Hate a word? Tell us what it is and perhaps we'll add it to our list of The Worst Words.
There need not be any well-reasoned analysis of your distaste for a word; visceral reactions to the sound or meaning of words are welcome.
If a word you hate is already listed, you are welcome to tell us why you, too, hate the word.
The Worst Words have an aura of foolishness or odium.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
absolutely
1. Used instead of "yes" and, still worse, when compounded with a word like "certain": "absolutely certain."
2. Everyone says it, no one means it, it drives me crazy. "Yes," "correct," "I agree," or even the overused "precisely," would be more tolerable.
acrossed
I cannot tell you the number of times I've heard this and have cringed! It's "across," as in "across the street." Argh!
acting out — behave badly; misbehave
Just psychobabble.
action — to act
A verb created from a noun not previously lacking in a root verb, namely, to act. Favored by lazy administrators as a way of making their mundane tasks seem more consequential or deliberate. "When we have received the report from management, we will action their recommendations immediately." Apparently, act (on, upon) or implement doesn't create enough of an illusion that something will actually happen. By forcing the word action into their speech, they foolishly believe it evokes images of thrilling car chases and back-alley shootouts, rather than somniferous pencil-pushing. When one hears action used as a verb, one can expect to see very little actual action in the form of a noun.
actually
Constantly overused!
advise — to inform; to tell
In the sense of to tell or to notify. For example, "He advised the committee that the budget was being developed."
aka — also known as
I really hate aka -- and my spell checker doesn't know it! How is one supposed to pronounce it and what does it really mean? More importantly, what happened to the perfectly good word alias? From the usage one encounters, aka seems to mean alias so why not say the proper word.
alot — a lot
Please for the love of God! "Alot" is not a word.
amazing
Extremely popular with teenage girls, it's the new "awesome."
anal — fussy
Anal (short for anal-retentive): the new all-purpose pop psychology buzzword that's come to replace "fussy," "particular," "careful," "conservative," "old-fashioned," etc. Used extensively by a**holes.
and/or
The conditions of or cover the conditions of and. If a and b are true, a or b is also true.
antiquing — shopping for antiques
1. I hate that. When I go to the grocery store, am I fooding?
2. Hey I love the list! The only thing is, the only way I've ever encountered the word "antiquing" is in the sense of performing alterations on a piece (sanding, adding a patina, etc.) to give it an older appearance; a popular do-it-yourself kind of operation. Which is still a slightly annoying word, but a little less annoying than if used to mean "shopping."
a number of — some; several
Zero is a number. Why not just say "some" or "several"?
anxious
I don't really hate the word, just that everyone uses it wrong! It is from the German angst, for fear or dread. Anxious means to look with fear or dread or loathing about something to happen in the future, but everyone else uses it like they are looking forward with glee or happiness or eagerness! Just wrong!
athalete — athlete
Idiot's version of "athlete." Why must sports announcers continually misspeak this simple noun? From where does the extra syllable come?
awesome — good
An all-purpose adjective for "good." Up until two decades ago, "awesome" was reserved for the sublime: i.e., an F5 tornado or God. The casual use of this word is more loathesome than "groovy" was in the 60s.
awkward
It's so odd to say and type, not to mention that it the spelling seems to be awkward in itself.
axed — asked
1. Idiot's version of "asked." Hate it! You have some of my other peeve words here!
2. Very few people actually use this implement to chop wood any more since the advent of central HVAC, yet it seems to be the way a lot of younger people request things — by AXING someone!
B
bar-b-cue — barbecue
Is it really too hard to just write "barbecue"? This tacky spelling reeks of laziness and plain weirdness. I'm tired of seeing it.
basically
After scanning the list, and finding I am not the only person who detests the use of awesome ... hurrah ... I add basically to the list. Why must people begin an explanation with this word?
behaviors — behavior
Behaviors is pretentious, entirely unnecessary extension of behavior — a word almost never used until about fifteen years ago. Yes, Shakespeare used it, but he could and the rest of us should not.
big ask
America's misuse of the verb "to ask" has now slimed its way into Britain. "It's a big ask" is used to mean "That's a major request" or "That's an extravagant expectation."
birfday
Along with Valentime's day. What do users think when they see these words written?
blog — web log
1. Blog and blogger are ugly neologisms for a web journal ("web log") and someone who keeps it ("web logger"). Of all the new words coming from the web, these are not only the ugliest, but their meanings are furthest from what the sounds of the words actually suggest. Sadly, they've taken hold, and will probably be here awhile.
