Common sayings that are wrong or butchered

CalG · Oct 30, 2022

Hooked on Ebonics!

JasperFrank · Oct 30, 2022

Right... Right... You're bloody well right, to say...

LOL.

Jstpssng · Oct 30, 2022

JasperFrank said:
Filler words have become annoying to listen to. Uhm, I mean, like, literally, everyone injects filler words, sort of, in their, well, .... sentences. Yes?

You know, I understand what you mean, you know. If I misunderstood then... "My Bad." (Another worn out saying which someday may send me to the corner, muttering unintelligible things to myself.)

JasperFrank · Oct 30, 2022

The most misused word of the last ten years, has to be "existential."
I'm sure that 90% of the users of this word, have no understanding of how they are using it.

Oaktree · Oct 30, 2022

bcp said:
"Thank you"

"No problem"

For the life of me I don't know why so many here get so upset about that. "You're welcome" is a totally meaningless response, and sounds stiff and formal today. Just because your parents taught you to say that back in 1956 doesn't make it relevant today.

While not really a saying, one thing that irks me is people who refer to vegetables as "veggies". I can see if you're talking to a 7 year old, but another adult? I once asked the "sandwich artist" at Subway if that was a corporate edict or what because they say that every time. I got a blank look back.

SgtSluggo · Oct 30, 2022

I think it is interesting how this turned mostly to complaining about the way people talk. Remember that language exists as a means of communicating our thoughts and ideas to others. So if you know what they mean, there probably isn't anything wrong with it.

bcp said:
"Thank you"

"No problem"

Bruce

The fact that this bothers people baffles me. I get that you want us to say "You're welcome" because that is the "polite" think to do, but I think you may misunderstand what the intention is here. This is primarily a late gen X and millennial thing and what we mean is whatever you are thanking us for isn't worth special appreciation because we were doing what was expected of us. Or at least, we don't believe we were doing anything worth appreciation. We say "thank you" but don't expect to hear it. Now, where an entire generation got the idea that appreciation should not be expected is maybe a good question for our parents...

Think of it like an Australian saying "no worries."

CalG said:
Hooked on Ebonics!

The idea that Ebonics (African American Vernacular English, Black American English, etc), is something that still sees derision and ridicule is not surprising but disappointing. There are still so many who see what is clearly a dialect of American English as just the language of uneducated black people. It is seen as a sign of someone who is to be looked down upon because they clearly "are not smart enough to speak 'correctly.'" It hurts me the most to see people from the south taking this attitude while clearly being blind to the fact that others will view their accent and dialect in the same way.

JasperFrank · Oct 30, 2022

Filler words have been a long time, fun, study of mine. They keep changing. In the 60's and 70's, people used "Man," a great deal. In the 80's, "For Sure," and in the 90's, "Like," and "Really," took over. In the OO's, there was a brief insertion of, ""You Know," and in the '10s, "Uhm," ruled with "okay." The '20s are still in play as to the dominant filler word. "Right," "Ah," and "Yes," are in the running.

/pine · Oct 30, 2022

SgtSluggo said:
I think it is interesting how this turned mostly to complaining about the way people talk. Remember that language exists as a means of communicating our thoughts and ideas to others. So if you know what they mean, there probably isn't anything wrong with it.

The fact that this bothers people baffles me. I get that you want us to say "You're welcome" because that is the "polite" think to do, but I think you may misunderstand what the intention is here. This is primarily a late gen X and millennial thing and what we mean is whatever you are thanking us for isn't worth special appreciation because we were doing what was expected of us. Or at least, we don't believe we were doing anything worth appreciation. We say "thank you" but don't expect to hear it. Now, where an entire generation got the idea that appreciation should not be expected is maybe a good question for our parents...

Think of it like an Australian saying "no worries."

The idea that Ebonics (African American Vernacular English, Black American English, etc), is something that still sees derision and ridicule is not surprising but disappointing. There are still so many who see what is clearly a dialect of American English as just the language of uneducated black people. It is seen as a sign of someone who is to be looked down upon because they clearly "are not smart enough to speak 'correctly.'" It hurts me the most to see people from the south taking this attitude while clearly being blind to the fact that others will view their accent and dialect in the same way.