To cringe when people say...

[Dalmore30]

Food being described as ‘beautiful’, ‘gorgeous’ or ‘stunning’ makes me wants to vomit.

I have to bite my tongue when people say ‘fry off’ rather than just fry.

And the word ‘secondment’ makes my skin crawl!

Is anyone with me on these?

'In regards to' when used to mean 'with regard to' or 'in relation to'. It doesn't even make grammatical sense. Where did this come from and why is it now ubiquitous?

Yes, so annoying, not only wrong but so often used when “about” would be perfectly fine! People who misuse “myself” often pepper their speech liberally with “in regards to”.

@HerselfIndoors

Re reach out, I first started noticing it a few years ago from US-based colleagues, and it really alarmed me because to me if someone "reaches out" it means they're in some kind of trouble or emotional desperation. Like reaching out for help if you're suicidal. So when I heard "Tammy will reach out if she needs to" etc I was thinking "why me?"

I'm more used to it now but it still sounds weird.

Agreed! “Why me Tammy, why me?! You need professional help”

The other effect of that phrase is that it just starts me singing that song “Darling Reach Out, I’ll be there...” all day long in my head.

Next thread about people having to use pronouns on email sign offs in the workplace, we all should tell them to use Me/Mine, that’s genius.

@MrJollyLivesNextDoor

Takeaway

As in 'well Amanda the takeaway I got from the very interesting meeting about ecobricks was that we are in fact a bunch of pretentious twats'

Nothing to do with takeaway food obvs 😋

Thank you for calling it takeaway food and not takeout !

Maybe everyone needs to produce a personal dictionary containing just the words they find acceptable or uncringe-worthy.

[quote Piglet89]@CheetasOnFajitas

My husband is a Scot and, of course, sometimes uses the term “piece” to mean a sandwich. However, I have also heard him use it to mean a dickhead. To pluck a random (but plausible) example from the air: “Jacob Rees-Mogg: he’s a real piece”.[/quote]
Never heard this, but I don’t live in Scotland any more so not really up to date. I like it. I know “piece of work” of course, maybe connected to that?

Argh, I have a Zoom later where, according to the agenda, there will be a "deep dive". Clearly right into a pile of pretentious wank.

Where did the "speaking to" thing come from? It's awful.

@NHSEA

Off of.

Yes! "I bought this car off of..." "Did you just grab that toy off of...?"

Curious as to why 'plate up' is deemed annoying but 'dish up' isn't!

Good question, I hate “dish up” though! Am I ambivalent about “plate up” actually, I can see why chefs might need a word to describe arranging the food prettily on the plate, and they often need to give quick instructions so it fits that brief.
“Dish up” on the other hand- won’t “serve” pretty much always so? Dish up sounds sloppy and unappetising.

Curious as to why 'plate up' is deemed annoying but 'dish up' isn't!

First bit of that post was a quote.

@PuppyMonkey me and mine for pronouns is a stroke of brilliance. (No offence meant by using stroke of brilliance in case it irks anyone).

When people talk about grammar v state schools when they are talking about non fee paying grammars. Eg. In Sutton. The grammars are state schools too as they are funded by the state! I see that a lot on mumsnet Education boards.

@PussyMalanga

When Americans say "we're going for Chinese food". It's just Chinese! Going for Chinese.

Well, perhaps they're going to a Chinese furniture shop? If you just said "going for Chinese" I want to say "Chinese what?".

The same goes for saying that you are "going for for a Burger King". A Burger King.....what? You need to add the word meal at the end of that sentence!

'gifted'
When did it stop being given or giving a gift? 🤔

Why are reactions to the smallest things on here so extreme. You may dislike an expression about food but to induce you to vomit is so OTT I wonder what you would say if something really terrible happened in your life?

People saying “can I get” instead of “can I have”. They rarely follow it with the word please.

Reach out should only be used if you are one of the four tops or assisting a drowning person!

@Crankley

Why are reactions to the smallest things on here so extreme. You may dislike an expression about food but to induce you to vomit is so OTT I wonder what you would say if something really terrible happened in your life?

It’s exaggeration for comic effect on a lighthearted thread.

between you and I drives me nuts.
You have to have me after a preposition. Just like you can't say "from I" or "to I", it's equally wrong to say "between you and I".

@soschreibfaul

people who say ‘3am in the morning’ wind me up. It’s either 3 am or 3 in the morning. You don’t bloody need to say both

That irritates me too.

Space, as in 'This is a lovely space' in programmes about houses. It's a room. What's wrong with calling it a room?

Annoying. Also, in programmes about houses : "it's a good size", when they mean "big".

@MrBloomsLeftVeg

Reach out should only be used if you are one of the four tops or assisting a drowning person!

The Four Tops! That’s right, I wa a struggling to remember the group’s name when I mentioned the song earlier. There was an internet meme wasn’t there- Q: When should I use the phrase “Reach Out”?

Are you a member of the Four Tops?
No
Then never.

Somebody mentioned 'decline' in another context. I've noticed its increasing misuse to also mean 'refuse'. 'My MIL told me to clean her house from top to bottom. I declined.' AIUI, it's 'decline' for something you are invited to do and 'refuse' for something you are asked/told to do.

I'm no chef, but I would consider 'fry off' to be frying quickly and perhaps intensely. I've a theory about 'pan fry', that people of delicate MC sensibilities use it because they think just 'fry' sounds infra dig - like a chip pan or a breakfast at a greasy spoon.

On the subject of snobbery, am noting the horror of 'Americanisms' that has turned up on this thread... again

@TheTinsellyLovelinessOfDemons

"10.30 huddle." Like they're standing around a candle for warmth.

Is anyone else as irritated by the irritation being expressed as they are by the actual words/phrases?

Don't want to be a killjoy but language is a live thing: you do realise that?

The world would be such a joyless place if we banned all non-orthodox forms of communication.

I know this is meant to be "light-hearted" (my personal bugbear) but it leaves me feeling depressed when people pick apart the way others speak like this...

@MeringueCloud we play property programme bingo- it’s impossible to get through one without someone saying “This is a good-sized room”

Actually I realised I missed it when I started watching Selling Sunset and it was all “cute kitchen!” and “OMG that view is awesome”. Thankfully a British house hunter turned up on one episode and duly obliged within about 5 minutes of being on screen.