Let's start with literally. How many times have we heard someone say something along the lines of "Oh my gosh I literally almost just died." Unless if the situation was actually life-threatening, we all know that once the word "literally" is added into a sentence, it is most often a gross exaggeration. "I literally could eat a horse." "I literally just found a million bugs in that vent." Obviously in these situations this is not true. Literally means taking advice or directions exactly as they are said. "My friend took me literally when I said she should do her homework all night instead of sleep and pulled an all nighter."
Next is "like." Now, many people use "like" in the way it was intended, as a comparison word. However, some people continuously use "like" as a filler word. "So, like, yesterday I went to the store and, like, I found so much gum." Or, they say, "I asked my mom if I could go out and she was like, "Absolutely not!"." "Like" is replacing "said", and it makes conversations very annoying sometimes.
One of the words that is so obviously sarcastic is "really." Really? YES. "I saw you the other day!" "No, REALLY?! I never even noticed you standing two feet in front of me!" It's become a condescending word if a sarcastic tone is included with it. Actually, "really" can be really quite rude if used in certain ways.
Fat. No, just stop. Right now. How many young women have you heard say "I feel so fat right now." Or, "I gained two pounds, I'm so fat." And most often they are women who are quite fit, or don't need to be thinking about losing weight. Even some men do it. How frustrating is it to hear them say these degrading things about themselves, and then if anyone compliments them they believe that it isn't actually true. The most annoying thing is just how harmful this is to people. Thinking things like this makes them want to begin dieting, sometimes in harmful ways, so that they can see their hip bones or find a six pack under their already trim middles.
Dumb. Basically, I feel the same way about "dumb" as I do "fat". It is just as harmful to an individual to hear it said about them by themselves or anyone else.
"Fine." This word is annoying for a multitude of reasons. One of the biggest ones is how people use it when they are upset. "Are you ok?" "I'm Fine." Obviously you are not. Also, fine is just such a nondescript word. It basically stands for "Eh, it's alright." If someone asks for your opinion, please use a more descriptive word than "fine".
Ignorant. This word is one of my pet peeves. "Ignorant" is the go to insult for anyone who doesn't want to search for a better argument or insult. Suppose someone says something about abortion, but their argument is slightly misinformed, or the other party just simply doesn't agree. Many times, instead of formulating an actual, logical argument, they just tell them, "Don't be so ignorant." How is that helping anyone!? Ask them to explain their opinion, or give them the right facts. Don't simply tell them to not be ignorant, it won't solve anything!
Retard. This word almost pains me. It actually angers me whenever I hear this word being used because it is just so completely inappropriate and degrading. "Retard" used to be an extremely derogatory word used to describe those with mental illnesses, but then it evolved into a playground insult and one found in the halls of schools. Not only is the person on the receiving end of the word being insulted, but so is anyone else who happens to have any sort of mental malady. It's use has lessened slightly since it became publicly known that it was socially unacceptable to use it, but also because other words have become insults for the same thing. "Slow" and "special" being two of the most prominent, which are also annoying words for the same reason.
Lastly, "over-achiever". I'm sure at some point we have all been on the receiving end of this insult from others in our grade or even in our class. At this point, I take it as a compliment, but for others it can be quite upsetting. Trying hard to get good grades or to achieve some sort of personal feat, and then being insulted for putting effort into it can be quite injuring, making this another irritating word.
And, just to finish this off with one final word, or whatever it is, YOLO. Have we become so lazy that we can't even move our mouths to fully say "You only live once."? Also, this word normally precedes some pretty reckless and stupid choices that could lead to injury and even death. I personally witnessed someone lay on top of a car's roof while the car sped around a parking lot. And the reasoning behind this? YOLO. Goodness, what has the world come to.
Now, just a little statement. I know that I am just as guilty of these things as anyone else is. Actually, for some of them I am probably guiltiest, which is most likely what makes them so annoying. Anyone, let me know if you think any of these are annoying or if you disagree from me. I'm curious to see what everyone else's are.
Okay...so I feel as if I might have fueled your hate of "really" because I say it so much when I am being nasty. I mean, that is my go to word for sarcasm. Bad habit? I can see why you think so because when I read your blog I gained an understanding of how painful it can actually be. I thought your choice of the word "ignorant" was very interesting and I agreed with your reasoning. I also thought, as I was reading about your distaste for ignorant, about how it is a commonly misused word. A lot of people use ignorant when they disagree with someone's opinion even if it makes sense, but that is not what the word is meant for.
I read your comment on my blog before I read your blog and I see that I did not take the typical approach. The way I wrote mine might even be considered incorrect, but I found that, despite our differences in structure, we had many of the same terms. I wonder if that has something to do with the way people in our area speak or if these words are as universal as we believe them to be. Anyway, because we had many of the same words I agreed with a majority of what you wrote in your blog. I found "over-achiever" to be a unique choice, but I think I came to realize that people often use that directed towards you and sometimes in a derogatory way. You are an over-achiever, but that is a wonderful part of you that has and will help you to excel in life. Never let words like that bring you down! Great job this week!
You were quite serious with your blog, and I'm not talking about the tone. The words you chose were serious words that irritate me as well. However, I don't feel YOLO is as bad as you want to believe it to be. Yes, I agree stupid actions come from that word, but that doesn't mean that everyone takes YOLO in that way. And YOLO doesn't mean someones lazy. It's slang like all the other words we say; it's the "cool" thing to do. (I hate that meaning of the word "cool" too.) I love that you hated the word "like." Dude, try having someone not use that word. It's hilarious! It doesn't bother me all that much unless someone's using it like your first example. The second example is just something that developed over time, and I think people are pretty used to it by now. That word also makes people out to be someone they may or may not be. What I mean by that is the stereotypical popular/annoying girl in school. But it's life. Great blog! You made some really good points.
Hannah, I am guilty of using so many of these words, it is "like" "literally" so annoying. "Really!" On a more serious note, this was a great blog! My favorite word that you chose is "fine". I get extremely annoyed when someone says that they are fine. Obviously you are not, and I wish they would just say what is wrong rather than bottle it all up inside. This one book that I read a few years ago about a group of teens in rehab for several different addictions said that the word "fine" really stands for f***** up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. That definition is so blunt, but so on point. I also really hate the word "retard." I honestly wish it was not a word because it is so negative towards the happiest people. It aggravates me when I hear that word thrown at any person. Overall, this was a wonderful blog. Well done!
I think that I could address a lot of different words with this blog that annoy me for personal reasons – such as moist, persnickety, nifty, and bulge – but for me I see an opportunity in this blog to address words that are degrading to individuals and to the integrity of our language. For example, words that are not really words but rather slang because we are too lazy to type them out when we are texting – r, u, YOLO, b/c, brb, gtg – the list goes on...and on...and on. Isn’t that sad? Has the human indolence really escalated that far?
I am not a culprit of the short slang I just mentioned, but there are some words that we are all guilty of - like and um. Don’t deny it, we all do it whether we are having a conversation, thinking, or giving a presentation. It has become habitual, as if we are incapable of accurately stringing together a coherent line of words in the amount of time allotted. And I think that is exactly what “like” and “um” are; distractions to gain time while we desperately search for the right words to piece into our sentences. I do it, but I don’t want to. Maybe none of us will never get away from it, but I like to think that we can try and that, if we are really determined, we can prevent it from trickling down into the generation of our children.
Now we all just witnessed Maddie Cashmer’s presentation on prenatal testing. Remember how she said that it was predicted that Down syndrome children would be eliminated by 2030? What does this remind you of? For me, it brought to mind the words stupid, dumb, idiot, retard, all of these offensive terms directed towards someone’s intelligence. Maybe they were not originally linked to Down syndrome children, but “retarded” in particular now has a special tie to the condition. How can people say this? I have a Down syndrome cousin and, for the younger years of his life, he brought a great amount of stress to my aunt because he would just wander off and get lost in the woods behind their house. But now he is eighteen, his voice is deeper, he can speak pretty well, and he is the dearest person in the world. To him each person, except his older sister’s ex-boyfried, is precious. He now brings joy to my aunt when she is worried about her other children because he loves unconditionally and will do anything he can to lift someone’s spirits. How can we call people like him retarded when they almost have more to give than us, when they are so tender and innocent?
