Phrases I'd Like to Never Hear Again

To quote Ann Romney, "Stop it." Everything on this list needs to be out of the lexicon, immediately.

• At the end of the day
• Job creators
• Unskewed polls
• Death tax
• Death panels
• Hey, girl
• That awkward moment
• Protect marriage
• Legitimate rape
• Corporations are people

That'll do for now. . . .

RANT: Phrases That Bug

Do you ever hear a slang phrase that really bugs you? Slang always bugs older people, probably because "new" slang is supplanting their own favorite phrases. And if you're older, the new phrases can sound stupid, and even worse when used by older people.

Unfortunately, some of these phrases are here to stay. At least until they are replaced by even newer slang. I think my acceptance of some of these phrases is due to my late-in-blooming, but total fan-boy love for Joss Wheden, and his creations, most notably Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Joss has his own way of writing slang--known by some as "Buffy-speak," and many of his phrases have worked their way into my own vocabulary. Even the title of this post is sort of Buffy-speak.

Here are some phrases that I've grudgingly accepted. I'm sure you can think of others.

"Old School" - I'm sure this phrase comes from "older school of thought," but it was originally used to mean anything older, even just a few years old. Now, it seems to have morphed into meaning "simple," "unadorned," or "in its original form."

"My Bad" - This phrase, which means "sorry, my fault" was one that really grated on me, because it usually sounds quite insincere. And it sounds very stupid coming from older, unhip individuals like RNC chairman Michael Steele.

"At the End of the Day" - I've accepted that this phrase is here to stay, but I don't have to like it. Meaning "ultimately," or "when all is said and done," at the end of the day has become a lazy way to bridge a response, especially to a difficult question. It's the kind of thing that Sarah Palin would inject into a long winded answer, along with "all these years," and "this great country of ours." Also.

"The Bomb" ("Da Bomb") - As old as this slang phrase is, for (the even older) "cool," it still pops up with alarming regularity. I'll bet young, hip people don't use it anymore, but you'll find it from unhip people to this day.

"That's So Gay" - OK, this one is hard to take. It's clearly here to stay, but I will protest it anyway. Meaning "that's dumb," or more often, "that's retarded," people who say it will allege that it has nothing to do with homophobia. They don't mean actually "gay" as in homosexual. Except when they do. Because they modify the phrase with clearly gay imagery: "Liberace gay."

OK, so this wasn't really a rant, more of a whine. I'll try to come up with a graphic for that!

Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

One of my biggest pet peeves is back as number one in a top 10 list of "most annoying phrases." That pet peeve? The phrase, "at the end of the day." I've already written about it before (yes three times), so no need to expound upon it again. But I'm glad to see that others agree with me!

[Excerpt]

Oxford Researchers List Top 10 Most Annoying Phrases

1 - At the end of the day

2 - Fairly unique

3 - I personally

4 - At this moment in time

5 - With all due respect

6 - Absolutely

7 - It's a nightmare

8 - Shouldn't of

9 - 24/7

10 - It's not rocket science

More at: Wired

Campaign 2008 Post-mortem: Phrases I Won't Miss

The stupid season is over at last. Now starts the nit-picking at every, little, tiny thing from the likes of Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter. It'll be like we're back in the Clinton years. But more on that as it happens. I'm just happy that the following phrases will disappear from the lexicon (unless being used ironically).

• Maverick

• In the tank

• Real America

• My friends

• Joe the Plumber

• You betcha

• My friends

• That's not change you can believe in

• Socialist/Marxist/Communist

• William Ayers

• My friends

• And also, too, also

• Pallin' around with terrorists

• Who is the real Barack Obama?

• Bristol, Willow, Track, Trig, Shed, Tractor, Taaahd, and the rest of the Palins

• Not ready to lead

• My dear friends

Phrases I Don't Want to Hear After Bush is Gone

File this under: "Pet Peeves." I'm hoping over the next several years to never hear the following phrases:

• "Conditions on the ground"
• "Up or down vote/Up and down vote/Up-down vote"
• "The surge is working"
• "Activist judges"
• "Bring 'em on"
• "Islamic fascism"
• "Stay the course"
• "Democrat Party/Democrat Convention (anyplace Democratic should be used, but isn't)"
• "Mission accomplished"
• And any utterance whatsoever by Frank Luntz.

Mmmmkay? Thanks.