Words or phrases that annoy you (even if you can't explain why) . . .

[usagora]

The coordinates are x: 10, y: 20, z: 30.

Didn’t take that much effort to organize the sentence more clearly.

I'm not sure it's technically "correct" to use colons in a sentence like that, but, regardless of that, I don't see how one is clearer than the other, unless one doesn't know what the word "respectively" means (in which case, that's not the fault of the writer, but the reader). Now, if it were a really long list, then, sure, it could get confusing, but with just 2-3 items like that? No, not confusing at all. For a long list, you'd want to just use bullet points anyway instead of incorporating it into a sentence.

 

[dotnet]

I'm not sure it's technically "correct" to use colons in a sentence like that, but, regardless of that, I don't see how one is clearer than the other, unless one doesn't know what the word "respectively" means (in which case, that's not the fault of the writer, but the reader).

Ah, but it is always the fault of the writer. Language belongs to the reader (or listener). It is entirely beholden on the writer (or speaker) to make themselves understood, and that means knowing one’s audience and adapting to them.

A note to the parents about the dress code for a school function could say, for example, “the boys and girls must wear navy-blue shorts and skirts, respectively”, while the instruction to the kids would be more like “boys must wear navy-blue shorts and girls must wear navy-blue skirts”.

So, while I’m with you about the usefulness of the adverb respectively, VT777 is still correct insofar as the audience here is MRF, and third-grader language is called for

 

[usagora]

Ah, but it is always the fault of the writer.

That is simply not true. For instance, if I didn't know what the word "fault" meant as I read your reply here, that's on me, not on you. And that's a pretty low bar example. Just think of all the great writers out there and classic works of literature. Did you ever have to look up a vocabulary word the author used that you weren't familiar with while reading these works? Does that mean they were unclear? Of course not. It means they had a better vocabulary than you, and you are expanding your vocabulary by reading them.

Your point about knowing your audience of course is important, but the other member's post was about the construction in and of itself, irrespective of any particular audience. I'm assuming most of us are adults here, though, and that construction ("a, b, and c are d, e, and f, respectively") should be pretty basic and clear. I still haven't heard the other poster explain how it's unclear. It's pretty obvious that a direct parallel is being drawn between properties and their values in his example sentence. I don't think anyone reading, "The xyz coordinates are 10, 20 and 30, respectively" is going to think the z coordinate is 10. It would be completely unnatural to assume the values are in reverse order or random order.

 

[dotnet]

Just think of all the great writers out there and classic works of literature. Did you ever have to look up a vocabulary word the author used that you weren't familiar with while reading these works?

The ultimate goal of prose writers is to draw their readers into the stories they’re telling. If they use poorly constructed sentences, abuse grammatical signs or, indeed, keep using words their readers are unfamiliar with, then they miss that goal. That is not their readers’ fault. If I have to look up a word on every other page, I’m not going to make it far into the novel. Unless, of course, the meaning or definition of the word is unimportant or not as important as the emotion it evokes.

With non-fiction, story telling can also be a goal, but the more important one is getting facts across. Here it is even more important to know the audience, in order to be precise yet concise. Jargon and specialist terms help with being concise, but only if the audience is familiar with them. If the writer’s attitude is ”whoever is too dumb to know they words I’m using can look them up”, then the book may as well be printed to /dev/null.

 

[usagora]

The ultimate goal of prose writers is to draw their readers into the stories they’re telling. If they use poorly constructed sentences, abuse grammatical signs or, indeed, keep using words their readers are unfamiliar with, then they miss that goal. That is not their readers’ fault. If I have to look up a word on every other page, I’m not going to make it far into the novel. Unless, of course, the meaning or definition of the word is unimportant or not as important as the emotion it evokes.

With non-fiction, story telling can also be a goal, but the more important one is getting facts across. Here it is even more important to know the audience, in order to be precise yet concise. Jargon and specialist terms help with being concise, but only if the audience is familiar with them. If the writer’s attitude is ”whoever is too dumb to know they words I’m using can look them up”, then the book may as well be printed to /dev/null.

I never said anything about looking up a word on every other page, nor did I say anything about anyone being "dumb." Nor is "respectively" anything close to jargon or a specialist term. That is quite the straw man you've built there! Let's get real here and get back on track. The other member was claiming the aforementioned construction using "respectively" was confusing. This is a construction that anyone with a high school education or above should be familiar with. The other member seems to understand the meaning, but for some reason still thinks it's confusing. I'm still waiting to hear a rational explanation of how that could be confusing if one knows what the word "respectively" means (which obviously they do). As I said, yes, it could be confusing if you're listing more than 2-3 items, but that wasn't the case with the example he gave.