2. It sounds so ugly! Like a "blogged" toilet or bowel. Or "flog" with its cruel associations.
bottom-line
"Can you bottom-line that for me" is just heinous. I can't explain it further; it simply gives me hives.
bucket — a group; category
A vogue word used by financial and legal folks indicating a group or category. Time to kick the bucket!
burgle — burglarize; steal from
C
caucus
Used as "office-speak" in place of the word "meeting" far too often. "We'll have to causus on this subject later." I hate it!
In the world of people not trying to impress others with their extensive vocabulary, caucus is defined as a meeting of supporters or members of a political party.
chair — chairman; chairwoman
chichi — showy; precious; fashionable
chortle
Is it necessary to comment, or is the onomatopoeia sufficient to turn your stomach?
clean — cleanliness; freshness
"Clean" when used as a noun, e.g., in detergent commercials, "This product will give you a fresh-smelling clean!" Blecccch.
closure — conclusion
What I'll never attain until this word is stricken from the English language.
compartmentalize
The noun is "compartment" and the verb is "to compartment," e.g., "We will compartment this activity from that."
comprehensive
This word is so overused after GWB decided to use it. Now it's a buzzword used in so many contexts that it's practically lost its real meaning. Even when used correctly, it annoys me now.
consequently
My mom uses this word waaaaay too much.
conversate
It's converse. It's converse. I hate it. I hate it.
copacetic — satisfactory; fine
coronate
It is not a word. The act is a coronation but the receiver of the act is crowned not coronated, even if Rush Limbaugh does not think so.
corpuscule
Makes me think of a putrid squid-type creature. This word gives me the shivers.
could of, should of, would of
Idiots forms of "could have," "should have," "would have." It's ruining the world; it's everywhere and it's disgusting.
cousin brother (sister) — brother (sister)
That's how it is in India!
crispy
AARGH! Crispy is cutesy! Why doesn't anyone understand that?
cyber- (anything)
D
dab
I can't quite say why I don't like this word. It makes me think of someone pinching her fingers and making a squirrel face.
deplane — to disembark
Shouldn't this be disembark instead of the ridiculous neologism?
differential — difference
Basketball announcers often use this word to describe the difference between the game clock and the shot clock: "there's a three-second differential between the game clock and the shot clock."
dinghy
I hate the word dinghy. I would classify this word as "unspeakable," because there are no fitting substitutes.
disconnect — a misunderstanding
disorientated
I realize you have an entry for "orientate," but I have to call attention to this one. I heard it while watching a television nature program on Emperor Penguins. According to the narrator, adults returning from the sea from feeding may encounter fog, which is very hazardous, because it "can cause them to become disorientated." I almost came out of my chair.
disrespect — to humiliate; degrade; debase
As a verb. It's even worse in the past tense as in, "She disrespected me in front of the kids."
drug
According to the dictionary, the word "drug," is "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being." It is not the past-tense of "drag" as in "I drug the body down the stairs." This misusage seems particularly popular with Judge Judy litigants.
dude
I have an intelligent 14 year old daughter who has managed to incorporate "dude" into her normal vocabulary. It really makes her sound like a slacker!!
