# delete a word/phrase/speaking style



## maxiogee

You have the one-off offer from a genie to throw out of your language a word, phrase, or style of speaking which has crept in recently (preferably from abroad. let's annoy one another for a while!). The total use of the phrase will cease, not just in those instances when it irritates you - so that if you wish to be rid of shop-assistants saying "Have a nice day", you also lose the scene where Mommies send their loved ones off to school with the same expression.

If you get a particularly generous genie you might be allowed to eliminate a style of speech, and wouldn't you know that as I invented the thread that's the type of Genie I've conjured up.

So my choice is a two-fold one, both sporting and both of them are sides of the same coin. The pre-event newspaper, television and radio interviews with 'venerable' sporting pundits (who speak for some minutes and actually say nothing of import) and the post-event interviews with the managers of the winners and losers. Begone, begone - I'm done with you!* Piff-Paff-Puff!*


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## gato2

Yo suprimiria los diminutivos. Los odio. 

 La gente normal, aunque sean niños, tienen ojos, boca, pelo (y no boquita, ojitos ni pelitos). Cualquier persona con un minimo sentido del decoro lleva faldas, camisas y prendas de tamaño normal etc, etc

Sin duda seria lo que suprimiria


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## Outsider

_No sentido de_. It's a fancy phrase that really means the same as _para_ ("to"). Our politicians and journalists use it and overuse it, because they think it makes them sound more sophisticated. Or perhaps it's because saying "We're proposing this legislation _no sentido de_ achieving X" sounds less compromising than a straighforward "We're proposing this legislation _to_ achieve X". Either way, they just sound pedantic to me.


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## zebedee

I would get rid of the expression "at all" which has crept into English as a polite nicety when asking a question:

"Can I help you *at all*?"
"Would you like any coffee _*at all*_?"
"Would you like me to take your coat _*at all*_?"

and has now reached the extent of completely losing any meaning _*at all*_. The mere fact of seeing it written here so many times makes it look non-sense. Gññrrugh!


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## belén

I wld gt rid of SMS lguage 

I can't stand it


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## Residente Calle 13

belen said:
			
		

> I wld gt rid of SMS lguage
> 
> I can't stand it



Hi Belén,

Do you mean SMS spelling? I had no idea there was an SMS language.


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## lsp

Sorry, my vote is home-grown: the use of "like" for all forms of "to say" ("He was like, 'do you want to go to the movies?' and I was like 'yes,' but then he was like 'my car died' so I'm like 'we'll take mine'...").

Thanks, that was fun!


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## nichec

lsp said:
			
		

> Sorry, my vote is home-grown: the use of "like" for all forms of "to say" ("He was like, 'do you want to go to the movies?' and I was like 'yes,' but then he was like 'my car died' so I'm like 'we'll take mine'...").





			
				lsp said:
			
		

> Thanks, that was fun!




Ha! You take the words from my mouth. I was going to reply and write the same thing, and then I saw your post.

I stayed around UVA for some time visiting my sister, and God, you'll never believe how many times I heard this word "like" in one day....In the end I thought I was going to get crazy if anyone ever pronounce that word again


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## ronanpoirier

"você", go away! lol "tu" is the correct and i'll die saying that lol

"indeed"... I don't like that word :-S


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## belén

Residente Calle 13 said:
			
		

> Hi Belén,
> 
> Do you mean SMS spelling? I had no idea there was an SMS language.



Language in Spanish can be translated into two concepts: lengua (idioma) and lenguaje (as in written language).

When I say SMS language I mean SMS written language, not that there is a lengua/idioma called SMS


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## diegodbs

Suprimiría la expresión "a nivel de" que suelen emplear políticos y comentaristas. "A nivel de calle", "a nivel del parlamento europeo", etc

Y la acentuación estúpidamente sobreesdrújula de los políticos en sus discursos:

- p*á*rticularmente
- la *í*ncorporacion al mundo laboral
- el gobierno es c*ó*nsciente


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## cirrus

If I had my way, any politician or journalist using the suffix gate to describe some sort of scandal or wheeze would be instantly evaporated. It is massively overused, isn't particularly enlightening or elegant and generally shows an inability to think originally. 