 

[rm5]

"This comes after..." This very much fits the "even if you don't know why" part—but I think it's greatly overused in the media and has recently started to really get on my nerves.

 

[VictorTango777]

I'll add another, although not specific words:

When someone asks for opinions about an issue or examples of something such as "Words or phrases that annoy you", then gets argumentative when other people volunteer their response. WHAT THE F*? Don't ask the question if you don't want to hear the answer!

 

[usagora]

I'll add another, although not specific words:

When someone asks for opinions about an issue or examples of something such as "Words or phrases that annoy you", then gets argumentative when other people volunteer their response. WHAT THE F*? Don't ask the question if you don't want to hear the answer!

Oh, please. Another member made a claim ("Sentences structured in this manner are difficult to follow") and an accusation ("If people organized their speech and writing more clearly in the first place, they wouldn't need 'respectively'") and I'm challenging them on that. They have yet to explain how it's confusing. I actually really want to know their answer (contrary to your false claim that I don't want to hear the answer). They don't seem to want to give it.

You're welcome to actually contribute to that discussion if you want instead of ranting about me and breaking the forum rules by using masked profanity. Just saying.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Okay...

New answer: I'm annoyed by the word "preventative" when "preventive" is the original word and is perfectly fine. Stop adding unnecessary syllables to words.

Yes, I know that "preventative" is sometimes used as a noun where "preventive" is used as an adjective (there is no etymological basis for this, it is simply a usage pattern), but for the most part I just don't hear "preventive" used at all anymore; "preventative" has completely superseded it.

 

[chown33]

Okay...

New answer: I'm annoyed by the word "preventative" when "preventive" is the original word and is perfectly fine. Stop adding unnecessary syllables to words.

Yes, I know that "preventative" is sometimes used as a noun where "preventive" is used as an adjective (there is no etymological basis for this, it is simply a usage pattern), but for the most part I just don't hear "preventive" used at all anymore; "preventative" has completely superseded it.

Before reading this, I was disorientated. Thanks for reorientating me.

 

[Clix Pix]

Oh, Chown, how disorienting!!

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

And then there is pre-prepared.
What the @#$@!$ does that mean? Are you getting ready to prepare your lunch? Does it mean getting the bread, butter, peanut butter and/or Vegemite, etc, before preparing your sandwiches?

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Crossing the Rubicon.
Especially when, in the last couple of days, it is being used in the opposite of the original meaning.
In one particular country (no names, no pack drills) somebody tried to cross the Rubicon a couple of years ago to effect a change of government.
This is what Julius Caesar did when he crossed the Rubicon, and started, and later won, the Roman civil war.

 

[usagora]

And then there is pre-prepared.
What . . . does that mean? Are you getting ready to prepare your lunch? Does it mean getting the bread, butter, peanut butter and/or Vegemite, etc, before preparing your sandwiches?

Nope, it just means the food was prepared before (pre-) one bought/ordered it. In other words, not made on demand/fresh. I normally only see that term used in commercial food contexts.

 

[dotnet]

Before reading this, I was disorientated. Thanks for reorientating me.

Yes, it was a very reorientative post.

 

[Gregg2]

Okay...

New answer: I'm annoyed by the word "preventative" when "preventive" is the original word and is perfectly fine. Stop adding unnecessary syllables to words.

That's an odd one, for sure. The usual tendency is to drop a syllable. It seems that most people just don't like four-syllable words, so they shorten them to only three.

This is not a word or phrase, but a category that annoys me. (Yes, I've just used a four-syllable word that doesn't get shortened!)

 

[rm5]

"[something] do be like that." AAAAHHHH!!! WHY!?!? Especially when it's overused. At this point, I've just gotten used to it and accepted it, but OMG, this is another one that I just can't stand! I bet this is another one of those phrases that's gone up in popularity in the last ten years. That's just my guess—I haven't payed close attention to know for sure though.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

^It be like dat doe.

 

[MajorFubar]

IMO incorrect use of 're-seller'
I accept this just maybe an American thing, because it's not terminology we use in the UK in this context, but I've seen it a lot on this site, and most members on here are from the states, so that might explain it.

E.g. 'I just bought an XYZ from a re-seller'. So, you mean it's a used product? 'No, it is new'. Eh? So how is it from a re-seller? That implies the trader sells previously-sold goods, which are now being re-sold, hence they are a 're-seller'.
Surely the word you need is 'retailer', which no, is not the same.

 

[Huntn]

My number one annoyance today is the commonly used phrase “No Problem” which is used as almost a standard reply to being told Thank You in the service industry. It is the wrong thing to say, and as described is misused.