E
eatery — restaurant
It sounds revolting. It is crass American shorthand, and invokes images of gross people stuffing handfuls of unspeakable food into open, salivating mouths.
ecscape — escape
Idiot's version of "escape."
educator
This pompous noun has replaced "teacher."
empower
This ugly construction is found everywhere. It has become a worst word by virtue of its constant inane usage.
engage with — read; participate
Why are academics suddenly (or so it seems to me) so fond of the phrase "engage with"? Students don't read a book nowadays, they "engage with" it. They don't participate in class discussions, either. They simply "engage."
enjoy
I think I first started disliking this word when waiters began using it as an über-cheery command.
enthused — enthusiastic; excited
equanimous — composed; not easily elated or depressed
eriadite — erudite
Idiot's version of "erudite."
excetera — et cetera
Et cetera is a two-word Latin phrase meaning "and [et] others [cetera]." The first word is "et" pronounced "ĕt" and rhymes with "pet." The first word is NOT pronounced with a "hard c" or "hard x" sound, as in "expert" or "ecstasy." The second word begins with a "soft c" sound, as begins "circus." Say this: "et-set-er-a" and NOT "ex-set-er-a."
F
Febuary
This should be directed against a financial news station that has, otherwise, good reporting. I cringe whenever I hear the wrong pronunciation for the entire month of February.
feedback — information; response; comments
facilitate — to make easy or easier
famously — excellently; splendidly
Overused and unnecessary. "'Cogito ergo sum,' as Descartes famously remarked." Ugh! He may have said it loudly, but he didn't say it famously.
flush out — flesh out
Another gem from a manager making tens of thousands of dollars more than I; it was also news to her that the Chinese language comes in more than one variety.
framiliar
If it needed an "r," it would have one.
functionality — usefulness; usability
G
garage
When you say it, the g's feel sort of like they are stuck in the back of your throat. It's just unpleasant.
gay — stupid
At my high school, I continue to hear the word gay used incorrectly: "Man, this test is gay," or "The computer class was gay." In this sense of the word, gay is a substitute for dumb or stupid. This incorrect usage drives me crazy!
gemutlichkeit
It scares me. It means warm friendliness. Does that sound friendly to you? first of all (not to be racist) it's almost unadulterated german. German is not a pretty language. Second of all it sounds like I am saluting Hitler.
gentleman
Misused by servile types to mean any male — "The gentleman was extremely drunk at the time and doesn't recall grabbing the young lady's posterior."
ghastly
Vile on the auditory senses, sounds archaic, and should be immediately removed from all dictionaries. Only ever promulgated by elitist toffs who are oblivious to the fact that it instantly defines them as a total cretin.
gift — give
Used most frequently in publications created by companies that deal with money, as in "You can gift up to $9000 to your grandchildren."
ginormous — gigantic; enormous
I almost spat out my coffee this morning after learning that the Merriam-Webster dictionary saw fit to add this word to the lexicon.
glad
I mean come on, just say it out loud. Doesn't it feel weird in your throat? There are better ways to express satisfaction with a situation than to discomfort your glottis.
gobsmacked — surprised, astonished
My vote for one of the least attractive words in the English language today (leaving aside some of the four-letter ones) would have to go to "gobsmacked." I don't know if it is in use in American English but it is not uncommon in British and Australian English and is an unappealing alternative for surprised, astonished, dumbfounded, aghast, etc.
going forward — in the future
What's wrong with "in the future"? My respect for the speaker plummets when I hear this one. This is business-speak babble at worst, and is redundant, at best. "In the future" has worked just fine up to this "time frame" (that's another, but I'll save it for a later rant). Besides, the way most corporate word-manglers use this phrase, it is evident from context that the future is implied. Who cares about changing goals "going backward"?
graciousness
The noun from "gracious" is "grace," nothing else.
ground zero
I wonder if there has been any discussion concerning the media's new favorite term ground zero? There has to be a better, more sensitive way to refer to the results of that terrorist act. Hearing talking heads using the term over and over trivializes the thing we are deeply concerned about. I bet (to question) it is too politically incorrect to rate a discussion. Perhaps I am wrong in being irritated.
grow — to increase; to expand
Annoying and overly general when used in corporate lingo. "In the second quarter, we expect to grow the business internationally." Also: Grow profits, grow income, grow revenues. "Increase" revenue, and "expand" business will do nicely, thank you.
guesstimate — to estimate
1. Use estimate, for crying out loud! It's the same word!
2.You can "guess" or "estimate." Why create a new "word" to say the same thing?