Frightening just how much the idea of absolute power appeals, isn't it?

Gato2 I am with you all the way on unnecessary dimunitives. In Colombia you come across people talking about their casetica.  The word made me want to vomit on the spot.  When I came across ico/a in rural Aragon it felt like stepping on my grave.


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## geve

Maxiogenius, what a treat! You are too generous!

It's hard to choose really... But there is one word that I loathe, as it allows all kinds of sweeping generalizations: *"les gens"* 
It means "people", or "persons", as in the Spanish "la gente". We have another word ("le peuple") to mean "inhabitants", so really, we could do without it.

Now the problem is, it is far from being a recent word... nor does it come from abroad... 
Can I still get the *Piff-Paff-Puff *thing ? Pleeease ?


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## Vanda

*A nível de* (in the level of) that means nothing actually in the sense it´s misused here. Ex.: A nível de government, we have decided .........
And contrary to my _patrício,_ I love você and can´t stand tu.


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## Alundra

Sentirse realizado/a

Es una expresión que no me gusta nada, nunca me gustó... 

Alundra.


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## gato2

Ya se que no se vale repetir pero Alondra me ha hecho pensar en cuando en las peliculas dicen "voy a encontrarme a mi mism@". ¿Se puede ser mas rebuscado?

Cirrus, ¡Cuanto siento que hayas tenido que pasar por esas experiencias tan desagradables! ¡no quiero ni imaginarme que hubiera sido de mi ante una situacion tan extrema!


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## amikama

Lo que yo suprimiría en hebreo es el uso de la tercera persona en vez de la primera persona en el futuro:

אני *י*עשה (literalmente "yo har*á*")
אני *י*גיד ("yo dir*á*")
אני *י*בוא ("yo vendr*á*")
...

A pesar de que es totalmente incorrecto y suena MUY FATAL, es MUY común en hebreo coloquial. ¡Uffff!


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## Kelly B

Now that _like _is gone (twice over!) I'll move on to phrases such as "it is interesting to note that...." 
Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. I'll decide that for myself, thank you very much. The more you tell me it is, the less interested I am in actually reading it to find out. So there. Pththththhththpuff.


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## maxiogee

Speaking for myself, I would personally like to see an end to self-referential phrases such as I have just used.


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## cirrus

Actually Tony can I have a second go? I've thought of far better candidates for the linguistic gulag. I'll give up the first if necessary. 

I would shoot at dawn anyone who ever utters project management business jargon who confuse their meaningless guff with communication. Or should I say it will be mission critical to proactively cover all bases whilst downsizing a top down bottom up whole organisation mission statement we can all sign up to, tasked with developing and further scoping the brand, establishing clear blue water with a view to going forward adding value for a preselected target group?


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## Outsider

A word I see be overused in English is "actually".


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## maxiogee

cirrus said:
			
		

> Actually Tony can I have a second go?



If this thread is to have any "legs" people are encouraged to have a second, third and even a twenty-fourth go!

But maybe that's _*a big ask! *_


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## lsp

maxiogee said:
			
		

> If this thread is to have any "legs" people are encouraged to have a second, third and even a twenty-fourth go!
> 
> But maybe that's _*a big ask! *_


No problem! First, I second enthusiastically the banishment of "actually," and suggest that cirrus "take it offline" , before I push the EJECT button again for "at the end of the day."


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## Outsider

It is a big task, and here's another leg: _populares_. Portuguese journalists use this word, which literally means "popular", whenever they want to refer to some group of anonymous average Joes, and I detest it. They could very well say _pessoas_ or _povo_ (both of which can be translated as "people"), instead of inventing a longer word that no one else actually uses.


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## ewhite

I would have drummed into the heads of innocent children that "begging the question" does not mean "demanding or imploring that the question be asked". I would have those who use "to beg the question" wrongly held up to public ridicule.

