Words you hate to see used

pickarooney · 23-07-2012 8:32am

pauline fayne wrote: »

Myriad. I don't know why it annoys me , I guess I'm just cranky !

Especially when it's used incorrectly, e.g. 'a myriad of'.

coffee_cake · 23-07-2012 9:52am

pickarooney wrote: »

Especially when it's used incorrectly, e.g. 'a myriad of'.

wha?

A myriad is primarily a singular cardinal number; just as the "thousand" in "four thousand" is singular (one does not write "four thousands people") the word myriad is used in the same way: "there are four myriad people outside". When used as a noun, meaning "a large number", it follows the same rules as that phrase. However, that is not the case originally in Greek, where there is plural.

In English, the term "myriad" is most commonly used to refer to a large number of an unspecified size. In this way "myriad" can be used as either a noun or an adjective.[1] Thus both "there are myriad people outside" and "there is a myriad of people outside" are correct.[2]
Merriam-Webster notes, "Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective.... however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English."[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myriad

pickarooney · 23-07-2012 10:34am

Fair cop, guv. Still, I've never seen it used as a noun where it didn't sound pretentious.

--Kaiser-- · 23-07-2012 12:59pm

pickarooney wrote: »

Fair cop, guv. Still, I've never seen it used as a noun where it didn't sound pretentious.

I dunno, if you really wanted to be pretentious you'd use 'plethora'

pickarooney · 27-07-2012 7:10am

Another thing I can't stand is 'well' used in this way:

"he hadn't been beaten up by high school kids since, well, high school"

It's like the author is saying "I can't think of an apposite simile here so I'm just going to re-use this word but just so you know I'm aware of that, here's a 'well'. Okay, let's get back to the story then."

--Kaiser-- · 27-07-2012 8:59am

pickarooney wrote: »

Another thing I can't stand is 'well' used in this way:

"he hadn't been beaten up by high school kids since, well, high school"

It's like the author is saying "I can't think of an apposite simile here so I'm just going to re-use this word but just so you know I'm aware of that, here's a 'well'. Okay, let's get back to the story then."

Well, I don't know, if it's used, um....well then it can help to voice a charachter. I mean, think of Holden Caulfield for chrissakes. His voice was full of repititious uses of hackneyed phrases but the end result was, well...swell

Iomega Man · 27-07-2012 9:57am

"Final" and "Reminder"...

Arlecchina · 27-07-2012 10:28am

For some reason the words 'flavourful' and 'flavoursome' make me shudder.

Also, this is pretty much a given, but almost any speech tag but 'said' or 'asked' jumps out at me and hits me over the head.

Das Kitty · 27-07-2012 10:40am

Arlecchina wrote: »

Also, this is pretty much a given, but almost any speech tag but 'said' or 'asked' jumps out at me and hits me over the head.

Amen.

Mewling seems to be an increasingly common thing in speech tags. Gives me the heebee jeebees.

pickarooney · 27-07-2012 11:23am

Arlecchina wrote: »

Also, this is pretty much a given, but almost any speech tag but 'said' or 'asked' jumps out at me and hits me over the head.

You should try translating a dialogue-heavy French text.

elle soupira -- she said
elle exclama -- she said
elle gémissa -- she said
elle conclue -- she said

Even in books for toddlers they go mental using every possible verb to avoid using 'said'.

HidePork · 05-08-2012 5:05pm

Tad, Embrace, Nice, Amen, Dove - lot of music groups getting a mention in this thread

Chloris · 05-08-2012 5:11pm

George R.R. Martin is a sucker for just using "said". It gets annoying because he's not being descriptive enough and it makes it more difficult to imagine how the dialogue is really taking place; the dynamics of the relationship can be expounded upon far more effectively if the author uses synonyms. Even "replied" would do because characters aren't simply speaking into thin air, they're addressing somebody else's prior statement.

Does anyone else find that, no?

Rubecula · 05-08-2012 5:17pm

Not keen on spelling mistakes, yes we all make them, especially me. However I do not like to see them in published works as the works are supposedly proof read. The main annoyance is American spelling though. (eg color instead of colour) Irritates me when the computer tries to tell me that the correct spelling is wrong too.

As I intimated, however, I do make a lot of spelling mistakes myself.

As for specific words, I don't really mind any words if they fit the context and/or make the reading easier and more pleasurable.

It would be a very boring world if we all liked the same thing, so I assume if we all disliked the same thing it could be just as boring.