H
healthy — healthful
Healthy is a nonsensical synonym for "healthful" ("a healthy meal," "a healthy lifestyle") that even respected writers and publications use frequently.
hey!
In common usage as a substitute for any greeting: hello, good morning, afternoon, evening. We are even subjected to the admonition to "say 'hey'" to so-and-so.
homophobia, Islamophobia
1. These are, of course, not at all fears, but a pervasive distrust. Still, they could be acceptable if "heterophobia" and "Christophobia" entered the lexicon.
2. I agree with what it says here already, in that it is not fear but hatred. However, it is a miscoined word, as words beginning with homo- mean smae, so the word should mean the complete opposite of what was meant.
hone in — home in
So many people believe that to "hone in on" a target is correct. Have they never heard of bees homing in on their hive, homing devices on missiles, etc? To hone means to sharpen, as honing the edge of a blade. I'd like to use a sharp blade on those who "hone into" anything.
hopefully — with luck; I hope; it is to be hoped
Constantly misused to mean with luck or I hope that.
how are you?
"I'm good." — Remarkably widespread among the educated.
humongous — huge; monstrous
I
icon
Orignially a fine word and even useful in its cyber context, its meaning has been lost in such construtions as "iconic image," which can best be described as a redundant tautology.
i.e. — that is
In spoken language, "i.e." is pronounced "that is," not "eye ee."
impact — to affect; to influence
impactful
The quality of attracting attention or creating a positive impression. (Someone in upper management at a publishing company told me, "Well, in the case of impactful, that actually is a word" to reprimand me for mocking co-workers' use of non-words such as "incentivize" and "gift," as a verb. I was laid off a few short weeks after this comment. The manager had come from a management position in advertising but had given herself the title Executive Editor at our publishing company.)
importantly
Although clearly an adverb, it is used in the adjectivial phrase "most importantly" when what is wanted is simply "most important."
imput — input
Idiot's version of "input."
incent — to motivate
It means, in the corporate-speak I've heard, to motivate someone to do something by promising something if they do. Then the thing they get is an incentive. That word is fine, but it does not automatically beget a verb. My problem with "incent" is that it gives the subject no credit for a decision. They become a perfectly predictable robot, subject to the whims and offerings of the clever, incentive-offering manager.
I need you to ...
A completely unacceptable replacement for "please."
input — ideas; comments; opinion; information
insightful
I despise this word. It is a bureaucrat's invention because he/she couldn't think of "perceptive." P.S. "operationalize" is another of this type of "cock-up" — the correct word is "deploy" (I know you already have an entry for this.)
invite
1. "Invite" is only and always a verb; never is it a noun.
2. It is a verb and a good verb; it is not a noun; the noun is "invitation." Nothing else.
irregardless — regardless
issue — problem; difficulty
"Issue" seems to have supplanted "problem" among the vocabulary deficient as the all-purpose word for anything difficult or disliked. Especially bad is the psychobabble "has issues with."
J
K
key — chief; critical; main
Adjectival "key," once reserved for crucial openers of figurative locks, is now so overused — for the merely somewhat related as well as for the crucial — as to have lost all meaning. Many speakers seem to call just about everything and anyone "key." To quote my 1966 edition of "Modern American Usage": "The interests of good writing suggest that we leave 'key' in actual or conceivable locks and reinstate the simple qualifiers 'chief', 'main', 'prime', 'important', 'outstanding' where the logic of a lock and a key isn't evident." And I find constructions such as "____ is key" particularly awful.