I am so passionate about this only because "I was like" has already been taken.


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## zebedee

MOD NOTE:

 The idea behind this thread is fun. The answers posted so far are interestingly revealing. 

However if this thread gets chat-infested it will be closed.

Thanks for your cooperation,

zebedee
Culture Moderator


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## Auryn

The infuriating *-licious* that's currently being stuck to the end of every other word deserves to die a slow and painful death.

Candle-licious, Cycle-licious, Porn-a-licious, Pickle-licious, Apple-licious, Blog-a-licious, Choco-licious, Vegan-licious, Spa-licious, Diva-licious... Argh!


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## ireney

Hmmm tough one (in order for this post not to run to a second page)

I would get a medal for evaporating all those (place your favourite unutterable word here) so-called news-persons who describe an event and then link LIVE!!! with a so-called reporter who will then make the exact same description of events.


I would also erase all those English words that have lately crept into Greek with the addition of the ending -aro (verb ending). In case this is misunderstood, I have no problem with using English words to describe something there's no Greek word for.
I just loath (and add some) those who just take and English word, stick -aro at the end and hey presto! cause ear damage.

(clickaro =to click on something, promotaro = promote, managaro = you get it by now etc)


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## emarianna

I think I would have to get rid of "you know what I mean." Really it's a harmless phrase, but I feel like those who use it, over use it to the extreme...it drives me crazy when someone says "you know what I mean" 5 times in 2 mins...even " you know" can be obnoxious...


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## danielfranco

Erm, ahem, uhm, este... You know what I mean? it's like, then, so...
I suppose I have no words I'd like to get rid of in particular, except the concept of "verbal fillers".
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all stopped a few seconds to meditate on what we are about to say so that we find the right words to say?
I only say this because I am one of the greatest offenders... you know what I mean? So, like, ahem...
Laters!
Dan F


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## badgrammar

How about

"Needless to say..."  I would banish that one, if only because it harkens back to those smarmy-kitschy Penthouse/Playboy-style "real life" stories, as in :

The two buxom blonds removed their tops and called me over.  Needless to say, I..."

Whenever I hear that phrase, I cringe...

Also, I should like to severely reprimand and perhaps send off to a small desert island any and all mis-pronouncers of the words "realtor" and "nuclear".  I know this is not the point of the thread, but puh-lease!  People!


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## badgrammar

danielfranco said:
			
		

> Erm, ahem, uhm, este... You know what I mean? it's like, then, so...
> I suppose I have no words I'd like to get rid of in particular, except the concept of "verbal fillers".
> Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all stopped a few seconds to meditate on what we are about to say so that we find the right words to say?
> I only say this because I am one of the greatest offenders... you know what I mean? So, like, ahem...
> Laters!
> Dan F



Well, ya, like, I know, Daniel, what you mean, because it's like I am almost sometimes like guilty, y'know, of the same thing when I'm like talking to people and and not really, y'know, uhm, sure of what I'm going to say next ...

Guilty as charged!


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## darklady

Hi!
well I know very well the different "filler words" in Italia you use the a lot as:
quindi - so (used the most) , dunque - so, allora-so,   but if you are speaking with someone it is not nice to hear this 15 times in 2 minutes...
but my father he's the best he's able to insert a word as "indipendentemente" independently in  every phrase he says...
from my part I use offen to say ... eeehhh? to ask a confirmation at the end of the phrase.
ps. thank you  Maxiogee you helped me with a phrase for a boat...


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## geve

Conversational fillers were discussed at length and with international inputs in this thread : conversational fillers (like, t'sais, um, f**king)


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## gato2

Una frase que odio es cuando alguien te dice; "espero que no te importe que te haga esta pregunta" o "espero que no te importe que te diga esto". Dan ganas de salir corriendo.


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## lsp

Starting a sentence with "No disrespect intended/No offense/I don't want to hurt your feelings, _*but*_..." is a guarantee that the next words will be disrespectful/offensive/hurtful, and using that pathetic disclaimer does not mitigate the injury, and should be banned!


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