Phrases I`m getting increasingly sick of hearing

[glasgowcyclist]

I remember exactly where and when I was first annoyed by that. Streatham, 1987, discussion with a pushy agent who couldn't accept that I'd chosen another job over the one he was touting. "I'll send the contract to yourself anyway."

I cringe when I hear that misuse too.

I used to work in an office where all of the staff would use this, both in correspondence and telephone conversations. I'd regularly hear something along the lines of, "When did you last write to ourselves about this problem?" Or even this cracker, "If you write to ourselves with the required information we will confirm with yourselves by return." I felt like screaming after that one.

Having said all that, it's normal to hear it used in certain circumstances. For example, there's a knock at the door and you open it to see a friend you haven't seen for a while. "Och, it's yersel! Come away in." Maybe that's just a Scots thing though.

 

[DaveReading]

Having said all that, it's normal to hear it used in certain circumstances. For example, there's a knock at the door and you open it to see a friend you haven't seen for a while. "Och, it's yersel! Come away in." Maybe that's just a Scots thing though.

I believe that Gaelic uses reflexive pronouns for emphasis - maybe some connection ?

 

[roadrash]

ooh I heard a cracker from the chap on the till at halfords half an hour ago, the chap being served in front of me wanted something and the guy on the till said...….."I am almost positive that I am sure I think its same day delivery if you order today." what the feck

 

[swee'pea99]

"Och, it's yersel! Come away in." Maybe that's just a Scots thing though.

Well, perhaps a bit Scots...

 

[stephec]

ooh I heard a cracker from the chap on the till at halfords half an hour ago, the chap being served in front of me wanted something and the guy on the till said...….."I am almost positive that I am sure I think its same day delivery if you order today." what the feck

That's Mrs stephec when she puts on a telephone voice to deal with anything official, why use ten words when fifty will do? 😂

 

[figbat]

"If you'd like to follow me..."
"If you'd like to take a seat..."

I'm always waiting to hear the consequence of me performing the apparently voluntary action but it never comes. "If" should be followed by "then" - if this, then that. If you're not going to complete the sentence then please use a different sentence structure. For example:

"Please follow me"
"Please take a seat".

And just to dredge up one that has already been mentioned but particularly bugs me: 'myself' instead of 'me' - this really grates as it is often used by people wishing to appear better-spoken but ironically having the opposite effect.

I also react unfavourably to misquotes or truncated quotes. Examples:

"The proof is in the pudding". No, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
"Money is the root of all evil". No, the love of money is the root of all evil. [1 Timothy 6:10].

I mostly react to these by muttering to myself under my breath - experience has taught me that many people either don't care about correct usage or at least don't care to be corrected. I also, grudgingly, accept that the English language is an organic entity defined only by its users - thus we no longer speak (nor spell) in the olden ways. The pace of change is probably faster than ever before now, meaning we are seeing the evolution before our very eyes.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

This should really be filed under business-speak grumbles but I can't abide the phrase 'close of play' when applied to a business situation.

Why not say the time you need it by? Especially as many places operate flexible working hours and my 8pm finish will be too late for your 4pm deadline when you head off home. And it's not play it's work.

 

[Edwardoka]

Legos

 

[SpokeyDokey]

'Reach out...' - I blame Jack Bauer in 24 for this Americanism that is now infesting the UK.

 

[Andy in Germany]

There's a curious Germanism that I get here in meetings: "Wir wollen jetzt" or "Now we want to" when Germans say it in English. It's used in contexts like "Now we want to make a circle of chairs" or "Now we want to split into groups". I always feel like saying "Do we? how do you know this? Can you read minds or something?"

 

[Andy in Germany]

"Thank you for your application. Unfortunately we have to inform you that..."

You can guess the rest.

 

[All uphill]

Iconic, for something ordinary.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

'From the word go' (much used by weather forecasters) - makes little sense. Why not 'from the start of the day'?

Yes. Weather forecasters have their own little collection of forecaster-specific phrases though don't they. It's like they have a bet on as to who can say something the most in one shift.
It's always a "touch of frost", never a light frost, or a severe one. Always a touch. And nobody says that in real life, you come in and mention it's frosty maybe, but you never say... "Nice out love, touch of frost though on the low ground".

 

[mudsticks]

I was thinking of having a T shirt printed to wear at work: "End reflexive pronoun abuse now! Ask myself how." but I'm not sure anyone would get it, so ingrained is the use of "can you copy that email to myself" etc.

I've got a t-shirt with a bus on it.

It's logo says

'Middle class bus..

Notwithstanding Room Only'

Isn't the 'myself / yourself' thing, referring to oneself in the third person, a little bit borrowed from the Irish mode of speech, so possibly has come wriggling over here, via the Americas?

I've come to the conclusion that many of us, just like to dick around with language, for fun as much as anything else.

If our modifications induce rage in the traditionalists? Well maybe that's a bit of entertainment in itself..

'Reach out...' - I blame Jack Bauer in 24 for this Americanism that is now infesting the UK.

I think i mentioned before, this phrase is only allowed utterance at our union meetings if the person, saying it, is an actual member of the Four Tops..

Otherwise, no.

Maybe you could break out into a poor rendition of the original, next time someone says it..??

See what reaction you get

 

[mudsticks]

Yes. Weather forecasters have their own little collection of forecaster-specific phrases though don't they. It's like they have a bet on as to who can say something the most in one shift.
It's always a "touch of frost", never a light frost, or a severe one. Always a touch. And nobody says that in real life, you come in and mention it's frosty maybe, but you never say... "Nice out love, touch of frost though on the low ground".

Got tired of hearing forecaster saying 'a risk of rain' as if rain was a bad thing, in the drought two years ago.

Some of us farming folk would have been jumping up and down with glee if it had rained during that period.