L
leery — wary; cautious
leet 1. elite. 2. good; great
A silly slang term that has nothing to recommend it. It's a shibboleth that identifies people who care little about language.
leverage — to capitalize on; to parlay
I hate it when people use to leverage when what they really mean is to capitalize upon or to parlay. For instance, I have a dollar. I want to turn that into twelve dollars by buying a share of Dizzy.com stock. (I didn't say I was smart.) I tell my stock broker, "Hey! Buy me a share of Dizzy.com so I can leverage my dollar instead of letting it burn a hole in my pocket!"
liaise — to establish a liaison
The worst word that I have come across is liase. Argh!
lie berry — library
Please, it is pronounced library (LI-brer-ee), not lie berry!
like
I'm so surprised I looked through the list and didn't find this word? Isn't this the word that is THE CLICHE of hated words, especially as used in the beginning of a comment, as in, "Like, didn't you see that!?" And overused by every famous socialite around!
loop in
Why must corporate-speak infiltrate the rest of my world? I've talked about looping in friends on things that are not email related; don't get me started on "circling back."
luckily
It just sounds a little kiddish.
M
mcmansion
Why do we give this fast-food chain this credit? What does it mean? Can we franchise?
meaningful
Usually to describe a discussion or, worse still, "dialogue." Can it even BE a discussion if it is without meaning? I was recently involved in a court case where the decision turned on the judge's emphatic view that "meaningful consultation" (the term used in the contract at issue) was more than "consultation."
megabucks — millions of dollars
meltdown
"I'm having a meltdown." So what? Get over it!
methodology — method
mind-bottling — mind-boggling
Idiot's version of "mind-boggling."
minted
Commonly used, at least in the UK, to describe something that is really good. Why can't people say that it's really good? It's so overused! I hear this annoying word every day and it drives me mad!
moist
"Moist" should never ever be used to describe anything except for chicken and maybe cake.
morish — yummy; one wants more of it.
I hate this "word"; it is in the category of non-words that creep into the common vernacular, and as most people are dumb, most people begin to use them as real words ... and then because they are part of common usage, they are added to the dictionary! For many years, I assumed something that was "morish" was a product of "Moreland" or some such place. I realize that this does make me somewhat ignorant on the geography side of things, but I guess I was just giving people too much credit.
myself
1. Myself is a reflexive pronoun. It refers to the speaker, as in "I hurt myself." It is not equivalent to "I" or "me." Imagine saying "Myself is going to the mall" or "You hurt myself." Yuck. Get over the business prohibition against using "I" and "me."
2. Correct as far as it goes. As well as a reflexive pronoun, it is an intensive pronoun, as in "I myself did such and such," wherein in emphasizes (intensifies) the subject of the sentence.
N
namby pamby 1. weakly sentimental; insipid. 2. without vigor. 3. wishy-washy
You sound so stupid and overall give off an air of incompetence when you say this word.
networking — developing contacts; interacting with others, esp. to further one's career
It's lost all humanity. Even fish don't want to be in nets.
nice — agreeable; pleasant
The word I dislike the most is the word "nice" used to mean courteous, amiable, or pretty. Many teenage girls use this word to describe their classmates.
Noder Dayme
A beautiful French name that is almost always murderously mispronounced. Notre Dame is properly promounced "Notr Dahm."
no problem
1.No replacement for "you are welcome" or, more elegantly, "my pleasure."
2. I encounter this response for everything now. For me a "problem" should be something that causes difficulty. But it is used for the most inane things, for things that are not in and of themselves problems. For instance, I went to McDonald's and ordered something. I asked for extra napkins and, of course, the response was "no problem." In what way could giving me extra napkins be a problem? Is there some potential difficulty in the act of giving me an extra napkin that my server had to overcome to make it possible? I particularly find this response when dealing with telephone operators. I call a lender's phone service line and say, "I'd like to make a payment." The response is, "Okay, no problem." Could there be a problem their receiving my funds? Is there some difficulty they would have in taking my money? I've never encountered that, so why, "no problem?" Could there be? Let's stop using this for the most inane things! It inflates the value of the mundane!
nother
As in "a whole nother issue". It's "another". Try "another whole issue."
nucular — nuclear
I would like to add the non-word "nucular" as one of the unspeakables. One never sees this spelling, of course, but the President of the United States recently pronounced "nuclear" as "nucular" in an address to the nation, so it's time to take a stand.
