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Least Favorite {Clean} Word|Pad Patter 9.24

I’m on board with many of these, but okay with others (I still use “girl” in reference to myself even though I’m 72!). And related to that is my current Cringe-Producer: Being included in “guys.” Waiters/waitresses are the worst offenders: “What can I get you guys started with?” AAAARRRGGGHHH! We were recently on a week-long road trip, and I’m sure I was a “guy” at least 100 times! By the fifth time I was referred to as a guy by one waitress, I nearly exploded, “Do you really think I look like a guy?” But I refrained. On this one, the South (United States) has the answers: “Y’all,” as in, “Are y’all doin’ okay?” Or if that’s too much work, just leave out “guys!” “What may I bring you to drink?”

Well, “guys,” I have many others. Many. I’m sort of the Grammar Police. Sorry.
 
FarrahJobling said:
Oh oh fun thread!

I hate when the work "like" is used as a filler word. I often get lost hearing the point people are trying to make because I get caught up in counting the number of times they use "like"

I also really really hate the word "bey" or is it "bay"....anyways the millenialized shortened version of babe.

And I hate the phrase "bless her heart" or just even "bless her"....it's my southern grandmother's way of politely insulting someone
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I count the likes, too!

Bae (before anyone else) is dumb. Just why?
 
No offense Courtney, but I try to keep the word 'hate' out of my vocabulary. But that said, the one that proves my age is when someone refers to an 'invite'. It's an invitation y'all! That takes me back to people mixing up loan and borrow. And yes, even here in MD we say y'all unless you're from Pittsburgh and say y'uns.

I'm with you Sara @Tree City about girls and women. I know sometimes I do say my women friends but it's taken time to make that sound normal to even my ears. If most men are insulted to be called boys, why do we put up with being called girls? Maybe it's cause we're accustomed to trying to look and stay young? ya think?
 
cookingmylife said:
I'm with you Sara @Tree City about girls and women. I know sometimes I do say my women friends but it's taken time to make that sound normal to even my ears. If most men are insulted to be called boys, why do we put up with being called girls? Maybe it's cause we're accustomed to trying to look and stay young? ya think?
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So funny, our different takes on these words/phrases. Not only do I refer to myself as a girl, but I call my DH and his buddies, "the boys!"
 
Tree City said:
I don't mind this word in general but I have an issue with people referring to a female human person over the age of, let's say 12, as "girl." (It really started to enrage me when I had DD. Her birth made me realize how the terms for a female baby are also used for teens and young women.) At age 16, "young woman" is a fair phrase to add to the Female Aged-based Lexicon. After 18, the law says you're an adult, so the word WOMAN should be the preferred nomenclature. Watch the news and count how many times you hear the word "girl" vs the phrase "young man." Bonus points if you catch the ages and the "young man" is younger than the "girl."

Watch basically any tv show with any type of romantic plot. The Bachlor franchise comes to mind. (As much as I love BiP, I can't tell you how many times I yelled "she's a WOMAN! There's a DIFFERENCE!" at my TV.)
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I'm guilty of this. I call the youth girls and boys until they graduate from high school. In our church they're called young women and young men so I mix those in too, but mainly I refer to them as girls and boys.

Funny you mention the woman thing. I don't like to be called a woman. I don't know why, maybe it's the whole MAN part of the word. I prefer to be called a lady. Lady is more feminine, refined and distinguished like Lady Diana or The First Lady. At my old job in IT 19 years ago, the guys called me "the woman" and I corrected them saying that I was a lady. Later that day they changed my name on the phone system to Lady Chamberlain and I've been Lady Chamberlain ever since! :)
 
keepscrappin said:
I'm guilty of this. I call the youth girls and boys until they graduate from high school. In our church they're called young women and young men so I mix those in too, but mainly I refer to them as girls and boys.

Funny you mention the woman thing. I don't like to be called a woman. I don't know why, maybe it's the whole MAN part of the word. I prefer to be called a lady. Lady is more feminine, refined and distinguished like Lady Diana or The First Lady. At my old job in IT 19 years ago, the guys called me "the woman" and I corrected them saying that I was a lady. Later that day they changed my name on the phone system to Lady Chamberlain and I've been Lady Chamberlain ever since! :)
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I love that, Kayla! TBH, I don't think "woman" is a great word either, but if the choice is "girl" or "woman," I'll take woman. My mom used to call me "young lady" when she was mad at me, so I don't love "lady," but I get why you do. :) But if you call BOTH male- and female-gendered persons "girls" and "boys," then you're fine. But if you refer to the church youth females as "girls" but males as "men" (or "young men"), then there's an issue. And technically, they are boys and girls until they're 18 and legally are considered adults, so HS graduation seems like an appropriate time to make the switch. :)
 
I must add the phrase that makes me scream out loud (really! I do!): On accident. If my children ever said that, I made them write BY accident in a sentence 100 times! (I home-schooled them for five years.) They each only had to do it once.

