annoying phrases in English that serve no purpose

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iowastate

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#1 iowastate
Member since 2004 • 7922 Posts

there are quite a few of them that are over used

and are pointless phrases that have no meaning and grate on the ear while transmitting no information.

if a word or phrase only induces a cringe and adds nothing to the convo why use it at all?


it is what it is

it means nothing why bother saying it?

It's all good

It's all so obvious by adding "all" you don't mean a thing by saying this

To be honest

when this phrase is used something is either left unsaid or everything else you say is dishonest

No offense

I really dislike hearing this

was there ever a more insincere or superfluouse phrase?

what ever

this is the most annoying phrase in the language. Don't you just want to smack anyone who uses it.

other than a little girl - they can get away with the "w" word.

don't get me wrong

is it not implicit in communication that you make your self understood?

with all due respect

if you meant to be respectful you would not have to emphasize

everything happens for a reason

duh! talk about pointing out the obvious.

at the end of the day

we will be going to bed

going forward

announcing your next footstep


to be continued , sold out and can i put you on hold

while annoing are not in the same category because those phrases serve some purpose and do impart information.

my gripe is with phrases that are meaningless.

I'm interested to know if others in OT are also bothered by useless phrases and which of them bother you the most?

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GazaAli

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#2 GazaAli
Member since 2007 • 25216 Posts
I disagree, strongly. They are great starters.
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cheesyjon

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#3 cheesyjon
Member since 2009 • 45844 Posts

It is what it is? :lol:

That's so pointless, lol.

The others, I don't mind, though.

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applesxc47

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#4 applesxc47
Member since 2008 • 10761 Posts

I use 'It's all good'

The only one I truly hate is 'no offense', people in my school seem to say it when they're just going to blatantly abuse someone.

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Dystopian-X

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#5 Dystopian-X
Member since 2008 • 8998 Posts

To be honest, complaining about this serves no purpouse, don't get me wrong but it is what it is.

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GazaAli

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#6 GazaAli
Member since 2007 • 25216 Posts

To be honest, complaining about this serves no purpouse, don't get me wrong but it is what it is.

Dystopian-X
I see what you did there.
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Ace6301

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#7 Ace6301
Member since 2005 • 21389 Posts
To be honest and with all due respect and I really don't mean any offense but your list sucks. So whatever I'm going to make my own. "I could care less" Done.
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th3warr1or

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#8 th3warr1or
Member since 2007 • 20637 Posts
I disagree, but I HATE "whatever".
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CocoMarshmellow

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#9 CocoMarshmellow
Member since 2010 • 648 Posts
[QUOTE="Ace6301"]To be honest and with all due respect and I really don't mean any offense but your list sucks. So whatever I'm going to make my own. "I could care less" Done.

with all due respect, you've been beaten to it.
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no_more_fayth

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#10 no_more_fayth
Member since 2010 • 11928 Posts

i bet you'd hate Squall Leonhart.

:o

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Ace6301

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#11 Ace6301
Member since 2005 • 21389 Posts
[QUOTE="CocoMarshmellow"][QUOTE="Ace6301"]To be honest and with all due respect and I really don't mean any offense but your list sucks. So whatever I'm going to make my own. "I could care less" Done.

with all due respect, you've been beaten to it.

Whatever.
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Celldrax

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#12 Celldrax
Member since 2005 • 15053 Posts

what ever

this is the most annoying phrase in the language. Don't you just want to smack anyone who uses it.

other than a little girl - they can get away with the "w" word.

iowastate

:lol: I've got a couple of friends at work who I joke around with this word. Like for exemple, I'll see one of them at some point during the day, and I'll sometimes just greet him with "tch, whatever..." :P

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Celldrax

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#13 Celldrax
Member since 2005 • 15053 Posts

To be honest and with all due respect and I really don't mean any offense but your list sucks. So whatever I'm going to make my own. "I could care less" Done.Ace6301

I didn't do nothing.......so I could really care less.

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Steyrvolt

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#14 Steyrvolt
Member since 2009 • 1762 Posts

Actually, I use "no offense" after offending somebody, just to make sure they caught it in case they're even slower than I think they are. I've used that phrase about five times in the last hour.

I like to use phrases just to see peoples' reactions, and some phrases were just passed on to me from those who raised me.

None of those particular phrases bother me.

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CocoMarshmellow

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#15 CocoMarshmellow
Member since 2010 • 648 Posts
After dying in a video game: "Really!?", or "You have to be kidding me!". I normally reply by saying "hah, yeah, I was just joking. You're totally still alive."
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Englando_IV

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#16 Englando_IV
Member since 2008 • 4334 Posts
Language isn't all about efficiently conveying a message as fast and literal as possible.
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laser-pointer

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#17 laser-pointer
Member since 2008 • 584 Posts

"You gotta do what you gotta do" I don't get it:?

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JigglyWiggly_

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#19 JigglyWiggly_
Member since 2009 • 24625 Posts

To be honest, complaining about this serves no purpouse, don't get me wrong but it is what it is.