O
obliverate — obliterate
A street urchin in a Dickens novel wouldn't even pronounce "obliterate" this way. My boss did. I don't work there anymore.
of
Not so big (of)a deal, perhaps, but soooo wrong.
ones
It is illogical to try to make "one" a plural. These worst words can almost always be replaced by "those."
ongoing — continuing; perpetual
This odious term has been used by bureaucrats, reporters, and other idiots to refer to actions or processes that are of a continuing or even perpetual nature. That which continues to "go on" merely continues and does not have to be "ongoing." It is unfortunate and disturbing that this alleged word has found its way into some dictionaries.
operationalize — to use; to do; to put in place
orientate — orient
1. Used as a substitute for orient as in to "orient oneself to a new environment."
2. This is a created verb again! A misuse of "orient." Example: She wasn't orientated about the company as she might have been.
out of
As in, "He's out of Chicago," to mean he's from Chicago. May Marv Alpert get balder than he already is!
overexaggerate
I hate hearing uninformed morons use this expression. It is not even a word. It makes no sense at all except perhaps to a retard or small child.
P
paradigm — example; model; pattern
Paradigm has lost its original meaning and become a squishy term for anything having to do with a new way of doing or viewing anything. It sounds pretentious and it is.
parameter — limit; boundary
Used in mathematics involving independent variables. It was not meant as a pseudo-elegant alternative to perimeter.
partay — party
Idiot's version of "party."
partner — to join; to collaborate
The most egregious phrase I have come across: "The new way to office!" Ouch. This was posted on a new office building near my office as an enticement to local businesses to rent space. Office as a verb gives us: I am officing, You are officing, and so forth. In the subjunctive: If I were to office, then I would partner with them. Gross! I realize that in English we have many words that function as both verbs and nouns. I also realize the language changes, but some of the recent coinages in the business arena are laughable and painful to listen to.
party — to celebrate; to carouse
penis and vagina
(Well, you asked for it...) They stand out as uncomfortable . I asked myself years ago, Is it the connotation of the words or the sound? I believe it's the sound. Think about it; penis and vagina do not rhyme with any other words in the English language, which proves that they do, indeed, SOUND different. The only rhyme I can think of is "Venus." Most every other word can be rhymed with, save for these two.
perseverate — to persevere
I hate this psychological term in all instances, but especially when it's used as a synonym for "persevere."
peruse — to read carefully; to read
Looks and sounds pompous!
pick — select; choose
I hate this crummy word used instead of "choose." "Pick" is fine for a guitar or ice or your nose.
planet
Formerly a fine word that has been beaten into triteness with gross overuse wherein it is understood to refer to, and only to, this particular planet of ours. It wider application has been lost and the word should now be banned.
portion — part; helping; allotment
portion is one of those words to which I have a visceral reaction: disgust. Portion and its ilk (including meal) are mean, stingy little words. They bring to mind slapped hands and lectures about "people starving in China," and also those scary, molded plastic trays with sections for individual foods (slop such as creamed corn and Jell-O and boiled fish). Portion is also insidious: a simple, concrete word, it is used constantly by people unaware of its niggardly nature. To me, it is the worst word.
posse — group of people; search party
The word I hate? Posse. It looks ugly, sounds ugly, feels ugly, and should never again be used. Ever.
power point
This is cumbersome way of saying "slide" (as in "slide show"). It's little more than a lazy advertisement for Microsoft.
preventative — preventive
I hate preventative used instead of preventive. We have corrective, not correctative; we have prevention, not preventation.
priorize
It's the lazy man's version of "prioritize"!
proactive — anticipatory; initiatory
As opposed to anti-active?
product
1. When product is used instead of program, for example, when you call your insurer and are told to press 3 for their "Child Health Plus" product or when AOL tells you that you'll be directed to their "classic AOL product."
2. When it is used as a generic term for putting goop in your hair, as in "You really need to use more product to take care of that frizz."
professionalization
Since when do professionals become professionals through this process?
pronounciation — pronunciation
Idiot's version of "pronunciation." I get very irritated when people mispronounce the word "proNUNciation"! Especially when spoken by English teachers.
pussy
It reminds my of something that would seep pus itself and I find that rather gross.