And now, of course, swear words. I swear, you swear, we all swear. For some it happens later in life and only occasionally, for others it is early and addicting. Sometimes I think it is necessary to express intense distaste, and maybe I am wrong but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is the way swearing has led us to addressing strangers, acquaintances, and even our own friends. I remember that last year in our creative writing class we often found it unnatural to create realistic characters that did not swear. Why? Because everything has become “swear worthy” to us. The way someone acts, the things people say, every day occurrences. But there is no need for that! We need to remember the respect that people used to address each other with and we need to regain that because I’m so tired of living in a world where people refer to me fondly by swearing. It is disgusting.
I don’t know how people talked in the past or how they will talk in the future, but I hope that through this blog we can gain some realization of the offensive habits we have all adopted. Maybe instead of swearing we could compliment someone or tell them how we really feel. Maybe instead of calling someone an idiot or a retard we can simply correct them nicely or help them to gain an understanding of what they do not know. Maybe we can remember this when we are raising our own children and we hear the dreaded “like” come out of their mouth and stop it from spreading to them. Or maybe not. But I like to think that the future of the English language could be brighter than the slang and offensive terms we have integrated into our everyday life and that these ways of speaking will never filter into fine literature.
I think it is interesting how you took a different spin on this blog. Obviously, it asked for ten words that we found to be annoying and why, but you decided to instead write about which speaking habits you found annoying and why they are slowly disintegrating the English language. I must agree with you, people who text using short hand drive me absolutely insane. Mostly because I don't understand it and then I have to go on UrbanDictionary to understand what they meant. Plus, shorthand in general degrades the quality of conversations because people don't want to write out long words or sentences.
Now, swearing. I am guilty of this. Oh so guilty. I find it relieving sometimes to fall into the habit of using swear words in arguments, mostly because using logic in school environment arguments doesn't help at all. However, I understand that swearing only has a place in certain situations. Swearing isn't something that is suitable for any type of professional environment and a lot of other ones too. However, our generation has begun using words with derogatory meaning as greetings and terms of endearment.
I hope that eventually our world goes back to normal, non derogatory language. It is hurtful to see others put down by what is generalized to be friendly greetings that are actually hurtful and degrading. Yet, there is some merit to using swear words in certain situations if they are not used by that person often. I was interested to hear what your ten words would have been, but this blog is intriguing and thought provoking. Good work.
Warning: I rant. Please do not take anything I say too seriously.
Wow, I am definitely making this blog harder than it should be. Words that annoy me… Well, I don’t know if its the words themselves that annoy me, or when the words are misused. THAT makes me mad like you wouldn't believe. You might think you sound smart for using a big word in your sentence, but you sound like a preschooler when you use it the wrong way. I’m sorry, but I had to say it. Constructive criticism?
Does slang even count as words? One time my I heard my brother use the phrase “YOLO.” I told him he better have been kidding, or I was disowning him. Thankfully, he was only saying it sarcastically. “Bae,” “dope,” “swag,” and all of the words derived from “swag,” (such as “swaggy”) I just don’t understand. They aren’t even real words! I’m pretty sure everyone in the class has heard me use these words at least once. I hope you all have realized I was using all of these words out of their “proper” context with full intent of mocking the word. I am just happy to say I have never heard someone say any of the words seriously.
I also hate words that people have sexualized. Not because they are “sexual”, but because of the people who sexualized them. Why cant you just let the words go? There are so many adjectives that can be used to describe any amount possible of objects. So really, any adjective can be sexualized. Actually, any word at all can be sexualized: anything can be sexualized. And I hate that. I hate that people sexualize EVERYTHING, and I hate how words are considered “ruined” because someone started the “trend” of using a certain word to describe a sexual act or object.
I hate words that are used in a derogatory manner towards a specific race, culture, or ethnic group. They are so incredibly rude, there truly is no other purpose of the words other than to offend. Is the world really that judgmental? Unfortunately.
Aside from those four groups of words, there are a few words that I really do not like. At all. First word: cope. This word just really annoys me. It just doesn’t even sound right. I hate the way it looks. I hate the way it sounds when its said. I even hate the positive context that it is usually said in. Basically, this word means to “deal with something.” I don’t understand why “coping” would be satisfactory? If your in a bad situation, I feel as if you should fix it rather than learn to “cope” with it, but that’s just me.
I also hate the word “perfect.” What is perfect? This word is a lie. perfect is a lie.
The last word I hate, I hate the most. Don’t say it. Don’t think it. I’m not even going to write it. It is the worst word, and I cringe just thinking of it. The C word. If you say it around me, expect to get yelled at.
Let me just say, obviously this was probably a very frustrating and angering post for you to write, but I could not help but chuckle nearly the whole way through. While I definitely sensed the angry tones in your blog, I also felt that the way you wrote it was quite humorous. Mostly because your reactions to words is quite hilarious. Disowning your brother for the use of YOLO? Quite harsh, yet so ridiculous all at the same time. I truly enjoy the manner in which you write because you are able to become really passionate about so many subjects.
On to the actual writing you did, I really agree with all of your points. Seriously, "swaggy"? It hurts my brain to even type it. Honestly, I judge people who use words like that and it actually measurably lowers my opinion of them. On to sexualization. This is another subject with which I completely agree. Who decided to take the word "gay" which used to mean happy, and turned it into a derogatory term for homosexuals. Same thing with "queer", which happened to be one of my favorite words, as it meant odd, or strange, but now, for some reason, represents homosexuals. I like how you included some specific words that annoy you. I know that there are words I simply cannot stand, but I find it funny when I find other people's uncomfortable words. Then, whenever they hear it, there is always a reaction. Anyway, good work on this blog Felicia.
Felicia, I had way to much fun just reading your blog. I immediately gravitated towards yours because I know that you have a strong and definite opinion and I found that in this blog. I agree with so much of what you said and mentioned some of the same groups in my own blog. But you brought up some really good words and groups that I had not even considered. While I was so focused on derogatory terms for particular people you mentioned people of any "specific race, culture, or ethnic group." I didn't realize how much that bothered me until I read your blog, but then I reflected on how angry it makes me when people attach words to an ethnicity. Also, sexualized words. Yes! I hate that sometimes I can hardly string together a coherent sentence without someone finding an unintentional and unwarranted sexual meaning in whatever I say. There is a time and a place for certain words to be meant in that way but it is not in everyday life!s
You have this terrible power of getting me all fired up because you are always so right about the issues we see in the world! I mean "cope," I would have never even thought of that, and yet reflecting on my hardest times it infuriated me when people told me I had to learn to "cope" with it. You are right in saying that "coping" is not enough and it is annoying. I don't want to "deal with" the situation, I want to overcome it and be stronger as a result of that. So...is it sad that I don't know what this infamous "c word" is. I mean, I have my suspicions but I will definitely be asking you about that on Monday. Great job this week! I love how you did both word groups and specific words because some of us only did one or the other.
When it comes to words that annoy me, the list seems to be endless. I mean, there's so many words from the classical words that are considered proper to the slang words that are quickly becoming more and more common. Personally, through these thoughts for the blog, I have concluded that there is no saying whether or not the most annoying words are proper or not.
That brings me to my first word: "like." This word is technically used for comparing things especially in similes. I'm not saying that similes annoy me, I'm saying that the word like is very over used and quickly becomes distracting when used repeatedly in a conversation. Take for example, "we like we're trying to like find the right like answer but we like struggled because we couldn't like remember the formula." I'm not saying that I don't use 'like' when I'm talking because I do, but I have tried to become more cautious of my word choices. My second word is "nom." This is, obviously, more of a slang word. However, more people have been using this word in regular context. The definition of this word is something similar to "this is delicious!" Instead of using actual words, individuals are saying "nom nom." This is so annoying because it's almost as if people are trying to take shortcuts to avoid using full words. Just type it out. There isn't even any real meaning behind "nom." So why use it?