Dystopian-X
I lol'd.
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Elann2008

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#20 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts

It is what it is? :lol:

That's so pointless, lol.

The others, I don't mind, though.

cheesyjon
Same. A lot of those are formalities and are not pointless. I had a gentlemen tell me once that "there's no such thing as reason." I was like, well, "There is a reason for everything, DUH!" He replied, "There doesn't have to be a reason. It is what it is! Things just happen, without reason." I could not win with this guy, LOL!
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Elann2008

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#21 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts

"You gotta do what you gotta do" I don't get it:?

laser-pointer
It's self-explanatory. :P
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vaultboy_ninja

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#22 vaultboy_ninja
Member since 2009 • 2684 Posts

Words cannot convey how much I hate "No offence".

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Skullsoldi3r

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#23 Skullsoldi3r
Member since 2010 • 169 Posts
If only we all lived in you perfect, monotonous world were everyone spoke exactly the same like freakin robots.
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iowastate

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#26 iowastate
Member since 2004 • 7922 Posts
If only we all lived in you perfect, monotonous world were everyone spoke exactly the same like freakin robots. Skullsoldi3r
what ever, moving right along. and going forward at the end of the day:wink:
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Celldrax

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#27 Celldrax
Member since 2005 • 15053 Posts

I disagree with a few, but mostly with "with all due respect." I think it's a very useful phrase. You can certainly tell someone something they don't want to hear and still mean to be respectful to them.MichBelle

That reminds me of a certain scene in Mass Effect 2 (I think it's ME2) "Why is it when someone says with all due respect, they really mean kiss my ass" :P

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no_more_fayth

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#28 no_more_fayth
Member since 2010 • 11928 Posts

[QUOTE="MichBelle"]I disagree with a few, but mostly with "with all due respect." I think it's a very useful phrase. You can certainly tell someone something they don't want to hear and still mean to be respectful to them.Celldrax

That reminds me of a certain scene in Mass Effect 2 (I think it's ME2) "Why is it when someone says with all due respect, they really mean kiss my ass" :P

kinda like when people say "having said that."

:P

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TehFuneral

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#29 TehFuneral
Member since 2007 • 8237 Posts

I hate "whatever"

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no_more_fayth

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#30 no_more_fayth
Member since 2010 • 11928 Posts

I hate "whatever"

TehFuneral

:P

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DraugenCP

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#31 DraugenCP
Member since 2006 • 8486 Posts

'Same difference' - lolwut

'I could care less' - it's 'I couldn't care less', because the entire point is that you care so little, that you could not care less. lrn2grammar

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deactivated-61d91d42c39df

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#32 deactivated-61d91d42c39df
Member since 2002 • 2741 Posts

ebonics.

internet speak - i c u l8r

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jwsoul

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#33 jwsoul
Member since 2005 • 5467 Posts

It is what it is? :lol:

That's so pointless, lol.

The others, I don't mind, though.

cheesyjon
No its not lol you just need to know what it means and what context its used in.
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aaronmullan

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#34 aaronmullan
Member since 2004 • 33425 Posts

I use 'It's all good'

The only one I truly hate is 'no offense', people in my school seem to say it when they're just going to blatantly abuse someone.

applesxc47
I like using it as a joke. "No offence, but you're probably the worst guitar player I've ever heard" etc.
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agony8832

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#35 agony8832
Member since 2007 • 230 Posts

"You can have your cake and eat it too"

What good is a damn cake if you can't eat it?

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Teenaged

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#36 Teenaged
Member since 2007 • 31764 Posts

there are quite a few of them that are over used

and are pointless phrases that have no meaning and grate on the ear while transmitting no information.

if a word or phrase only induces a cringe and adds nothing to the convo why use it at all?


it is what it is

it means nothing why bother saying it?

It's all good

It's all so obvious by adding "all" you don't mean a thing by saying this

To be honest

when this phrase is used something is either left unsaid or everything else you say is dishonest

No offense

I really dislike hearing this

was there ever a more insincere or superfluouse phrase?

what ever

this is the most annoying phrase in the language. Don't you just want to smack anyone who uses it.

other than a little girl - they can get away with the "w" word.

don't get me wrong

is it not implicit in communication that you make your self understood?

with all due respect

if you meant to be respectful you would not have to emphasize

everything happens for a reason

duh! talk about pointing out the obvious.

at the end of the day

we will be going to bed

going forward

announcing your next footstep


to be continued , sold out and can i put you on hold

while annoing are not in the same category because those phrases serve some purpose and do impart information.

my gripe is with phrases that are meaningless.

I'm interested to know if others in OT are also bothered by useless phrases and which of them bother you the most?

iowastate

All of them have a meaning; a pragmatical one (one of them or more is a very obvious case of a hedge). If they served no purpose, they would not be part of the language and its every day use.

I'd comment on each one of them but I dont have time at the moment.

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hesel

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#37 hesel
Member since 2006 • 2738 Posts
"bouncebackability" I hate that word.
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iowastate

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#38 iowastate
Member since 2004 • 7922 Posts

that was kinda my point in the first place.

they don't really serve a purpose and are used when you don't want to say what you mean.

