Like, So Anyway, Whatever Dude...It Is What It Is, You Know

Perhaps you're wondering about the title of today's post? No worries; it's all good; like, I think the title is so awesome...no, make that phenomenal! Irregardless, let me be clear about something!

Well, if you haven't clicked out of this post yet, I am obviously being totally annoying and most days, I don't speak, or write, like this! That said, last week I was reading about Marist Poll of terms "most annoying in conversation" according to Americans surveyed. If you aren't familiar with the results, you can go here and read more. Beyond the terms that appear in their study, I have listed some additional words that my clients have told me they don't like to say, or hear; feel free to add your own most annoying word to the list.

From the Marist Poll of Most Annoying in Conversation, the words include: "whatever; you know, it is what it is; anyway; at the end of the day." Do you say these words?

From my clients, here's a list of some terms I've compiled through the year of words they'd rather not hear, or say, especially in a professional interview or business meeting:

1. Be that as it may; that being said; that said
2. To be quite honest
3. To make a long story short
4. No brainer
5. Awesome
6. Awesome dude
7. Dude
8. No worries
9. It's all good
10. Sup
11. Irregardless
12. Delish (for delicious)
13. Fab (for fabulous)
14. Phenomenal
15. Bottom line (yikes, I say this a lot!)
16. Clearly
17. Talk to me
18. Um
19. Like
20. Look
21. Etc.
22. So forth and so on
23. and such
24. heith for height
25. liberry for library
26. moist
27. sodie; sodie pop
28. young folks
29. youngsters
30. folks (when addressing an audience)
31. supposably for supposedly
32. are you gettin' this?
33. sucks; this sucks; that sucks
34. So
35. and so
36. Altheimers for Alzheimer's

What word or words do you find most annoying in conversation, especially at a job interview or professional networking event?  

cross-posted at billiesucherblog

Comments

[Joe Anderson]

Another one: Outstanding!

[Brian Turner]

I once heard an executive repeatedly say "pacific" instead of specific.

Not only did it make this exec appear uneducated, I also realized that this had been going on for some time and that none of her subordinates or peers had helped her by kindly helping her correct the mispronunciation. Kinda like letting someone walk around with their fly open.

My take away (oops, is that another one?) was that people around her didn't respect her enough to help.

So, with all these irksome words bothering you all; when you hear them do you say anything? We may need Emily Post to weigh in on this.

[twitter.com/scyphers]

One I've been hearing a lot lately is "spend". As in "we have to manage our spend". Apparently, the "-ing" is just too much work.

See more here: http://twitter.com/scyphers/status/4841906909

[Sandy]

Unthaw instead of thaw. Does that mean you're going to freeze it again?

[Matthew Ulmer]

"Know what I mean?"

ESPECIALLY when they haven't said anything yet -- "So I, you know what I mean, got in the car."

[IsaB]

"Allz" in place of "All" for example, "Allz you have to do is...." In what universe is "Allz" a word? It makes my skin crawl each time I hear it used. Which is almost daily...

[Lisa B.]

The one that just gives me the heebie-jeebies is "Huh?" (variation: "Hah?")

Especially when you know good and well that they've heard you -- I call that the Habitual Huh.

It's a tic. It's sloppy. And it implies that you're distracting them from their own inner (and far more important) thoughts.

There are so many fine ways to say it -- but it should be reserved for moments when one actually did not hear something. "Pardon?" "Would you repeat that, please?" "Beg your pardon?" Even "I'm sorry?" or "Come again?"

Otherwise, one might just as well come right out and say, "Oh. Sorry. I wasn't listening to you."

[donna]

pacifically instead of specifically

[Becky]

What's up, or wuzzup? How's it goin'?

[twitter.com/pdame]

I can't stand, "my bad" and "okie dokie". The first sounds like someone shirking responsibility instead of taking it on, while the second just sounds flippant :).

[Juli]

I'd be interested in learning the ages of those polled. I bet they're mostly at least in their mid-30's.

I'm 34 and I use a majority of these frequently. I've been in the technology side of the corporate environment for nearly 15 years. It comes with the territory.

I am not fond of "emoticons" in professional written correspondence. That doesn't always mean I refrain from doing so.

Know what I mean? ;-)

-Juli

[Norm]

How about "in regards to" instead of "in regard to"

[John]

"For all intensive purposes" (instead of "for all intents and purposes")

[Kim Eye]

"Needless to say..." If it were truly needless, why say it???

[Elaine]

"with respect to..." arggghhh when I hear that I want to scream.

[CW]

Here are a few others:

* Agreeance, as in "I'm in agreeance"...(it's Agreement)

* "sort of speak" -

* "if you will" - what if I won't ;)

I just love hearing the last two used in the same sentence...ugh!!!

[Doug Hughes]

One of the commenters above used the phrase "There's a few," which is grammatically incorrect and unfortunately common. However, if I were interviewing someone for a writing position, that utterance would send them to the back of the line.

[Clearcast Digital Media]

Wait, hold on a second. "Moist?" How, pray tell, might that word come up in an interview? Unless, of course, you were interviewing for golf course superintendent or some other sod-related job. I don't think I have said, or heard, "moist" in the past 18-24 months.

I moist-ly love this post and all the comments. That one threw me a bit, but it did make me laugh. I guess because I prefer dry humor, not the other kind...

[Andrew]

Supposively for supposedly.

[Sam Macalus, Carlson]

Actually, I haven't seen "actually" posted here as an overused word.

[Amanda B Dolan]

"Let me tell you something"---I immediately stop paying attention.

[Becky]

...may or may not... "May", it seems to me, implies "may not"

Lay, as in, "I'm going to lay down." When it should be lie.

[Debra Taylor]

I cringe every time I hear someone say, "I seen" instead of, "I saw". I just don't understand how people don't realize that is incorrect!

[Liz]

Can I add "prioritize" - the most widely misused and overused word in American business? (BTW- I had a plumber in recently to toiletize my bathroom .)

[Margaret Riley Dikel]

"Paradigm shift" comes to mind. Can the user actually define the word "paradigm"? If not, drop it.