And the third word that is most annoying to me is "and". And it is annoying because it makes it sound like the sentence is never ending. And when the sentence never ends, the thought never ends. And I hope this one pretty much explained itself. The fourth word is "hunny." It is so annoying because I always think, 'I have a name and it is not hunny.' It has come to the point where people in the community call me other names than my own. Ma'am is another name that I get called especially at work. This is the fifth word. I am obviously not a ma'am, I'm 18. Even in general, people use ma'am when there are other words that can catch that person's attention.
"Rip." To most people this doesn't particularly mean anything to them. However, "rip" is annoying to me when it comes to gymnastics because it prohibits me from continuing working in bars for the day. Not only is it annoying at that point in time, but the bare skin is sensitive and it hurts when it touches anything especially water. The next word that I find annoying is literally. "This happened, literally!" It is over used and if one uses other words correctly like they should be used, literally is not necessary. Literally this, literally this. "Sorry that the copy machine was broken." "Sorry I couldn't get you coffee this morning, Sheetz was out." WHY ARE TOU APOLOGIZING? Sorry for the caps. No stop. Why are you apologizing for things that are out of your control? Yes I realize I said sorry for the caps, it was intended. Don't say sorry if there is nothing to truly apologize for because it is rally annoying.
My eighth most annoying word is "sexual." What exactly is the definition of the word sexual? There are many different definitions for it and all of them are just wrong and annoying. "That's sexual." No stop saying it. Let's talk about people using short hand/text talk in normal conversation. These serve for my last two. Pick any of the following; brb, fyi, btw, ttyl. Why would you use them? Why not just say I'll be right back? By the way? For your information? Or talk to you later. Stop using the short hand and just say the phrase. Actually talking one on one with people is beginning to slow down and people are struggle because they use text language too often, just say, or type out the words.
I love words. I can't really tell you why but I do. Everything good thing has down falls though. The downfall of words is all the annoying ones. My least favorite word because of how aggravating it is would have to be "sorry". Stop apologizing for bongs that aren't your fault. Sorry for my slight rant.
Jessica, Great job this week! I admit, I use the word like all the time. It's a habit that I'm not sure I can break any time soon. "And" was a really unique word. I guess I never even thought about how often I hear or use that word, but I can now definitely see how annoying it is. I felt a bit embarrassed when you said "hunny" and "ma'am" annoy you. For some reason I call people "hunny" when they don't understand something after I've already explained it. Also, I've been saying "Yes, ma'am" all the time and I don't know why. I guess I don't find those words annoying, but it's good to know you do so I don't call you either of them! I also find it annoying when people use texting language. It would honestly take five more seconds for you to type out the full phrase or word so why not take the time and actually write a real word. Ugh, that really gets on my nerve. Anyway, this was a fabulous blog!
In case you haven't noticed, I'm an exceptionally quiet person. But through the years, I have heard so many words come out of people's mouths, and I have figured out which words annoy me the most. Don't get me wrong, I actually like most of these words and use them myself, but I hate when they are used in such derogatory terms.
Different. Growing up I've always heard adults say that it is okay to be different, but they are wrong. People are constantly calling actions and individuals "different" with a negative attitude because they like other activities, music, clothes, etc. Personally I love when someone is not afraid to be themselves and stick out, but a lot of society tends to demean them for being something other than the social norm.
Love. Okay, I admit I'm a sucker for romantic movies and books, but I do believe that the word "love" is overused. People, including myself, say that they love material items all the time. A common white girl is usually depicted loving coffee, leggings, and boots. It annoys me that couples say that they love each other without even knowing what real love is. I do realize that some people truly do love one another, but it is said way too often without actually meaning it.
Hate. I know this is contradicting, but I hate the word hate. It is such a strong word that people use to express their feelings towards people, food, movies, clothing, etc. I wish terms like dislike would be more popular, but they aren't.
Gay. This word is never used with the definition it was meant to have. And when it is used with this new definition, it is typically not a good thing. People are so judgmental in today's age. I don't think it matters who or what you are into, but you should be gay (happy or carefree, as it should be used).
Selfie. Hold on, let me take a selfie first. This word just annoys me. I'm not even sure why, it just does. It scares me how attached we all are to our phones. I think it is nice to have a camera accessible at all times, but sometimes selfies are taken at the wrong time.
Snow. I'm not going to lie, I'm throwing this one in because I am so annoyed by all of the snow. I am tired of hearing the weatherman say that we should prepare for a few more inches of snow. I just want spring.
Retard. Why is this even a word? It bothers me that it is only used to describe either those who are mentally ill or those who are not the smartest in school. Why should we be degrading those people? Why should we degrade anyone?
Trust. The only reason this word annoys me is because people say that they are trustworthy and then they turn around a tell whatever secrets you just told them. When you trust someone, you honestly do trust them and hope that they didn't lie to you. Another thing, I cannot stand when someone asks "Don't you trust me?". You almost feel bad so you say that do, but do you? The word "trust" is just simply used too loosely. When you have my trust, you have it, and I hope I have yours when you say that you do.
Hot. I really don't like when this term is used to describe people. If you like the way someone looks, then call them beautiful or handsome. It just really annoys me that girls, especially, love when guys call them hot. Personally I think this is a turnoff, but that is just my opinion.
Sorry. It disturbs me the amount of times this word is used everyday. And for the most part, it is not used genuinely. Apologizing for something should not just be "Sorry" or "I'm sorry". Half the time people only say it because they know that is what the other person wants to hear.
Bonus: Starving. I know I say this everyday in fifth period, but it actually annoys me when you think about all of the people who are actually starving. I'm just hungry, as are you.
At first I thought this list was going to be easy, but I actually found it a bit difficult to think about the words that truly annoy me. I hope you enjoyed my reasoning for each word.
Natalie, I like how you started your blog, you may seem like a quiet person, but even the quietest of people find noise and words that annoy them. I never thought of different as an annoying word. But how you said it makes perfect sense to me and I can’t help but agree. Be. Different. NO! If everyone is different in their own way, is everyone really different at all? Hate is a strong word and I dislike using it because of its strong meaning. People just throw it around like they throw love around. Both words have extreme meanings that I really don’t think that other people think about when they say them. They’re just words, and typically, empty words said in a joking manner. Words hurt. Gay is another word that hurts. It has turned into an insult rather than meaning happy and joyful. It’s such a bummer. I really liked what you did this week and agree with the words you choose. Good Work!
Natalie, Many of the irritations that we have in common is in today's butchering of words and there original meanings. Also I agree with every single one of your words, and the examples that supported them. My favorite words that you chose are different, snow, and retard. We were told as young children to be different, but now in high school it is the complete opposite. It drives me absolutely crazy because everyone "must" conform so we look professional. Ugh, I feel that all this school is doing for me, teaching me to conform/ do as you are told. What if we don't want to? What if we were to rebel and be ourselves? That would be absolutely amazing only because we would be able to be individuals for a single day. Then "snow", I'm much for the same reason annoyed with this word. It's been white for two long when will Mother Nature paint her ever changing canvas. Lastly, "retard" is such a negative word it sets my teeth on edge. Whenever, I was younger I was always called special/retarded by my classmates because not every subject was easy for me to take in. In turn when I hear some one called a retard, or retarded; I tend to loose my composure and become very outspoken.
I really enjoyed your blog this week. My favorite word you chose is different. Isn't it ironic that adults are telling us to be ourselves, but there are restrictions to how different we are "allowed" to be? It really angers me because there are people who are born different and those who want to be different. I think the key to it all is to accept who we really are without restrictions. That leads me into your word "gay." I feel there are three different versions of this word: joyous and happy, something that's stupid, and someone who is attracted to the opposite sex. Our generation doesn't realize how terrible we sound when we say this word in a negative way. I'm guilty of using it as the second definition, but I want to break that. Anyways, I "love" the words you chose. Great blog!
The ten most annoying words... Well that's hard to narrow down. I have a couple of names in my mind, BUT that would be inappropriate. The first word I absolutely hate is ointment. Like what is ointment. Can you please just call it "cream" or, I don't know, "medication?" It's a nauseating word.