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Teenaged

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#39 Teenaged
Member since 2007 • 31764 Posts

that was kinda my point in the first place.

they don't really serve a purpose and are used when you don't want to say what you mean.

iowastate

But they do serve a purpose. There is still information (perhaps not in the strict sense of the word) being communicated through them.

And people do often say things they dont mean. Thats not rare in the slightest.

Reading up on speech acts would help one realise how when we speak we "act", we do things. Even if our words seem bizarre, insincere, redundant, obvious etc there still very significant purpose behind what we say because we always want to achieve something.

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darkmask1991

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#40 darkmask1991
Member since 2008 • 817 Posts

everything happens for a reason

iowastate
Thats Captain Obvious famous quote.
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mrmusicman247

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#41 mrmusicman247
Member since 2008 • 17601 Posts
Lol wth? All these phrases are taken out of context. (except whatever) You can't honestly say they're annoying unless you know what they mean and how they're used.
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iowastate

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#42 iowastate
Member since 2004 • 7922 Posts
Lol wth? All these phrases are taken out of context. (except whatever) You can't honestly say they're annoying unless you know what they mean and how they're used.mrmusicman247
If I am annoyed by the use of phrases the convey no meaning and are used only to be dishonest and say nothing (why not just stay quiet instead) I am honestly being annoyed and their context IS to be annoying.
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Teenaged

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#43 Teenaged
Member since 2007 • 31764 Posts

Language isn't all about efficiently conveying a message as fast and literal as possible.Englando_IV
Actually sometimes we manage to fulfill some purpose -while using language- more effectively precisely by being indirect and non-literal or even dishonest.

For one, not being truthful can be a mechanism to create sarcasm.

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bloodling

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#44 bloodling
Member since 2006 • 5822 Posts

Whatever... Moving forward...

Anyway I don't see what's so wrong with whatever... No offense.

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warownslife

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#45 warownslife
Member since 2010 • 5289 Posts

No offense is not pointless. If you say it before you say something offensive then the other person can't gat angry. This the point of it.

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Xeros606

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#46 Xeros606
Member since 2007 • 11126 Posts
"No offense but..." "Wake up!" "Wow..." "You know what I'm saying?"
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NintendoNite

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#47 NintendoNite
Member since 2010 • 728 Posts

It is what it is? :lol:

That's so pointless, lol.

The others, I don't mind, though.

cheesyjon
I disagree. It is basically saying "you cant change it. It is the way it is" Anyway, i once had a kid say "me chinee me chinee boing boing" and thought that was kind of useless and stupid so im going with that
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ghoklebutter

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#48 ghoklebutter
Member since 2007 • 19327 Posts
Only "no offense" and "it is what it is" annoy me. Other phrases that annoy me are "you can say that again" and "I'll say". :x
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Teenaged

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#49 Teenaged
Member since 2007 • 31764 Posts

[QUOTE="mrmusicman247"]Lol wth? All these phrases are taken out of context. (except whatever) You can't honestly say they're annoying unless you know what they mean and how they're used.iowastate
If I am annoyed by the use of phrases the convey no meaning and are used only to be dishonest and say nothing (why not just stay quiet instead) I am honestly being annoyed and their context IS to be annoying.

But you used an equivalent expression right now too.

"Honestly". Should I apply the same criticism you applied to the phrase "to be honest"? Should I assume that by mentioning you are honest, you are dishonest all the rest of the times?

Think about why you used that expression and you will realise that all the phrases you mentioned have a meaning and a purpose.

Now about them being annoying, I cant argue against that. :P

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stanleycup98

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#50 stanleycup98
Member since 2006 • 6144 Posts

I'm going to replace your comment with my comment.

it is what it is

it basically means just put up with what you have. maybe you wanted something more, but you have what you have instead.

It's all good

"all" in this sense refers to everything that the person did to offend you. much easier than going through everything they did.

To be honest

it doesn't mean that you are being dishonest in other situations. it is used when you want to be brutally honest, but you don't want to hurt the other persons feelings. i.e. saying "that shirt is ugly" rather than "to be honest, that shirt is ugly." It has a niceer tone

No offense

same with to be honest, you say it when you want to be brutally honest about your opinion but dont want to offend the other person

what ever

i agree with this one. saying whatever is basically saying you lost the arguement.

don't get me wrong

you are being too literal with your opinions. this is the same thing as the honest one. its basically saying, "dont think that I am offending you"

with all due respect

again, too literal. the same as the honest one. you say this before you are going to say something that the other person doesn't like. "with all due respect, I don't think god is real" compared to "god isn't real."

everything happens for a reason

this is just something that is said to make you feel better. you are sad because your dad died, so the point of saying this is to try and get you to get the good out of the situation (at the funeral you may meet a girl or something)

at the end of the day

too literal again. basically means "in the end". "at the moment we may be argueing, but at the end of the day (in the end) I will still be right"

going forward

im beginning to think this a troll thread. there is no way you can actually think these things are literal. same as "moving on"


to be continued , sold out and can i put you on hold

i dont see how they are annoying

iowastate