overused and undersensed words

This post could have the potential of making one entirely paranoid about 'speaking' on this site again! What is of no help at all is the complexity of the English language.

Anyway (which is one of my overused words), sloppy speech is unfortunately a fact nowadays. I wasn't taught grammar at school, and I am still mystified by nouns, verbs, et al. My sentence sturcture is atrocious, and I seem to be getting senile already, because my once incredible vocabulary dwindles daily, reducing me to, like, really, a hitherto inconcievably paltry level of speech, both typed and written. However, typo's (?apostrophe) are generally due to typing at light speed and not having spell check readily available here.

So, apologies to any who wince when I type. Bear with me!

(Just for the record, my husband says 'obviously' so many times in a conversation, I feel the red mist rising almost daily. That and improper apstrophe use are my main bugbears.)
 
I'll place my vote on 'literally', and add 'basically' to the mix. Oh, and I'd have to suggest 'you know' and 'erm', too.
 
"Well good." "It was well good." "He's well good at that."

Well, you're not 'well good' at speaking, damn you. That always annoys me at school. No one seems to be able to say something is good, excellent, interesting, useful, awesome or any other meaningful adjective. It's always 'well good'.
 
Sapheron said:
"Well good." "It was well good." "He's well good at that."

Well, you're not 'well good' at speaking, damn you. That always annoys me at school. No one seems to be able to say something is good, excellent, interesting, useful, awesome or any other meaningful adjective. It's always 'well good'.
Click to expand...

don't forget 'wicked', 'phat' and 'cool'.

And what in tarnation does 'freakin' a!' mean? One of the kids I know used it the other day, while I stood by, feeling like an idiot...:rolleyes:

And, following two conversations tonight, one with my seven-year-old, another with Sky's customer services, I'd like to vote for 'I'm sorry', surely now the most devalued words in the English language. Noone ever means them any more!
 
"Your custom is important to us. Please hold"

Well, why not employ more receptionists/helpline operators then!:mad::mad:
 
"Your custom ISN'T important to us, but you've been on hold for twenty-five minutes, listening to our tinned classical music, and thirty-secondly apologies, and you know that the very second you put the phone down will be the second one of our highly trained staff will respond to deal with your enquiry. Therefore, with a spirit of pessimism, anger and a burgeoning ulcer, please hold."
 
I hate the use of "sort of" and "kind of". I do it myself but still hate it.
 
Chris, I luxuriate in your ostracization of banal language debasement. (Score: 10 points, heh):cool:

I place my vote with the following idioms:

#1 - "Um, Uhm, or Uh" (Perhaps it's too much to ask that someone would form a complete thought before they speak.)(My #1 Aggravator)
#2 - "Like" (I point out that my girlfriend is from california and intermittently annoys me with its usage)
#3 - "Anyhow" - (I'm often guilty of this)
#4 - "Really" - (No, you REALLY need to open a dictionary sometime)
#5 - Internet Shorthand
#6 - Modern American Slang in General
 
Sapheron said:
"Well good." "It was well good." "He's well good at that."

Well, you're not 'well good' at speaking, damn you. That always annoys me at school. No one seems to be able to say something is good, excellent, interesting, useful, awesome or any other meaningful adjective. It's always 'well good'.
Click to expand...

This is one of my major gripes. I have several neices and they are constantly saying how 'well good' or they were 'well impressed'. It is really annoying.

As for me, I tend to begin many sentences with 'Well,' and if trying to describe something I go 'well, basically,' I know it irritating but I'll be damned if I can stop doing it.

Also 'innit' is the most obnoxious use of language I have ever seen.

'Cos people think it's well cool, innit.'

ARGGH!
 
Suddenly, All of a sudden

If something happens suddenly in a story, then don't pause to tell me. Just make it happen.

All of a sudden Bob flipped the light switch. The room suddenly became dark. A monster ate Bob.
Bob flipped the light switch. The room became dark. A monster ate Bob.

The second one happens faster because it takes less time to read. By the time I finish reading 'suddenly' in the first one, the monster is already digesting him in the second.

J. Allen Wentworth
 
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