Q
quantum — a large leap
In physics, a tiny change in location, not the overused cliché indicating a large leap.
R
ramp up
This nonsensical verb is a corruption of the original metaphor, to "amp up," literally, to increse the amperage of, or, figuratively, to intensify. The corruption, to "ramp up," makes no sense. "The administration has ramped up its efforts to fund the reconstruction of Iraq." Enough already!
random
Maybe this is a teenage thing, but the rise of the word "random" as a way to comment on an abrupt subject change or something one finds funny, is just idiocy and makes me angry.
rationalize — to fire; lay off
"We will rationalize our work force." Rationalize is used in corporatespeak for "fire" or "lay off."
realator — realtor
Idiot's version of "realtor." In ignorance, some people add a phonetic sound (real-A-tor) that doesn't exist in the word.
reality
Reality is misused as in "but the reality is...." I hear this from my girlfriends (in their mid-forties) when they are trying to explain differences in perception. Reality is objective, and yet they use it for truly subjective explanations.
rearchitect — to redesign
re-invent
How can one re-invent anything, especially a person, who wasn't invented in the first place? A thing can only be invented once. I find this faux word the worst of all. We need to invent a new word to fill the need of lazy journalists et al.
road map
Popular in the Middle East among those whose first language is not English. A road map is nothing but a plan.
S
screwed — treated unfairly; taken advantage of
scrotum — a sac; Balzac
The ugliest word in the English language
seen
My trailer-trash sensors surge into over-drive every time I hear this word substituted for "saw," as in "I seen Derek combing his mullet."
service — to serve; to provide a service to
The worst word I've encountered in business-speak of late is "service," as in, "we service that account." All nouns can be verbed, but we had a perfectly good one already — serve. They may serve me, but servicing is something that a stud does for a mare! When I hear that "I'm getting serviced," I can be assured of being screwed.
share — to tell
Unctuous folks use this word when they mean "tell," but it's hardly ever used any more to mean "to divide and parcel out; apportion." Perhaps that's because it's so much easier and cheaper to share feelings than to share money or possessions!
sibling
A word social scientists use to turn your brothers and your sisters into statistics. Should never be used to refer to real people.
slither — sliver
"I'll just have a slither of cake." No you won't, matey. Not unless it's made of snakes. I've heard this many times — even on the good old BBC. Of course they mean "sliver," a thin slice. Do they also say, "The worm slivered along the grass"?
smear
Sounds horrible, looks horrible. It certainly does not create pleasant imagery. We just don't need it.
smegma — A sebaceous secretion, especially the cheesy secretion that collects under the prepuce or around the clitoris.
An oily, proteinaceous, foul-smelling excretion found around the genitals of mammals. Sounds as disgusting as it is.
snog
I absolutely LOATHE this word; why cheapen something as wonderful as a kiss by making it sound like an automotive component?
so
It's become the new "ummm" for this generation. It starts the conversation, it fills in on the breaks and it seems to help to conlude the conversation. For example, "so, I had a really bad day at work and I couldn't wait to get home so, how was your day? good? so, why don't we go for a drink so that we can forget about it so, what do you think?" What the hell is up with this? I catch more and more people just slipping it in as if it's a good alternative to "umm" ARGGGG!
social
A perfectly fine adjective, but it may not and should not be used as a noun in place of Social Security Number, as in "What's your social?"
solution
Solution belongs back where it came from: math, chemistry, and logic puzzle books. Sucked dry of all meaning through nefarious overuse by corporate sales and marketing. Is it a kid's book, or a "pediatric text delivery solution"? The second one will surely bring a higher price! For the love of all that's holy, please stop using solution and remember: if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
stakeholder — an interested person or party
This refugee from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" needs to be, well, buried with a stake through its sweet heart.
status — check the status
Culled from an HMO website: "Click on this link to status a recent claim." The creator of this abomination should be condemned to the fourth level of HMO hell. Just say "Click on this link to check the status of a recent claim."
strategery strategy
Presidential usage does not make it correct. See also "nucular."
supposably — supposedly
Idiot's version of "supposedly."