Moist and crevice are two words that I feel go hand in hand. Just think about a moist crevice. It gives me chills, and not in a good way. Moist is a very good word to describe how my armpits feel after I dance a very complicated dance. My armpit is a crevice.
I have a problem with mucus. It's so gross because what kind of mucus is being discussed? Boogers (not one of the words) are barf worthy, therefore I believe that mucus is choking on barf worthy.
I read this book once and the word "supple" was used to describe something. It made my nose twitch. What is supple!? It's weird; that's what it is. I think of flesh with the word supple, and flesh is a disturbing word.
Alright, senioritis! Apparently I'm guilty of it, but that's not how I see it. I don't have senioritis in the sense that I can't wait to be done learning. Honestly, I'm sick of ya'll. Haha. I'm just kidding. I like you guuuuuys. But this town is too small for me. Now knowing that I'm accepted to AMDA I'm ready to experience life outside of elk county, and I know you all feel the same way.
So you know that saying "Rawr means I love you in dinosaur."? DINOSAURS DON'T SAY RAWR!!!! They yell very loudly, almost like a grunt. But who knows!? Maybe they do say "rawr."
Mosquitos aren't only petty little bugs that suck blood, but their name is irritating too. I know, I know. I said I wouldn't mention any names. However, these suckers make my skin itch... Literally.
You know what word really grinds my gears? Homework. The minute a teacher says that word I cringe. Why do we have to do homework anymore? Can't it be at least fun? Whatever (another annoying word).
The last word that I want to make note on is clutch. What the heck does it mean? "Clutch" isn't a real word. It irritates me that people use it in everyday language. Like... Please stop. Please.
What I realized typing out these words is that it's not the word that is annoying but the meaning behind it. Most of the time, these words have negative meanings that have some kind of emotional effect on me (or any said person). Words can't be annoying, but a nose whistle can.
Kaitlin, I had to stop after every word and reread it cause I kept laughing to hard. I truly agree with your first three words and your reasons were truly entertaining. Your fourth word "mucus" isn't exactly annoying to me, and your reason doesn't necessarily support your idea of the word in my personal opinion. Then your fifth word "supple wasn't exactly supported, or proved your point. I don't exactly see where you were coming from for this word. However, this is your idea on annoying words. The words through the rest of your blog were truly amusing. The one word I firmly agree with is "homework." Why must we have homework piled on us when teachers know that we have other subjects to do? This just irritates me almost as bad as deadline to do the amounts. Finally, the words aren't the annoying parts at all, and the sound of it spoken is ultimately the annoying part. That point is so true that I can't help but applaud, for it is the exact idea of these words.
Kaitlin, Supple what is supple? I still don't know. Clutch. Those basketball shorts that have clutch on it is instantly what comes to mind. Homework and senioritis kind of went together for me. Ohh and congratulations on getting into Amda! I really like what you put in about mosquitos. It added a nice touch. I really don't have anything else to say but good work this weekend!
Okay, I have to say this. I started laughing out loud when I got to clutch on your list because I remember when we had a group chat with Sophie, you asked us what "clutch" meant. When we told you what we thought it meant, you replied, "thats annoying." Also, when I read that word, for some reason I thought of "Mean Girls" and "Fetch"? Haha, I don't even know why! "Stop trying to make 'Fetch' happen. It's never going to happen!" I don't know, but it made me laugh so hard! Aside from that, I really enjoyed your blog this week. It was so comical! I agree with every single word you wrote, with senioritis and homework going hand in hand. I thought it was very interesting how a lot of the words annoyed you not for what they metaphorically meant, but for what they physically meant. I don't know if I worded that right, so I'll use homework for an example. You don't hate the word homework for the word, but you hate it because you know it means you have homework. Did that make any sense? I don't know. Anyway, I really enjoyed your blog this weekend. Nice work, Kaitlin! AND YOU ALREADY KNOW I'M SO PROUD OF MY BEST FRIEND FOR GETTING INTO AMDA!
Okay for starters, we have no set English language, in America we make it up as the years go on. The social norm was old English, but then we slowly digressed to what we know as modern English. This is when we just make up random words for the fun of it, I order to set new trends, or because we don't know the original meaning of the word. In turn we make up a new word, or slaughter the word of the original words definition. In my personal opinion the words that we have slaughtered, overused, or made up are the most annoying.
Like is one of those words that our modern generation tends to over use. Mostly when we are unprepared for a speech or presentation we as human beings tend to use this word a lot. Then it makes the speaker sound as if they are from 80’s, and on a little something. Not to poke fun at anyone, but when someone says “like” several times in one speech it starts to become a joke. Another word we tend to overuse is the word “literally”, which is defined as in a literal manner; word for word, or in a literal or strict sense (Merriam-Webster). We live in a time where everything tends to be taken as a joke whenever one speaks their mind. In turn we use “literally” in abundance in order to show that we are not joking. This minor flaw with our generation is what has made this word quite annoying in my taste. The last word I hate for its reason of over use is the phrase/word “whatever”. For the love of God when someone answers me “whatever” I want to punch something, only because this means they can’t make up their mind. Especially when the questions is very simple like ‘Would you prefer Italian or Mexican cuisine tonight?”, and the person answers you “Whatever, you want is okay.” This absolutely sets me off for the minor reason of it being completely ridiculous in this form of speech. Then there are those words that have lost their original meaning on top of these words that have just become so overused.
First on the list of these words whose definition has been slaughtered is “obviously”. Today’s generation has a tendency to modify ideas, schedules, and words to meet what we need. In this case we changed it from being just a part of speech, which meant in a way that is easily perceived or understood(Merriam-Webster), to an insult. This major modification just to me seems irrationally stupid. Instead of it being used as a form of insulting someone, why don’t we use it to point out our views on a topic. I mean we use it to point out our views in class like “Obviously this object means…”, but then there are those people who use this word just to down grade anyone else’s idea/view. Then there is the phrase “never mind” which is one of those phrases which our generation has turned yet again into a form of rejection. For example, “I was going to, but never mind now.” Although there is no exact definition for this phrase, the negativity of this phrase has evolved into an ultimate for of rejection for individuals ideas. Then we have those words that our generation has made up for our own use.
Salty & saucy both meaning to give attitude to someone has become one of the cultural slang terms that inhabit our modern speech. Both of these words seem to me as just ridiculous ways of saying you’re being a *bleep*. Then there is always yolo, swag, etc. which have fallen into our language as a social norm. These words to me have no place in the English language, for they pose no literary use in proper English. This might only be a personal view, but when I hear people talking proper English from other countries and I just laugh knowing that we don’t speak anything like this.
One time when I was visiting a school in Munich, Germany I had sat in on an English class. Oh my, these kids were our age speaking English fluently, and in proper grammatical context. However, the class wasn’t called English 101 it was called English of America. In turn I asked some of the students what they considered the language they were being taught in comparison to what I was speaking. One of the students said that some of the American English they heard sounded like Japanese in an English form. Then another spoke up and said “Yes, indeed Americanesse sounds a lot harder than what we are learning.” Then I come back here and look at our society and frown at what we have come to and the student’s words ring in my ears causing me to laugh.
Devyn, I have to admit I was a bit confused reading your blog. You opened up your blog by stating that America basically has no set language. Forgive me if I read that opening statement wrong, but that is what I got from it. However, I researched a few things and I thought I should share them with you. In 2006, English was declared America's official language, therefor, our country's language became "American-English." You also mentioned that we all just make up the language as we go along by making up new words with no known definition. However, this is false as well because we have a dictionary, a "resource that lists the words of a a language and gives their meaning." Ironically, you even referenced the dictionary multiple times in your post. This just threw me off a little bit. Aside from that, you listed some interesting words and phrases. While I don't agree with you on all of them, it is interesting to know what you think! I thought it was very smart of you to add in the phrases. Nice touch, Devyn!
Let's start with literally. How many times have we heard someone say something along the lines of "Oh my gosh I literally almost just died." Unless if the situation was actually life-threatening, we all know that once the word "literally" is added into a sentence, it is most often a gross exaggeration. "I literally could eat a horse." "I literally just found a million bugs in that vent." Obviously in these situations this is not true. Literally means taking advice or directions exactly as they are said. "My friend took me literally when I said she should do her homework all night instead of sleep and pulled an all nighter."
