<p>I’m guilty. Retired for years from public school teaching of Grades 1 and 2 classrooms, I still give the adults in my life directions 3 times, in 3 different ways – to account for possible differences in their learning styles. I’m repetitive, reDUNdant and (moving my hands in a circle while saying this): say things over and over.</p>
<p>Does having a foot in the mouth count?</p>
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<p>Seconded. I hate this so much.</p>
<p>Since this thread has morphed into “Do OTHERS have an unfortunate speaking habit?” :</p>
<p>Using “also” and “as well” in the same sentence. TV meteorologists seem to be especially prone to this one, as in “We also see that the winds are shifting to the west as well.”</p>
<p>“no problem” is so anoying. Geez—so glad pouring my coffee was not an issue for you…how about just a “your welcome”. Don’t always like “no worries” either.</p>
<p>“No worries” is Australian English and parallels “No problem” in American English. I think both of these are way too casual for a “service provider” to use with a customer though.</p>
<p>You want great service and impeccable manners 99% of the time? Come to Japan!</p>
<p>People who say “Any hoo” instead of anyway or any how. WHY? WHY? WHY?</p>
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<p>Ummmmmm – it’s actually “you’re welcome,” as in “You are welcome.” Sorry to be such a nit-picker, but there it is.</p>
<p>Ah yes…“but there it is.”</p>
<p>I say and write “just” too much. Seriously (haha), I can take any of the first 88 posts; it’s the “he done” and “they was” that put me over the edge. Also, “I seen”. Errrr, nails on chalkboard. My husband and MIL do the first two. They are educated people. She was an elementary school teacher for 30 years…it drives me insane.</p>
<p>A friend inserts the word “what” constantly, in inappropriate places in about every other sentence. Drives me nuts, but I see it as more of a tic, and try to be understanding. She is a teacher of young kids. I wonder if they all pick up the habit!</p>
<p>Because of this thread, I am noticing the way I talk. Caught myself saying 'em instead of them yesterday. And I know that I cut off the “g” in “ing” most all the time. Geez.</p>
<p>“At this point in time”</p>
<p>Can someone explain how this came to be?</p>
<p>^^^ That was from the Nixon era. I think he used it to lengthen the time he had to answer a question.</p>
<p>Don’t know how it came to be, but this commentary by Thos. Middleton, who wrote on words and usage for the LA Times. I remember the hubbub, during Watergate.
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A point in time sounds exquisitely precise. Time has been stopped at an infinitely fine mini-moment during which myriad angels may or may not be dancing in 0/0 time on the point of a pin.</p>
<p>The trouble was that at that point in time was always used to refer to a period–not a point–of anywhere from a few days to several years, so whatever virtue *point *adds to time is destroyed. At that point and at that time are useful expressions, but at that point in time is verbal overkill. At that time, or simply then would be much better.
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I used to love the precison of grammatical rules- 'til I worked for a woman who knew every rule out there, from every stye manual (some of which conflict.) Spun my head.</p>
<p>lookingforward – to what? ;)</p>
<p>Haha. My username? When I was looking ahead at my kids’ college applications. And, mighty worried about finaid. </p>
<p>I like the word “mighty” and use it too much.</p>
<p>on the lighter side of this I come from Canada and everytime we go visit our D in the States we get teased (get along great with our D’s friends) about saying EH! one time I jokingly asked them if they realize they say UH! as often as we say EH!. My explanation is that at least with EH you can put emotion into it and it can be used as an exclamation, punctuation or questions mark but UH just sound like UH. Have a great weekend everyone</p>
<p>Even though I am of English descent on both sides of the family, I still get annoyed at the current trend of British expressions replacing perfectly good American ones. The two main offenders popular right now are “…at the end of the day…” and “…went missing…” </p>
<p>“Went misssing?” Why did we need “went missing?” What happened to just saying “disappeared?” I guess it went missing.</p>
<p>Good point, coureur.</p>
<p>Speaking of the current “English Invasion”, why is it that people with “English” accents (that covers a rather wide range) seem to be popping up on television news so much these days when they never would have before. Do their accents (many of which regularly butcher the “king’s english”) bestow some credibility that those without them don’t have? Really, it’s very transparent. Do we long to be a colony once more?!</p>