T
tasty
I don't mind this as much when used about something abstract, but for some semi-irrational reason I loathe this word when used to describe something one is eating. "This potato salad is really tasty!" (Shudder)
thankfulness
The noun from "thankful" is "thanks"; nothing else.
that would be
I cringe when I hear someone use this as a substitute for "that is."
toileting
This is a word my kids learned at preschool. The teacher requested they wash hands after "toileting." Toileting is not a word and teachers should not use it. They are making my kids stupid.
threepeat
Yet another abomination from the sportscasting world. Can't they say "third consecutive"?
trepidacious — fearful; afraid
U
underway
Although there is no such word in the OED or Chambers, more and more journalists are joining up "under" and "way" in this manner. This displays both spelling illiteracy and ignorance of our maritime past and of the fact that "under way" means that a vessel is moving, and by extension a project is progressing (though in the case of a vessel it might be moving backwards). One might also mention the occasional attempt to be nautical and spell it as "under weigh" by those who think it has something to do with raising the anchor. But that is "by the weigh." I hope you will pillory this word, as otherwise I seem to be a lone voice in the wilderness.
utilize — to use
A perfectly obnoxious substitute for the perfectly fine use.
V
verbal
Only bad when it is used to mean "oral." Verbal can be written, but oral is always spoken.
verbiage — wording
I'd like to add verbiage to the list of Worst Words. It is used way too often by my supervisors when they mean wording. Worse still, they always mispronounce it as "verbage." It's maddening.
verse — versus
Used (by lazy and unschooled under thirties, usually) instead of "versus" to indicate opponents in a match or contest.
vice
Often used in place of "versus." Example: "The annual contest of Ohio vice Michigan is always exciting."
W
walkage
The noun version of "walk" is "walk." Why do people add "age" to acceptable words in an attempt to create nouns?
whatever
For heaven's sake, if someone has outwitted you, do you honestly believe that saying "whatever" is going to redeem you in any way?
window (of opportunity) — chance; opportunity
witchoo
Commonly heard in popular music to mean "with you." My high school choir teacher forbade this word, rightfully so.
would have
"Would have" is not a substitute for "had," as in "If I would have paid attention in English class, maybe I'd have passed." I've heard intelligent, educated people use this term and it makes my skin crawl every time.
X
Y
yearend — at the year's end
Lazy consultants use the word yearend instead of "at the year's end" or "at the end of the year," e.g., "Mr. Bumbles will issue your $2 bonus at yearend, and not a moment before." I searched Google for "yearend" and came up with 39,000 hits. Evidently its use is widespread. Ugh.
you all
1. Since moving to Tennessee, I have heard "you all" and "y'all" made more encompassing when addressing a group. The phrase is "all y'all." It is commonly used here.
2. I hate it. I'm from the south and I hate how the uneducated people use this word all the time.
you know
It is becoming more common. Even radio interviewers drop "you know" into their talk. If the listener is being told a fact or opinion, they do not know until after it has been said. And the speaker mostly wouldn't know what the listener knows. And sometimes, you hear a "you know" on its own, not as part of a statement. I think it is often a stand in for "You see what I mean" or "You know how it is."
you guys
The plural of "you" is "you." "You guys" is redundant, frequently gender incorrect and always offensive. The colloquial "you all" or its contraction "y'all" is tolerable only in its own geographic region.
your — you're
Paris Hilton, with her unforgivable "I'm hot, your not" shirt, should just disappear.
yummy
Do I need to explain this? The sound makes my skin crawl, not only for the appalling lack of vocabulary it reflects in its user, but in the visual imagery it evokes in envisioning either the item described or visage of person from whom this hideous word emanated.
Z
Since July 2007
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fiske (v.) 1. to rail against dull-witted lexicographers and More ...
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The Dictionary of Disagreeable English
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The Grumbling Grammarian is back with a revised and expanded edition of The Dictionary of Disagreeable English. In this second edition, Robert Hartwell Fiske has added more—and more disagreeable—language blunders, additional witty commentary, and a new feature that includes frequently asked language questions, and their answers.
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