ReplyDeleteNext is "like." Now, many people use "like" in the way it was intended, as a comparison word. However, some people continuously use "like" as a filler word. "So, like, yesterday I went to the store and, like, I found so much gum." Or, they say, "I asked my mom if I could go out and she was like, "Absolutely not!"." "Like" is replacing "said", and it makes conversations very annoying sometimes.
One of the words that is so obviously sarcastic is "really." Really? YES. "I saw you the other day!" "No, REALLY?! I never even noticed you standing two feet in front of me!" It's become a condescending word if a sarcastic tone is included with it. Actually, "really" can be really quite rude if used in certain ways.
Fat. No, just stop. Right now. How many young women have you heard say "I feel so fat right now." Or, "I gained two pounds, I'm so fat." And most often they are women who are quite fit, or don't need to be thinking about losing weight. Even some men do it. How frustrating is it to hear them say these degrading things about themselves, and then if anyone compliments them they believe that it isn't actually true. The most annoying thing is just how harmful this is to people. Thinking things like this makes them want to begin dieting, sometimes in harmful ways, so that they can see their hip bones or find a six pack under their already trim middles.
Dumb. Basically, I feel the same way about "dumb" as I do "fat". It is just as harmful to an individual to hear it said about them by themselves or anyone else.
"Fine." This word is annoying for a multitude of reasons. One of the biggest ones is how people use it when they are upset. "Are you ok?" "I'm Fine." Obviously you are not. Also, fine is just such a nondescript word. It basically stands for "Eh, it's alright." If someone asks for your opinion, please use a more descriptive word than "fine".
Ignorant. This word is one of my pet peeves. "Ignorant" is the go to insult for anyone who doesn't want to search for a better argument or insult. Suppose someone says something about abortion, but their argument is slightly misinformed, or the other party just simply doesn't agree. Many times, instead of formulating an actual, logical argument, they just tell them, "Don't be so ignorant." How is that helping anyone!? Ask them to explain their opinion, or give them the right facts. Don't simply tell them to not be ignorant, it won't solve anything!
Retard. This word almost pains me. It actually angers me whenever I hear this word being used because it is just so completely inappropriate and degrading. "Retard" used to be an extremely derogatory word used to describe those with mental illnesses, but then it evolved into a playground insult and one found in the halls of schools. Not only is the person on the receiving end of the word being insulted, but so is anyone else who happens to have any sort of mental malady. It's use has lessened slightly since it became publicly known that it was socially unacceptable to use it, but also because other words have become insults for the same thing. "Slow" and "special" being two of the most prominent, which are also annoying words for the same reason.
DeleteLastly, "over-achiever". I'm sure at some point we have all been on the receiving end of this insult from others in our grade or even in our class. At this point, I take it as a compliment, but for others it can be quite upsetting. Trying hard to get good grades or to achieve some sort of personal feat, and then being insulted for putting effort into it can be quite injuring, making this another irritating word.
And, just to finish this off with one final word, or whatever it is, YOLO. Have we become so lazy that we can't even move our mouths to fully say "You only live once."? Also, this word normally precedes some pretty reckless and stupid choices that could lead to injury and even death. I personally witnessed someone lay on top of a car's roof while the car sped around a parking lot. And the reasoning behind this? YOLO. Goodness, what has the world come to.
Now, just a little statement. I know that I am just as guilty of these things as anyone else is. Actually, for some of them I am probably guiltiest, which is most likely what makes them so annoying. Anyone, let me know if you think any of these are annoying or if you disagree from me. I'm curious to see what everyone else's are.
Okay...so I feel as if I might have fueled your hate of "really" because I say it so much when I am being nasty. I mean, that is my go to word for sarcasm. Bad habit? I can see why you think so because when I read your blog I gained an understanding of how painful it can actually be. I thought your choice of the word "ignorant" was very interesting and I agreed with your reasoning. I also thought, as I was reading about your distaste for ignorant, about how it is a commonly misused word. A lot of people use ignorant when they disagree with someone's opinion even if it makes sense, but that is not what the word is meant for.
DeleteI read your comment on my blog before I read your blog and I see that I did not take the typical approach. The way I wrote mine might even be considered incorrect, but I found that, despite our differences in structure, we had many of the same terms. I wonder if that has something to do with the way people in our area speak or if these words are as universal as we believe them to be. Anyway, because we had many of the same words I agreed with a majority of what you wrote in your blog. I found "over-achiever" to be a unique choice, but I think I came to realize that people often use that directed towards you and sometimes in a derogatory way. You are an over-achiever, but that is a wonderful part of you that has and will help you to excel in life. Never let words like that bring you down! Great job this week!
Hannah,
DeleteYou were quite serious with your blog, and I'm not talking about the tone. The words you chose were serious words that irritate me as well. However, I don't feel YOLO is as bad as you want to believe it to be. Yes, I agree stupid actions come from that word, but that doesn't mean that everyone takes YOLO in that way. And YOLO doesn't mean someones lazy. It's slang like all the other words we say; it's the "cool" thing to do. (I hate that meaning of the word "cool" too.) I love that you hated the word "like." Dude, try having someone not use that word. It's hilarious! It doesn't bother me all that much unless someone's using it like your first example. The second example is just something that developed over time, and I think people are pretty used to it by now. That word also makes people out to be someone they may or may not be. What I mean by that is the stereotypical popular/annoying girl in school. But it's life. Great blog! You made some really good points.
Hannah,
DeleteI am guilty of using so many of these words, it is "like" "literally" so annoying. "Really!" On a more serious note, this was a great blog! My favorite word that you chose is "fine". I get extremely annoyed when someone says that they are fine. Obviously you are not, and I wish they would just say what is wrong rather than bottle it all up inside. This one book that I read a few years ago about a group of teens in rehab for several different addictions said that the word "fine" really stands for f***** up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. That definition is so blunt, but so on point. I also really hate the word "retard." I honestly wish it was not a word because it is so negative towards the happiest people. It aggravates me when I hear that word thrown at any person. Overall, this was a wonderful blog. Well done!
I think that I could address a lot of different words with this blog that annoy me for personal reasons – such as moist, persnickety, nifty, and bulge – but for me I see an opportunity in this blog to address words that are degrading to individuals and to the integrity of our language. For example, words that are not really words but rather slang because we are too lazy to type them out when we are texting – r, u, YOLO, b/c, brb, gtg – the list goes on...and on...and on. Isn’t that sad? Has the human indolence really escalated that far?
ReplyDeleteI am not a culprit of the short slang I just mentioned, but there are some words that we are all guilty of - like and um. Don’t deny it, we all do it whether we are having a conversation, thinking, or giving a presentation. It has become habitual, as if we are incapable of accurately stringing together a coherent line of words in the amount of time allotted. And I think that is exactly what “like” and “um” are; distractions to gain time while we desperately search for the right words to piece into our sentences. I do it, but I don’t want to. Maybe none of us will never get away from it, but I like to think that we can try and that, if we are really determined, we can prevent it from trickling down into the generation of our children.
Now we all just witnessed Maddie Cashmer’s presentation on prenatal testing. Remember how she said that it was predicted that Down syndrome children would be eliminated by 2030? What does this remind you of? For me, it brought to mind the words stupid, dumb, idiot, retard, all of these offensive terms directed towards someone’s intelligence. Maybe they were not originally linked to Down syndrome children, but “retarded” in particular now has a special tie to the condition. How can people say this? I have a Down syndrome cousin and, for the younger years of his life, he brought a great amount of stress to my aunt because he would just wander off and get lost in the woods behind their house. But now he is eighteen, his voice is deeper, he can speak pretty well, and he is the dearest person in the world. To him each person, except his older sister’s ex-boyfried, is precious. He now brings joy to my aunt when she is worried about her other children because he loves unconditionally and will do anything he can to lift someone’s spirits. How can we call people like him retarded when they almost have more to give than us, when they are so tender and innocent?
