Yep, the words we wish we could eradicate because they are just. so. annoying!
Inspiration for this post came to me via the Littlest Gift who has this wonderful ability to bring up the most unlikely conversations at moments that you least expect it. Yesterday I was brushing his hair for school and he asked out of the blue, "Felicity, what is the most annoying word you know?".
I stopped brushing his hair for a minute whilst I contemplated the myriad options that grate on me like fingernails on a chalkboard, before replying "Like."
"Like? What do you mean?"
"Like, if like, you don't like, know what to like, say and you like, have to put like, a pause in your like, sentence, to like, give you like, the space to like, think of like, what to like, say next."
We have two teenagers girls in our home and he knew immediately what I was saying and gave me a big, broad smile. When I asked him if he had a word that irritated him at the moment, he bubbled it out as if it was cathartic to share.
"Dude!"
I was a little taken aback and asked when he was hearing people saying this. Apparently it's the new way that 9 & 10 year olds address each other and he's 'like over it!'.
So I thought we could create a vault here in Serendipity Land where we could purge all those annoying words that we really don't 'like' and lock them away to create the space for much more delightful and zhushy additions to our vocabulary.
Spread the word, who's in?
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Oh no, I think I use the word like too much.
ReplyDeleteI also use the word actually WAY WAY too much.
I can't say I find reason to use dude very often.
Lately, the commonly used words coming out of my mouth are "I can't remember" :)
I would like people to stop saying the word 'height' like it has an 'h' on the end - "heigth", that bugs me.
I actually use actually a little too much too!
DeleteHeigth is a new one for me J - thanks for putting it in the vault, it would drive me bonkers if I heart it.
x
You are wonder woman, but good luck getting those words into your vault lovey. I agree with you, but teens and tweens do not!
ReplyDeleteSad but true MM.
DeleteI'm thinking of forwarding the post to the FB profiles of my teens to stir up a ruckus!
x
made me laugh. :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad T.
DeleteI love reading your posts when you pop in colloquial Texan terms.
Is there a regularly used phrase that we should know about?
x
....and the reply?
Deletefixin' to...
meaning, you're going to, or you mean to... :)
'i'm fixin' to go to the store...'
PS: I thought today might be a good day to create the vault as it won't be opened again for another four years....if you get my drift.
ReplyDeleteSo funny Felicity! Your post made me laugh :) My grands use Dude waaaay too much, that's for sure. I'll have to take more notice on 'like'. Good luck locking them away!
ReplyDeletehugs from here...
I feel like I'm going to morph into a Valley Girl at any moment when the teens get a steam up with their 'likes'.
DeleteThe most hilarious twist on this is a thing that the teens do on Facebook called 'Like for a Like'.
This is where they write 'Like for a Like' as their status and if someone 'likes' it they then write a nice comment about why they like you on your status - needy much?
Happy day Lovely!
x
Yeah, no, like I totally agree with you! xx
ReplyDeletePS. Thanks for the virtual hug, luckily Ross and I can finally see the funny side of the Shelley Beach incident! xx
It was a bit of a "Like wow, wipeout!" moment yes?!?
Deletexx
I do not LIKE how
ReplyDeletepeople overuse the
word HATE. When
my kids used to use
it as littles, I'd rather
solemnly tell them
that HATE is a very,
very strong word and
shows a lack of imagination
if it is used for something
trivial. Of course, I made
the same speech for curse
words, too : ) Lock 'em
all away, I say.....!
xx Suzanne
Consider them vaulted Suzanne.
Deletexx
Oh, like, totes and fer shizz, dude. Why do we all sound like 15 year old Americans these days. Embarrassment.
ReplyDelete(I use these words, but in jest, JEST I tell you!)
x
It's interesting how language evolves and morphs.
DeleteI did a keynote address a couple of years ago to secondary teachers where I discussed the impact of technology upon the way we learn & use language and how it is transforming [with ever increasing speed] our everyday lexicon.
It was interesting to see how long it took the whole room to decode a paragraph written in SMS code.
This having been said, I hold strong to the belief that it's good to be able to understand my teens, but I definitely don't want to sound like them!
xx
Oh dear, yes when I hear this I too cringe. It takes forever (like, forever) for their sentences to be said. I find myself pausing at the word 'love' and so freely use it now I blog that it annoys me. That and the word 'got' always pick myself up for using this one as well.x
ReplyDeleteOh 'love' - I totally agree!
DeleteAs for got, yep, it's vaulted.
xx
Like, I so agree!! Ha! I'm not a fan of "awesome" and I find myself saying it way too much. I think it's the Aussie bogan in me coming out. in full force... x
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, you've made me think on this one Bridget.