No Problem, properly used is a response to a situation where someone has intruded on your time, inconvenienced or asked something of you, especially if you don’t know them. It is a neutral reply as in I might be annoyed, I am not bothered by your request, or I can accommodate this request.

This is completely wrong when used by an employee in the service industry. To say No problem especially when a customer says thank you is ludicrous. No Problem as if there could be a problem because I did my job, or you are lucky we have Big Macs today, and I decided to take your money and honor your request?

That said no problem could be used if a customer makes a special, out of the ordinary request and you want to convey that accommodating this request is no problem, but for routine exchanges a much better, appropriate reply to a thank you would be something like my pleasure or even just your welcome, but No problem?? Gah!

I’d like to order a Big Mac.
That will be $5.00
Money exchanged, food handed over, customer says thank you.
NO PROBLEM…
I guess I’m lucky there was no problem… 🤔

Related as a cross reference I’ll link this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/idioms-phrases-and-acronyms-of-the-english-language.2118660/

 

[mollyc]

IMO incorrect use of 're-seller'
I accept this just maybe an American thing, because it's not terminology we use in the UK in this context, but I've seen it a lot on this site, and most members on here are from the states, so that might explain it.

E.g. 'I just bought an XYZ from a re-seller'. So, you mean it's a used product? 'No, it is new'. Eh? So how is it from a re-seller? That implies the trader sells previously-sold goods, which are now being re-sold, hence they are a 're-seller'.
Surely the word you need is 'retailer', which no, is not the same.

To me, a reseller just means a company who is not the manufacturer. You can buy Apple products at an Apple Store, or you can buy them at Amazon, Best Buy, John Lewis, etc. The non-Apple stores are resellers, or third party sellers. They had to buy the product from Apple (albeit at a discount) and they are re-selling it to you.

 

[macsound1]

My number one annoyance today is the commonly used phrase “No Problem” which is used as almost a standard reply to being told Thank You in the service industry. It is the wrong thing to say, and as described is misused.

No Problem, properly used is a response to a situation where someone has intruded on your time, inconvenienced or asked something of you, especially if you don’t know them. It is a neutral reply as in I might be annoyed, I am not bothered by your request, or I can accommodate this request.

This is completely wrong when used by an employee in the service industry. To say No problem especially when a customer says thank you is ludicrous. No Problem as if there could be a problem because I did my job, or you are lucky we have Big Macs today, and I decided to take your money and honor your request?

That said no problem could be used if a customer makes a special, out of the ordinary request and you want to covey that accommodating this request is no problem, but for routine exchanges a much better, appropriate reply to a thank you would be something like my pleasure or even just your welcome, but No problem?? Gah!

I’d like to order a Big Mac.
That will be $5.00
Money exchanged, food handed over, customer says thank you.
NO PROBLEM…
I guess I’m lucky there was no problem… 🤔

Related as a cross reference I’ll link this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/idioms-phrases-and-acronyms-of-the-english-language.2118660/

YES!!
Drives me nuts!
And I'm a millennial who I think are the worst offenders.
What I've heard (which I think is a coached replacement) is "my pleasure"
Refills water with pitcher, "Thank You", "My pleasure"
Not as bad as No Problem, but did they really get pleasure out of filling my water?

 

[mollyc]

YES!!
Drives me nuts!
And I'm a millennial who I think are the worst offenders.
What I've heard (which I think is a coached replacement) is "my pleasure"
Refills water with pitcher, "Thank You", "My pleasure"
Not as bad as No Problem, but did they really get pleasure out of filling my water?

Those people probably eat at Chick Fil A a lot.

Why Chick-fil-A workers always say 'my pleasure'

It's a small gesture, but Chick-fil-A replying to customers who thank them by saying "my pleasure," instead of "you're welcome," is part of a larger strategy.

www.cnn.com

 

[usagora]

This is completely wrong when used by an employee in the service industry. To say No problem especially when a customer says thank you is ludicrous. No Problem as if there could be a problem because I did my job, or you are lucky we have Big Macs today, and I decided to take your money and honor your request?

Well, in that case, the customer shouldn't say "thank you" either. The employee is just doing their job, not a favor, right? As with many widely-used phrases in personal interaction, it's best not to take them too literally or overthink them 😉 What's far more annoying to me is when you say something to someone and they don't even respond at all!

 

[macsound1]

Those people probably eat at Chick Fil A a lot.

Why Chick-fil-A workers always say 'my pleasure'

It's a small gesture, but Chick-fil-A replying to customers who thank them by saying "my pleasure," instead of "you're welcome," is part of a larger strategy.

www.cnn.com

Oh interesting. I've only gotten it at regular dining restaurants. But probably part of some business course that a bunch of service managers took.