And now, of course, swear words. I swear, you swear, we all swear. For some it happens later in life and only occasionally, for others it is early and addicting. Sometimes I think it is necessary to express intense distaste, and maybe I am wrong but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is the way swearing has led us to addressing strangers, acquaintances, and even our own friends. I remember that last year in our creative writing class we often found it unnatural to create realistic characters that did not swear. Why? Because everything has become “swear worthy” to us. The way someone acts, the things people say, every day occurrences. But there is no need for that! We need to remember the respect that people used to address each other with and we need to regain that because I’m so tired of living in a world where people refer to me fondly by swearing. It is disgusting.
I don’t know how people talked in the past or how they will talk in the future, but I hope that through this blog we can gain some realization of the offensive habits we have all adopted. Maybe instead of swearing we could compliment someone or tell them how we really feel. Maybe instead of calling someone an idiot or a retard we can simply correct them nicely or help them to gain an understanding of what they do not know. Maybe we can remember this when we are raising our own children and we hear the dreaded “like” come out of their mouth and stop it from spreading to them. Or maybe not. But I like to think that the future of the English language could be brighter than the slang and offensive terms we have integrated into our everyday life and that these ways of speaking will never filter into fine literature.
DeleteAnn,
DeleteI think it is interesting how you took a different spin on this blog. Obviously, it asked for ten words that we found to be annoying and why, but you decided to instead write about which speaking habits you found annoying and why they are slowly disintegrating the English language. I must agree with you, people who text using short hand drive me absolutely insane. Mostly because I don't understand it and then I have to go on UrbanDictionary to understand what they meant. Plus, shorthand in general degrades the quality of conversations because people don't want to write out long words or sentences.
Now, swearing. I am guilty of this. Oh so guilty. I find it relieving sometimes to fall into the habit of using swear words in arguments, mostly because using logic in school environment arguments doesn't help at all. However, I understand that swearing only has a place in certain situations. Swearing isn't something that is suitable for any type of professional environment and a lot of other ones too. However, our generation has begun using words with derogatory meaning as greetings and terms of endearment.
I hope that eventually our world goes back to normal, non derogatory language. It is hurtful to see others put down by what is generalized to be friendly greetings that are actually hurtful and degrading. Yet, there is some merit to using swear words in certain situations if they are not used by that person often. I was interested to hear what your ten words would have been, but this blog is intriguing and thought provoking. Good work.
Warning: I rant. Please do not take anything I say too seriously.
ReplyDeleteWow, I am definitely making this blog harder than it should be. Words that annoy me… Well, I don’t know if its the words themselves that annoy me, or when the words are misused. THAT makes me mad like you wouldn't believe. You might think you sound smart for using a big word in your sentence, but you sound like a preschooler when you use it the wrong way. I’m sorry, but I had to say it. Constructive criticism?
Does slang even count as words? One time my I heard my brother use the phrase “YOLO.” I told him he better have been kidding, or I was disowning him. Thankfully, he was only saying it sarcastically. “Bae,” “dope,” “swag,” and all of the words derived from “swag,” (such as “swaggy”) I just don’t understand. They aren’t even real words! I’m pretty sure everyone in the class has heard me use these words at least once. I hope you all have realized I was using all of these words out of their “proper” context with full intent of mocking the word. I am just happy to say I have never heard someone say any of the words seriously.
I also hate words that people have sexualized. Not because they are “sexual”, but because of the people who sexualized them. Why cant you just let the words go? There are so many adjectives that can be used to describe any amount possible of objects. So really, any adjective can be sexualized. Actually, any word at all can be sexualized: anything can be sexualized. And I hate that. I hate that people sexualize EVERYTHING, and I hate how words are considered “ruined” because someone started the “trend” of using a certain word to describe a sexual act or object.
I hate words that are used in a derogatory manner towards a specific race, culture, or ethnic group. They are so incredibly rude, there truly is no other purpose of the words other than to offend. Is the world really that judgmental? Unfortunately.
Aside from those four groups of words, there are a few words that I really do not like. At all. First word: cope. This word just really annoys me. It just doesn’t even sound right. I hate the way it looks. I hate the way it sounds when its said. I even hate the positive context that it is usually said in. Basically, this word means to “deal with something.” I don’t understand why “coping” would be satisfactory? If your in a bad situation, I feel as if you should fix it rather than learn to “cope” with it, but that’s just me.
I also hate the word “perfect.” What is perfect? This word is a lie. perfect is a lie.
The last word I hate, I hate the most. Don’t say it. Don’t think it. I’m not even going to write it. It is the worst word, and I cringe just thinking of it. The C word. If you say it around me, expect to get yelled at.
Felicia,
DeleteLet me just say, obviously this was probably a very frustrating and angering post for you to write, but I could not help but chuckle nearly the whole way through. While I definitely sensed the angry tones in your blog, I also felt that the way you wrote it was quite humorous. Mostly because your reactions to words is quite hilarious. Disowning your brother for the use of YOLO? Quite harsh, yet so ridiculous all at the same time. I truly enjoy the manner in which you write because you are able to become really passionate about so many subjects.
On to the actual writing you did, I really agree with all of your points. Seriously, "swaggy"? It hurts my brain to even type it. Honestly, I judge people who use words like that and it actually measurably lowers my opinion of them. On to sexualization. This is another subject with which I completely agree. Who decided to take the word "gay" which used to mean happy, and turned it into a derogatory term for homosexuals. Same thing with "queer", which happened to be one of my favorite words, as it meant odd, or strange, but now, for some reason, represents homosexuals. I like how you included some specific words that annoy you. I know that there are words I simply cannot stand, but I find it funny when I find other people's uncomfortable words. Then, whenever they hear it, there is always a reaction. Anyway, good work on this blog Felicia.
Felicia,
DeleteI had way to much fun just reading your blog. I immediately gravitated towards yours because I know that you have a strong and definite opinion and I found that in this blog. I agree with so much of what you said and mentioned some of the same groups in my own blog. But you brought up some really good words and groups that I had not even considered. While I was so focused on derogatory terms for particular people you mentioned people of any "specific race, culture, or ethnic group." I didn't realize how much that bothered me until I read your blog, but then I reflected on how angry it makes me when people attach words to an ethnicity. Also, sexualized words. Yes! I hate that sometimes I can hardly string together a coherent sentence without someone finding an unintentional and unwarranted sexual meaning in whatever I say.
There is a time and a place for certain words to be meant in that way but it is not in everyday life!s
You have this terrible power of getting me all fired up because you are always so right about the issues we see in the world! I mean "cope," I would have never even thought of that, and yet reflecting on my hardest times it infuriated me when people told me I had to learn to "cope" with it. You are right in saying that "coping" is not enough and it is annoying. I don't want to "deal with" the situation, I want to overcome it and be stronger as a result of that. So...is it sad that I don't know what this infamous "c word" is. I mean, I have my suspicions but I will definitely be asking you about that on Monday. Great job this week! I love how you did both word groups and specific words because some of us only did one or the other.
When it comes to words that annoy me, the list seems to be endless. I mean, there's so many words from the classical words that are considered proper to the slang words that are quickly becoming more and more common. Personally, through these thoughts for the blog, I have concluded that there is no saying whether or not the most annoying words are proper or not.
ReplyDeleteThat brings me to my first word: "like." This word is technically used for comparing things especially in similes. I'm not saying that similes annoy me, I'm saying that the word like is very over used and quickly becomes distracting when used repeatedly in a conversation. Take for example, "we like we're trying to like find the right like answer but we like struggled because we couldn't like remember the formula." I'm not saying that I don't use 'like' when I'm talking because I do, but I have tried to become more cautious of my word choices. My second word is "nom." This is, obviously, more of a slang word. However, more people have been using this word in regular context. The definition of this word is something similar to "this is delicious!" Instead of using actual words, individuals are saying "nom nom." This is so annoying because it's almost as if people are trying to take shortcuts to avoid using full words. Just type it out. There isn't even any real meaning behind "nom." So why use it?
