.

Personally I loathe words which aren't being turned into verbs, for example "adulting", it's fucking inane.

Marmite27 i also like tummy and hate belly.

I prefer 'pudding' to 'dessert'. Dessert is OK if you're French or in a restaurant but for domus, it's 'pudding'. I had that instilled into me at school but most of us said 'pudding' anyway.

'Horrid', 'dinner' and 'supper' are not posh words. I've never heard that said before. Don't most people have dinner and supper?

I say 'stomach' and 'abdomen' rather than 'tummy' which always sounds silly and childish, to me anyway. I'm a grown up woman and use correct words - most of the time.

What ho, Marmite 27, 'beastly' is certainly due a come back! Splendid word.

I had an absolutely divine lunch today by the way.

I also love "jolly", as in "that was rather jolly, wasn't it". I suppose "rather" is also pretty old fashioned.

I'm trying to imagine a prospective romantic partner telling me he had a 'sore tummy'. My fanny would not flutter.

But a good old stomach ache makes you really horny?

I find myself reading PG Wodehouse and then turning into Bertie Wooster for a short spell. My children find themselves being referred to as 'absolute pills' or 'little ticks' if they are being unbearable but I will call them 'utter bricks' if they earn my admiration! I engage in 'schemes', my parents become the 'aged Ps' and my husband is 'old bean' and we sometimes get 'jugged' together to snap me out of it!

Clearly, this is all rubbing off on the children as the other morning I was in with my oldest after he had a nightmare, and he woke up with a start and said 'Golly!' half-asleep, which was an interesting start to the day! Apparently, he was dreaming about falling and woke up as he hit the ground and that was the phrase his sleepy brain decided was appropriate - I've never been more proud!

What about total knobheads who say "t'is"?

"T'is about time we went for a drink."

Actually t'is time you fucked off.

But a good old stomach ache makes you really horny?

Can't say that it does. But at least I'd be secure that once his malady had passed that I was admitting a grown man to my bed chamber rather than some 'tummy' and 'mummy' using big baby.

Why is there an almost universal hatred of belly? What's so bad about it?