Almost as bad is "me 'n' Mary." It is, "Mary and me!" As in "The dessert was split between Mary and me." Or, "Mary and I split the dessert." Similarly grating is "I" used instead of "me," as in "The dessert was split between Mary and I."

This is hard on my blood pressure; which is why I like staying home more and more.
 
Tree City said:
Jan, may I explain why I say "no problem"? For me, I think it's a more humble or, perhaps, less formal way of responding to "thank you." In Spanish and Portuguese, "de nada" and "por nada" literally (using it correctly, @bestcee rofl!) mean "of nothing" and "for nothing." So I think some US English speakers are starting to adopt this response. (I say "US English speakers" not only to be specific to my experience but also because it sounds like Australia already has this figured out, right @bellbird ?)

I'm not trying to change your mind, Jan (or anyone reading this who also hates that phrase), but hopefully reading this gives you something with which to calm yourself the next time you hear it and you start seeing red!
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well some Aussies (they aren't all as great as me :P) but yep, 'no problem' to me is shortened from 'it's no problem' or i do say 'it's nothing' sometimes after people thank me for doing something (even if it's not exactly trivial), that's pretty literally(!sorry!) that Spanish and Portuguese phrase, but 'no worries' is basically Aussie for 'your welcome' #AussieLingo101Mate
 
sharonb said:
"whatever" because it is so apathetic and is usually followed by eye rolling (I have 2 daughters)
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SharLamb said:
...and it always means the opposite of the word! ...in other words: "You are not worth a discussion on this subject."
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oh yep! the "whateva's" and eye roll classic teen and pre-teen combo - i have messaged back 'whatevER' a few times ;)
 
@QuiltyMom I'm afraid to even say this because I don't want to trigger you, but I had to call a store about returning an online order. She was so nice and she even found a coupon code that made my exhange put like $10 in my pocket. Then, right as she was about to hit "submit order," her computer froze. Cut to 10 min later after she tried a bunch of stuff and talked to her superior: the whole computer system's checkout ability was down, so I couldn't do the return or the less-expensive re-purchase. And when I said "It's okay, these things happen. Thanks for your time!" she said..."No problem! And thanks for your patience!" I wanted to laugh, but I didn't want her to think I was laughing at her! And to make this worse...I answered "Hey, no problem! You did what you could and I appreciate that." OMG, I answered a "no problem" with a "no problem"! It's some weird epidemic and I'm apparently all too happy to be a part of it!
 
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cookingmylife said:
No offense Courtney, but I try to keep the word 'hate' out of my vocabulary.
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LOL! I rarely use hate in my spoken language. In fact, I tell munchkin often that "Hate is a strong word, Are you sure you mean Hate and not dislike?"
But it totally creeps into my written word, especially here!
 
SharLamb said:
I’m on board with many of these, but okay with others (I still use “girl” in reference to myself even though I’m 72!). And related to that is my current Cringe-Producer: Being included in “guys.” Waiters/waitresses are the worst offenders: “What can I get you guys started with?” AAAARRRGGGHHH! We were recently on a week-long road trip, and I’m sure I was a “guy” at least 100 times! By the fifth time I was referred to as a guy by one waitress, I nearly exploded, “Do you really think I look like a guy?” But I refrained. On this one, the South (United States) has the answers: “Y’all,” as in, “Are y’all doin’ okay?” Or if that’s too much work, just leave out “guys!” “What may I bring you to drink?”

Well, “guys,” I have many others. Many. I’m sort of the Grammar Police. Sorry.
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@SharLamb you are allowed to call yourself whatever you like. The issue, as both our posts point out, is what we call other people. :) Because there are two glaring holes in the US English vernacular. (Actually, there are a lot of voids, but let's just stick with the two we brought up rofl!) Because "y'all" is Southern, so the US as a whole needs to find a non-gendered plural to replace "guys." Having said that, as a Michigander I grew up saying "you guys" because the "you" somehow makes the "guys" mean NOT just "men" but "all the people present regardless of age and gender and sex." Heck, I say it to kids! It means "all of you." And that could also be the answer: "What may I get all of you to drink?" But wow, is that clunky! "You all" could work too, but it's still kinda long. I see why the South shortens it to "y'all!" In fact, I love "y'all" and I use it sometimes, but my Michigander nasal fire alarm of a voice betrays my "right" to use that word even though I did live in the South for awhile. Gosh, I can't tell you the number of times native Texans would listen to my voice and just smile at how I said some of "their" words. :) (And don't get me started on the "pop" vs "Coke" thing!
 
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