DeleteI think you might need to stand me in the 'awesome' corner as I do tend to use this WAY too much when praising kids in the classroom. Time to get a new superlative vocab list.
xx
Haha, what a great idea. Yep, listening to teenagers speaking to each other can drive me mad ... all those 'likes' and 'you knows'.
ReplyDeleteOh 'you know' with the high lilting inflection at the end of EVERY sentence as if they are ALL questions.
DeleteWhen did we Aussies become so lacking in confidence?
Vaulted Tracey.
xx
I'm with Suzanne, Felicity. You should hear me shrilling "We don't use the word hate in our house". My Mum always used to say that, followed by "We say that we 'dislike something intensely'"! I haven't added the last bit yet - maybe later when the pixies are older. Unless the vault has worked its wonders, of course ;) J x
ReplyDeleteI was reading the post and comments out to Captain V last night and when I got to Suzanne's note he let out an emphatic "Yes!".
DeleteThe "I hate you!" phrase is definitely a phase little ones go through but if not redirected can easily embed.
Let's hope that this won't be the case with your darling Pixies and then cross our fingers for the vault to work its magic!
xx
I agree with Jane Hate is such a strong word to use to dislike something I keep telling my oldest dislike is a better choice word to say & funny felicity only this morning on the way to school I said hello to my boss who was dropping of his son at school & Joshua said "I know that dude first time I heard him say it so looks like its travelling around QLD!! xx
ReplyDeleteYou've made me think that it would be wonderful to track the trail of words as they sneak into the everyday lexicon, a bit like when the white whale goes down the east coast of Australia and there's all the hype as it makes its way to the Southern Ocean.
DeleteSo pleased to see you joining in today!
x
Hahaha..Felicity, dude this post is awesome. Ditto Suzanne's dislike for hate. Our children are still young but I suspect 'Mum I'm BORED/this is BORING' would get irritating if it came out regularly.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean, your children are still young and 'Bored/boring" are feature words?
DeleteWe have two teens and a 9yo and despite all my best efforts they are STILL surfacing.
Hopefully I can 'vault' these detestables and we won't have to worry about the long winded conversations that always follow after I hear someone in our home utter them.
Here's to an excellent, busy and 'so like' non-boring weekend ahead!
x F
haha too funny. i don't want to know what words i overuse because I know i'll just annoy myself, but i cannot stand the word "reckon" ever - especially in newspaper articles!!!!
ReplyDeletei also despise "random" being inserted into every sentence (it was at its height a couple of years ago) "and this random man stuck his head in our picture. it was so random".
today's popular sayings (i'm branching out from words!) I groan about are "that is all" and "just sayin'" and "that's how i roll". cue eye roll!!!!
You've made me think Belinda, what if someone audio recorded my everyday speech?
DeleteYikes! I hate to think which words I'd overuse!
Your note does highlight the fact that these annoying words can sometimes be 'just a phase' and sometimes they 'vault' themselves.
xx
Awesome post Felicity. My word I really dislike at the moment is 'LOL'. One of my daughters instead of saying that was funny or actually laughing, now simply says, "LOL" and walks away. Doing my head in!!! Trying to rid that word from our house. Gah! N x
ReplyDeleteIt's 'SO' in the vault Naomi!
Deletex
LOL, I'm like SO in, dude... you know?
ReplyDeleteCan I nominate a phrase instead of a word? I can't stand it when someone says "That's just how it is" - an all-encompassing excuse to ignore and allow all kinds of injustices and absurdities. Think how much better the world would become if no one ever said "that's just how it is"?
Excellent suggestion Lesley - consider it vaulted!
DeleteOK so like I'm late but like is it alright if I leave a word?!!!!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind our local kids using like if it replaced the word they do use!!!!
But I would love to see it vaulted along with jist...I am jist going..put it jist here
Why oh why can't people pronounce u?!!! J
Agh that would get my goat too!
DeleteConsider it sent to the back of the vault.
Happy day Lovely!
x
I have a word that brings me out in shivers and I don't know why. I've disliked this word from childhood - there is something about the sound of it, the way the mouth,teeth and tongue frames it as it explodes into my hearing and puts my teeth on edge. The word is ....puckered. Totally irrational, and people hardly ever use it anymore (thank goodness).
ReplyDeleteLike is a bugbear (I have teens!), nice is vapid and the word 'absolutely' seems to have replaced yes (and it's getting on my nerves...especially when I hear myself say it!)
Puckered does conjure up dreadful images for me also - ick!
Delete