And the third word that is most annoying to me is "and". And it is annoying because it makes it sound like the sentence is never ending. And when the sentence never ends, the thought never ends. And I hope this one pretty much explained itself. The fourth word is "hunny." It is so annoying because I always think, 'I have a name and it is not hunny.' It has come to the point where people in the community call me other names than my own. Ma'am is another name that I get called especially at work. This is the fifth word. I am obviously not a ma'am, I'm 18. Even in general, people use ma'am when there are other words that can catch that person's attention.
"Rip." To most people this doesn't particularly mean anything to them. However, "rip" is annoying to me when it comes to gymnastics because it prohibits me from continuing working in bars for the day. Not only is it annoying at that point in time, but the bare skin is sensitive and it hurts when it touches anything especially water. The next word that I find annoying is literally. "This happened, literally!" It is over used and if one uses other words correctly like they should be used, literally is not necessary. Literally this, literally this. "Sorry that the copy machine was broken." "Sorry I couldn't get you coffee this morning, Sheetz was out." WHY ARE TOU APOLOGIZING? Sorry for the caps. No stop. Why are you apologizing for things that are out of your control? Yes I realize I said sorry for the caps, it was intended. Don't say sorry if there is nothing to truly apologize for because it is rally annoying.
My eighth most annoying word is "sexual." What exactly is the definition of the word sexual? There are many different definitions for it and all of them are just wrong and annoying. "That's sexual." No stop saying it. Let's talk about people using short hand/text talk in normal conversation. These serve for my last two. Pick any of the following; brb, fyi, btw, ttyl. Why would you use them? Why not just say I'll be right back? By the way? For your information? Or talk to you later. Stop using the short hand and just say the phrase. Actually talking one on one with people is beginning to slow down and people are struggle because they use text language too often, just say, or type out the words.
DeleteI love words. I can't really tell you why but I do. Everything good thing has down falls though. The downfall of words is all the annoying ones. My least favorite word because of how aggravating it is would have to be "sorry". Stop apologizing for bongs that aren't your fault. Sorry for my slight rant.
Jessica,
DeleteGreat job this week! I admit, I use the word like all the time. It's a habit that I'm not sure I can break any time soon. "And" was a really unique word. I guess I never even thought about how often I hear or use that word, but I can now definitely see how annoying it is. I felt a bit embarrassed when you said "hunny" and "ma'am" annoy you. For some reason I call people "hunny" when they don't understand something after I've already explained it. Also, I've been saying "Yes, ma'am" all the time and I don't know why. I guess I don't find those words annoying, but it's good to know you do so I don't call you either of them! I also find it annoying when people use texting language. It would honestly take five more seconds for you to type out the full phrase or word so why not take the time and actually write a real word. Ugh, that really gets on my nerve. Anyway, this was a fabulous blog!
In case you haven't noticed, I'm an exceptionally quiet person. But through the years, I have heard so many words come out of people's mouths, and I have figured out which words annoy me the most. Don't get me wrong, I actually like most of these words and use them myself, but I hate when they are used in such derogatory terms.
ReplyDeleteDifferent. Growing up I've always heard adults say that it is okay to be different, but they are wrong. People are constantly calling actions and individuals "different" with a negative attitude because they like other activities, music, clothes, etc. Personally I love when someone is not afraid to be themselves and stick out, but a lot of society tends to demean them for being something other than the social norm.
Love. Okay, I admit I'm a sucker for romantic movies and books, but I do believe that the word "love" is overused. People, including myself, say that they love material items all the time. A common white girl is usually depicted loving coffee, leggings, and boots. It annoys me that couples say that they love each other without even knowing what real love is. I do realize that some people truly do love one another, but it is said way too often without actually meaning it.
Hate. I know this is contradicting, but I hate the word hate. It is such a strong word that people use to express their feelings towards people, food, movies, clothing, etc. I wish terms like dislike would be more popular, but they aren't.
Gay. This word is never used with the definition it was meant to have. And when it is used with this new definition, it is typically not a good thing. People are so judgmental in today's age. I don't think it matters who or what you are into, but you should be gay (happy or carefree, as it should be used).
Selfie. Hold on, let me take a selfie first. This word just annoys me. I'm not even sure why, it just does. It scares me how attached we all are to our phones. I think it is nice to have a camera accessible at all times, but sometimes selfies are taken at the wrong time.
Snow. I'm not going to lie, I'm throwing this one in because I am so annoyed by all of the snow. I am tired of hearing the weatherman say that we should prepare for a few more inches of snow. I just want spring.
Retard. Why is this even a word? It bothers me that it is only used to describe either those who are mentally ill or those who are not the smartest in school. Why should we be degrading those people? Why should we degrade anyone?
Trust. The only reason this word annoys me is because people say that they are trustworthy and then they turn around a tell whatever secrets you just told them. When you trust someone, you honestly do trust them and hope that they didn't lie to you. Another thing, I cannot stand when someone asks "Don't you trust me?". You almost feel bad so you say that do, but do you? The word "trust" is just simply used too loosely. When you have my trust, you have it, and I hope I have yours when you say that you do.
Hot. I really don't like when this term is used to describe people. If you like the way someone looks, then call them beautiful or handsome. It just really annoys me that girls, especially, love when guys call them hot. Personally I think this is a turnoff, but that is just my opinion.
DeleteSorry. It disturbs me the amount of times this word is used everyday. And for the most part, it is not used genuinely. Apologizing for something should not just be "Sorry" or "I'm sorry". Half the time people only say it because they know that is what the other person wants to hear.
Bonus: Starving. I know I say this everyday in fifth period, but it actually annoys me when you think about all of the people who are actually starving. I'm just hungry, as are you.
At first I thought this list was going to be easy, but I actually found it a bit difficult to think about the words that truly annoy me. I hope you enjoyed my reasoning for each word.
Natalie,
DeleteI like how you started your blog, you may seem like a quiet person, but even the quietest of people find noise and words that annoy them. I never thought of different as an annoying word. But how you said it makes perfect sense to me and I can’t help but agree. Be. Different. NO! If everyone is different in their own way, is everyone really different at all? Hate is a strong word and I dislike using it because of its strong meaning. People just throw it around like they throw love around. Both words have extreme meanings that I really don’t think that other people think about when they say them. They’re just words, and typically, empty words said in a joking manner. Words hurt. Gay is another word that hurts. It has turned into an insult rather than meaning happy and joyful. It’s such a bummer. I really liked what you did this week and agree with the words you choose. Good Work!
Natalie,
DeleteMany of the irritations that we have in common is in today's butchering of words and there original meanings. Also I agree with every single one of your words, and the examples that supported them. My favorite words that you chose are different, snow, and retard. We were told as young children to be different, but now in high school it is the complete opposite. It drives me absolutely crazy because everyone "must" conform so we look professional. Ugh, I feel that all this school is doing for me, teaching me to conform/ do as you are told. What if we don't want to? What if we were to rebel and be ourselves? That would be absolutely amazing only because we would be able to be individuals for a single day. Then "snow", I'm much for the same reason annoyed with this word. It's been white for two long when will Mother Nature paint her ever changing canvas. Lastly, "retard" is such a negative word it sets my teeth on edge. Whenever, I was younger I was always called special/retarded by my classmates because not every subject was easy for me to take in. In turn when I hear some one called a retard, or retarded; I tend to loose my composure and become very outspoken.
Natalie,
DeleteI really enjoyed your blog this week. My favorite word you chose is different. Isn't it ironic that adults are telling us to be ourselves, but there are restrictions to how different we are "allowed" to be? It really angers me because there are people who are born different and those who want to be different. I think the key to it all is to accept who we really are without restrictions. That leads me into your word "gay." I feel there are three different versions of this word: joyous and happy, something that's stupid, and someone who is attracted to the opposite sex. Our generation doesn't realize how terrible we sound when we say this word in a negative way. I'm guilty of using it as the second definition, but I want to break that. Anyways, I "love" the words you chose. Great blog!
The ten most annoying words... Well that's hard to narrow down. I have a couple of names in my mind, BUT that would be inappropriate. The first word I absolutely hate is ointment. Like what is ointment. Can you please just call it "cream" or, I don't know, "medication?" It's a nauseating word.
