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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to get wound up by a completely harmless phrase?and what phrases/sayings get your goat

419 replies

mayorquimby · 08/05/2009 12:14

i know on the spectrum of tragedies this falls solidly on the unimportant end, but still what is life without trivial annoyances?

the phrase? it'e when people say "i personally..."
i mean why put in the personally? obviously if you preface your statement or belief with "I" it is clear to me that you are about to express your views or personal beliefs.

so what things that people say wind you up?

cheap at half the price is another.
and also the americanisation of "i couldn't care less" to "i could care less" because to me it no longer makes sense.

i'm beginning to think i am doomed to spend a jack dee like existence getting pissed off about tribvial things people do and say which have no bearing on the state of the world and which i could easily ignore and live a happier life.

OP posts:
jellybeans · 10/05/2009 11:03

No idea why but I hate 'well done YOU'!!!

Vamonos · 10/05/2009 11:33

Also hate 'space' instead of 'room' - as in 'that glass just floods this space with light' (said in an amaaaaazed voice, usually about nothing more amaaaaazing than the back extension of a Victorian terrace).

Oh and the word 'amaaaaaaazing', now I come to think of it (though I'm guilty of using it I suppose )

HarleyQuinn · 10/05/2009 12:16

I cannot stand when DH says, "I knew that/this would happen" as in I knew that plate would fall on the floor, well if you did nostradamus why didnt you stop it then!

I also hate "Cuppa" and "Smile/Cheer up love, it might never happen" arggghhhh.

katiestar · 10/05/2009 12:34

' good giiiiirrl' or 'good boooy' spoken in hushed, admiring and reverent tones to a toddler as if has invented a cure for cancer rather than put on his sock.

StealthPolarBear · 10/05/2009 17:16

I was coming on to mention "my bad" but see I've been beaten to it

parsley3 · 10/05/2009 17:48

Can't stand it when my MIL says "It's in the blood" with a look of satisfaction on her face about my two DS's playing football, just because her boys and FIL did. No it's because they had it drummed into them as soon as they were out of the maternity unit!

Dillydaydreamer · 10/05/2009 22:12

katiestar I really can't understand the good girl or good boy thing with a toddler. Emphasis when something is good/bad is how toddlers learn and tone of voice means everything. Since toddlers understand more from body language and tone of voice than words spoken I find your dislike irritating to say the least or uninformed at best.

LovingtheSilverFox · 10/05/2009 22:17

I annoy myself! I hate the expression 24/7, which I find myself using, and if I am very annoyed about something, I tend to say "quite frankly" a lot. I also use "in my opinion" which is completely redundant, because if I'm saying it is is my opinion.

I had better stop because I am annoying myself, quite frankly.

DSM · 11/05/2009 00:41

Pre-heat.

You can't pre-heat an oven. You can heat it. Pre-heat, is the state of the oven before you begin to heat it, better described as 'off', or 'cold'.

Really pisses me off. It makes NO sense.

DuffyFluckling · 11/05/2009 06:51

"In this day and age". Dh says this.

Also "bless" which is very annoying, but I must admit I say it myself.

StealthPolarBear · 11/05/2009 08:53

DSM I suppose you are pre-heating the oven i.e. heating it before you cook the food. It's not particularly logical though, I agree,

Jjou · 11/05/2009 13:56

My mum says 'utilise' for 'use' every single time. It drives me crackers, but I bite my tongue, still: GAH!

AliGrylls · 11/05/2009 14:15

I hate the use of literally too - especially when people say "I will literally be two seconds" when they mean metaphorically. Why say anything. I also hate it when people say "aaaah bless" of "she/he's so sweet" to describe adults. An adult is not sweet - adults can be nice / gentle / kind, but not sweet. I find it so patronising.

Baisey · 11/05/2009 14:22

I work in a toy shop and one thing that bugs me... "will this learn my child?" No, it wont, it will bloody TEACH your child!!

gerontius · 11/05/2009 14:38

This isn't quite the same thing, but it really bugs me when people start off a post with "hello" and sign their name at the end, as if it were a letter. Do they not realise it says who they are at the top of their post?

AramintaCane · 11/05/2009 14:47

I can't stand :

"I got it off of (insert persons name)"

"I couldn't care A less"

what is the A for ?

"What with shirt buttons?"

"Doin my head in"

"Im itching a scratch"

AramintaCane · 11/05/2009 14:53

Baisey how about "that'll learn ya" to kids that have just injured themselves

thumbwitch · 11/05/2009 18:14

I would just like to add that I now have a serious issue with the use of the word "basically"

We have just spent a lovely weekend away with friends - but at dinner on Saturday night the H of the couple was telling a story and basically it basically went basically pretty much basically every other word, basically.

ARRRRGHHHHHH!!!

InternationalFlight · 12/05/2009 10:03

Thumbwitch. Do not panic. This could be temporary as in mild PTSD.

spenthen · 12/05/2009 10:37

OK I'm a latecomer to this thread but would like to add:

"Well at least I'm being honest" (meaning "I have just offended you by putting my opinions before your feelings, but I don't care because I am a selfish bugger")

and

"Well I was only saying" (meaning exactly the same as the above)

and

"It's all right for you..." (meaning "I am not happy with the decisions I have made in my life but I am illogically going to make myself feel better by making you feel bad even though you actually bear no responsibility at all for my inadequacies")

and

"The thing is, is that...."

and

"If you think that, you've got another thing coming" (it's "another think coming", fairly obviously, isn't it????)

I'm sure there are more but now I'll have to stop as I'm beginning to feel all tense.

CJCregg · 12/05/2009 10:42

'Going forward' - what's wrong with 'from now on' or 'in the future'? It's so jargon-y, it drives me mad.

People who say things cost 'five pound' - SSSSS, for Christ's sake!

Pacifically is just a crime against language and makes me weep.

Original poster
mayorquimby · 12/05/2009 10:49

"If you think that, you've got another thing coming" (it's "another think coming", fairly obviously, isn't it????)"

sorry what?

OP posts:
Miggsie · 12/05/2009 10:55

"Yes absolutely"

"I hear what you're saying"

"I so totally get that"

"I have to say..."

"X years of age"

"He is so in your face"

"I mean totally like really so, you know, I mean, putting so many totally absolutely more words in, like, you know, wow, amazing...a sentence, than you could really ever totally like really, oh yeah, my God, you know, need."

All text speak...

Turning nouns into verbs as in:

Irregular verbs such as "to dun well": He dun well The boy dun well They all dun well We dun well

My spleen has been vented.

ReligiousBiscuit · 12/05/2009 11:00

you lot totally need to chillax

StealthPolarBear · 12/05/2009 11:06

spenthen, I agree with you but the thing/think debate is a big one UnquietDad is the most vocal defender of the "thing" side

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