The Mad Hatter · 14-08-2012 7:22pm

Chloris wrote: »

George R.R. Martin is a sucker for just using "said". It gets annoying because he's not being descriptive enough and it makes it more difficult to imagine how the dialogue is really taking place; the dynamics of the relationship can be expounded upon far more effectively if the author uses synonyms. Even "replied" would do because characters aren't simply speaking into thin air, they're addressing somebody else's prior statement.

Does anyone else find that, no?

No, pretty much every writer does that. "Said" is pretty much a non-word - we just scan over it. A text gets bogged down with "announced", "whispered", "replied", or whatever. Even "asked" tends to get swapped out for "said".

WHIP IT! · 15-08-2012 11:39pm

The word 'that' is grossly overused in every newspaper I read... I think the only reason I notice it is because an old lecturer had a rule: "If you have the word 'that' in a sentence, reread said sentence without the word 'that' in it and, if it still makes sense, just take it out!"

ie: "Trapattoni says he has assured the Irish players that the next game will be crucial..."

Gets right on my wick :pac:

odds_on · 16-08-2012 12:05am

WHIP IT! wrote: »

The word 'that' is grossly overused in every newspaper I read... I think the only reason I notice it is because an old lecturer had a rule: "If you have the word 'that' in a sentence, reread said sentence without the word 'that' in it and, if it still makes sense, just take it out!"

ie: "Trapattoni says he has assured the Irish players that the next game will be crucial..."

Gets right on my wick :pac:

ie: "Trapattoni says that he has assured the Irish players that the next game will be crucial..."

Agent Weebley · 16-08-2012 4:03am

WHIP IT! wrote: »

The word 'that' is grossly overused in every newspaper I read... I think the only reason I notice it is because an old lecturer had a rule: "If you have the word 'that' in a sentence, reread said sentence without the word 'that' in it and, if it still makes sense, just take it out!"

Deep down . . . is really what you think about word? A little bit of this or is necessary for conveying the message . . . just a sprinkling, though. Moderation in all things . . . or something like.

I remember reading On Speeches by Margaget Cher, and it was full of connector words like. Remember her? Nobody liked her. Poll tax: is a good idea? Totally changes the sentence. Imagine what would have happened if she relied only on inflection in sentence? What a powerful word. It can cause riots! Everything she said was full of, absolutely100% full of.

Just like Enda Kenny.

Oh, and William Shakespeare . . . ever been to his home? He lived in a ched roof cottage .. . awesome writing . . . to be or not to be . . . is the question.

Isn't awesome? Isn't absolutely awesome? Shakespeare, I would love to be, or not to be kind of writer. Dude (or Dudette) . . . I'm down with kind of chatter.

To be . . . ornottobe

or

To be . . . or notto .. . be

or

Tobeornotto . . .be

[courtesy: Monty Python]

What's the name of lecturer? He played a mind game on you, methinks. I want to send him a stern letter. Yep . . . <send> . . . just like.

Hey, come to think about it, how about Tommy Cooper and his unbelievable magic tricks: . . . Mruhahah . . . just like. [note: ostentatious outward bound open fingered hand motions, as well as square grin - looking back and forth at an open jawed and mystified audience]

. . . doesn't make sense?

PS: Mnd f tll y my pt pv? Shld r shldn't ? N, y wld jst lgh t m . . . lgh m rght t f ths frm wth my tl btwn my lgs.

Decoder: i i e ou e eee? ou i o ou i? o, ou ou u au a e .. . au e i ou o i ou i ai eee e.

[Fnny . . . th dcdr snds lk 'm mnky.] u e eoe ou ie i a oe.

PPS: that . . . is a hook?

djflawless · 16-08-2012 4:05am

50, shades, and grey in the one sentence usually makes me lack enthusiasm fairly rapid

Hunchback · 16-08-2012 4:17am

'penchant'

Urg!

Chuck Stone · 16-08-2012 4:49am

Sesquipedalian

--Kaiser-- · 16-08-2012 9:41am

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

'penchant'

Urg!

Ha Ha, I use this word conversationally....and I pronounce it the French way (because it sounds horrible the other way)

oceanblue · 19-08-2012 11:20pm

Not a word.. but I've noticed the use of the exclamation mark has started annoying me. When it is used a lot and I'm thinking it isn't really necessary.

bbsrs · 11-09-2012 12:54am

Epic , grossly overused.

vitani · 16-09-2012 4:26pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

Amen.

Mewling seems to be an increasingly common thing in speech tags. Gives me the heebee jeebees.

I used to read fanfic and there were some amount of characters who 'mewed' during sex scenes... Obviously, the authors had read or heard of 'mewled' somewhere (possibly other fanfics) but didn't quite get it.

Words you hate to see used

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