ReplyDeleteMoist and crevice are two words that I feel go hand in hand. Just think about a moist crevice. It gives me chills, and not in a good way. Moist is a very good word to describe how my armpits feel after I dance a very complicated dance. My armpit is a crevice.
I have a problem with mucus. It's so gross because what kind of mucus is being discussed? Boogers (not one of the words) are barf worthy, therefore I believe that mucus is choking on barf worthy.
I read this book once and the word "supple" was used to describe something. It made my nose twitch. What is supple!? It's weird; that's what it is. I think of flesh with the word supple, and flesh is a disturbing word.
Alright, senioritis! Apparently I'm guilty of it, but that's not how I see it. I don't have senioritis in the sense that I can't wait to be done learning. Honestly, I'm sick of ya'll. Haha. I'm just kidding. I like you guuuuuys. But this town is too small for me. Now knowing that I'm accepted to AMDA I'm ready to experience life outside of elk county, and I know you all feel the same way.
So you know that saying "Rawr means I love you in dinosaur."? DINOSAURS DON'T SAY RAWR!!!! They yell very loudly, almost like a grunt. But who knows!? Maybe they do say "rawr."
Mosquitos aren't only petty little bugs that suck blood, but their name is irritating too. I know, I know. I said I wouldn't mention any names. However, these suckers make my skin itch... Literally.
You know what word really grinds my gears? Homework. The minute a teacher says that word I cringe. Why do we have to do homework anymore? Can't it be at least fun? Whatever (another annoying word).
The last word that I want to make note on is clutch. What the heck does it mean? "Clutch" isn't a real word. It irritates me that people use it in everyday language. Like... Please stop. Please.
What I realized typing out these words is that it's not the word that is annoying but the meaning behind it. Most of the time, these words have negative meanings that have some kind of emotional effect on me (or any said person). Words can't be annoying, but a nose whistle can.
Kaitlin,
DeleteI had to stop after every word and reread it cause I kept laughing to hard. I truly agree with your first three words and your reasons were truly entertaining. Your fourth word "mucus" isn't exactly annoying to me, and your reason doesn't necessarily support your idea of the word in my personal opinion. Then your fifth word "supple wasn't exactly supported, or proved your point. I don't exactly see where you were coming from for this word. However, this is your idea on annoying words. The words through the rest of your blog were truly amusing. The one word I firmly agree with is "homework." Why must we have homework piled on us when teachers know that we have other subjects to do? This just irritates me almost as bad as deadline to do the amounts. Finally, the words aren't the annoying parts at all, and the sound of it spoken is ultimately the annoying part. That point is so true that I can't help but applaud, for it is the exact idea of these words.
Kaitlin,
DeleteSupple what is supple? I still don't know. Clutch. Those basketball shorts that have clutch on it is instantly what comes to mind. Homework and senioritis kind of went together for me. Ohh and congratulations on getting into Amda! I really like what you put in about mosquitos. It added a nice touch. I really don't have anything else to say but good work this weekend!
Okay, I have to say this. I started laughing out loud when I got to clutch on your list because I remember when we had a group chat with Sophie, you asked us what "clutch" meant. When we told you what we thought it meant, you replied, "thats annoying." Also, when I read that word, for some reason I thought of "Mean Girls" and "Fetch"? Haha, I don't even know why! "Stop trying to make 'Fetch' happen. It's never going to happen!" I don't know, but it made me laugh so hard! Aside from that, I really enjoyed your blog this week. It was so comical! I agree with every single word you wrote, with senioritis and homework going hand in hand. I thought it was very interesting how a lot of the words annoyed you not for what they metaphorically meant, but for what they physically meant. I don't know if I worded that right, so I'll use homework for an example. You don't hate the word homework for the word, but you hate it because you know it means you have homework. Did that make any sense? I don't know. Anyway, I really enjoyed your blog this weekend. Nice work, Kaitlin!
DeleteAND YOU ALREADY KNOW I'M SO PROUD OF MY BEST FRIEND FOR GETTING INTO AMDA!
Okay for starters, we have no set English language, in America we make it up as the years go on. The social norm was old English, but then we slowly digressed to what we know as modern English. This is when we just make up random words for the fun of it, I order to set new trends, or because we don't know the original meaning of the word. In turn we make up a new word, or slaughter the word of the original words definition. In my personal opinion the words that we have slaughtered, overused, or made up are the most annoying.
ReplyDeleteLike is one of those words that our modern generation tends to over use. Mostly when we are unprepared for a speech or presentation we as human beings tend to use this word a lot. Then it makes the speaker sound as if they are from 80’s, and on a little something. Not to poke fun at anyone, but when someone says “like” several times in one speech it starts to become a joke. Another word we tend to overuse is the word “literally”, which is defined as in a literal manner; word for word, or in a literal or strict sense (Merriam-Webster). We live in a time where everything tends to be taken as a joke whenever one speaks their mind. In turn we use “literally” in abundance in order to show that we are not joking. This minor flaw with our generation is what has made this word quite annoying in my taste. The last word I hate for its reason of over use is the phrase/word “whatever”. For the love of God when someone answers me “whatever” I want to punch something, only because this means they can’t make up their mind. Especially when the questions is very simple like ‘Would you prefer Italian or Mexican cuisine tonight?”, and the person answers you “Whatever, you want is okay.” This absolutely sets me off for the minor reason of it being completely ridiculous in this form of speech. Then there are those words that have lost their original meaning on top of these words that have just become so overused.
First on the list of these words whose definition has been slaughtered is “obviously”. Today’s generation has a tendency to modify ideas, schedules, and words to meet what we need. In this case we changed it from being just a part of speech, which meant in a way that is easily perceived or understood(Merriam-Webster), to an insult. This major modification just to me seems irrationally stupid. Instead of it being used as a form of insulting someone, why don’t we use it to point out our views on a topic. I mean we use it to point out our views in class like “Obviously this object means…”, but then there are those people who use this word just to down grade anyone else’s idea/view. Then there is the phrase “never mind” which is one of those phrases which our generation has turned yet again into a form of rejection. For example, “I was going to, but never mind now.” Although there is no exact definition for this phrase, the negativity of this phrase has evolved into an ultimate for of rejection for individuals ideas. Then we have those words that our generation has made up for our own use.
Salty & saucy both meaning to give attitude to someone has become one of the cultural slang terms that inhabit our modern speech. Both of these words seem to me as just ridiculous ways of saying you’re being a *bleep*. Then there is always yolo, swag, etc. which have fallen into our language as a social norm. These words to me have no place in the English language, for they pose no literary use in proper English. This might only be a personal view, but when I hear people talking proper English from other countries and I just laugh knowing that we don’t speak anything like this.
DeleteOne time when I was visiting a school in Munich, Germany I had sat in on an English class. Oh my, these kids were our age speaking English fluently, and in proper grammatical context. However, the class wasn’t called English 101 it was called English of America. In turn I asked some of the students what they considered the language they were being taught in comparison to what I was speaking. One of the students said that some of the American English they heard sounded like Japanese in an English form. Then another spoke up and said “Yes, indeed Americanesse sounds a lot harder than what we are learning.” Then I come back here and look at our society and frown at what we have come to and the student’s words ring in my ears causing me to laugh.
Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
I accidentally wrote your comment not as a comment... It is written as another post below this, sorry for the inconvenience!
DeleteDevyn,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I was a bit confused reading your blog. You opened up your blog by stating that America basically has no set language. Forgive me if I read that opening statement wrong, but that is what I got from it. However, I researched a few things and I thought I should share them with you. In 2006, English was declared America's official language, therefor, our country's language became "American-English." You also mentioned that we all just make up the language as we go along by making up new words with no known definition. However, this is false as well because we have a dictionary, a "resource that lists the words of a a language and gives their meaning." Ironically, you even referenced the dictionary multiple times in your post. This just threw me off a little bit. Aside from that, you listed some interesting words and phrases. While I don't agree with you on all of them, it is interesting to know what you think! I thought it was very smart of you to add in the phrases. Nice touch, Devyn!
(P.S. watch your commas!)