21 Words We Love to Hate

I love language, specifically the English language because I can’t speak any others fluently! I love to find out how words are put together, their origins and all sorts other linguistical delights. However, there are some words that I really, really dislike to hear or read. I though I’d share a few with you with the reasons why, and I also asked a few friends what their most-hated words are too! I’m sure we all have a word or two that we just cannot stand to hear. One that really sets your teeth on edge and makes you shudder with rage, possibly irrationally!

words we love to hate

So here are mine:

Whimsical. I just hate to see it, as normally it’s being used by someone to describe something that I don’t like, like overly cute and impossible to keep clean white kids bedrooms with fairies and fluff and frou frou all over the place.

Hubby/Wifey. NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO! I only describe myself as a wife when I absolutely have to, and the same when referring to Sam. I just call him Sam. He calls me Lauren, but if we have to be husband and wife then that’s what we are, no wifey, ho hubby. NO! It’s just so cutesy sounding! If I ever heard people saying this in person I think I’d have to walk away from the conversation! Colette also agrees that ‘Hubby’ makes her want to vom! 

Anything with ‘ista’ on the end. As in fashionista, stylista. The only acceptable word is ‘barista’ in my book!

Amazeballs. It’s been done to death. I’m sure I used it at some point in its heyday in 2010 but no more!

Totes. I don’t even know WHY it gives me the rage, but it totes does!

Here are some of words others love to hate:

  • Literally when the correct word is figuratively. It’s the most irritating from of hyperbole this decade and yes, I do say it sometimes too, nobody’s perfect  Hannah
  • Autistic when it’s used to mean socially awkward instead of the actual medical diagnosis, rants Emily  others agreed and chipped in with people calling themselves ‘OCD’ when really they’re just neat.
  • When someone says ‘myself’ but they mean ‘me’. Like ‘if you could email myself…’ – it doesn’t even make sense!!  I agree with this one completely Sarah
  • Gifted! You can’t be ‘gifted’ anything however you can be exceptionally gifted. I appreciate it’s now morphed in meaning but it’s still wrong. Also while I’m on one; infamous when used out of context. You can only be infamous for doing something really bad eg Hitler was infamous. Michael Jackson was just REALLY famous.  Preach it Amy
  • Guestimate. Really?! You’re making the word longer and it’s completely unnecessary! Alex I am with you on this one too, and what’s worse is that my own mother uses it!
  • Doo-dah for a remote control. It just drives me mad, like the person has forgotten what a remote is called. LouiseYES! I also hate it when it gets called a zapper
  • When folk shorten or change words. Bae, Totes, etc. Just say the word – you’ll sound less like a tool, says Kate. Lippy, another pointlessly shortened word is one Louise hates!
  • hate ‘folks/folk’ – when people call their family it or say ‘hi folks’. It just makes me die a little inside (hehe! you wont like the the line above then!)  And ‘cob’ which is what brummy people (I’m one!) call bread rolls. I hate it! Rachel is on a roll, or a cob, sorry!
  • Chillax– shudder. So cringe. Just say relax!! YES a thousand times yes Beth!
  • Me thinks“. I see it all the time on facebook. “Time for a cup of tea me thinks!”. It makes me want to smash up my laptop in a rage!! Methinks you’re right to be annoyed Laura, really old fashioned too!
  • When people say ‘obviously‘ when you’re on the phone to a call centre or in a shop. It’s obvious because you work there, but not me or I wouldn’t be asking! Argh. I can imagine the tone that people say this in now and it;s making me tense in anger, good one Laura!   
  • Nyomi hates it when people use learned when they mean taught. When they say ‘I learned him this’. Gah. Yep, they were clearly ‘learned’ wrong in school! HA!
  • Susanne hates when people say ‘asdas‘ instead of Asda, and this led onto a quite frankly horrific list of regional nicknames for supermarkets: It’s a common one for people to plural the names, Tescos, Lidls etc (or maybe they do visit two different stores… unlikely though!) but the worst is yet to come… I give you ‘The Asda’ if you’re in Merseyside, Mozzos (that’s Morrisons) Sainzers or Sainsbugs or Sainos!
  • Kids instead of children. I can still hear my mother saying “kids are baby goats”. I have used it on the blog but cringe as I type! Eek! I always refer to my kids as kids, sorry Sally!
  • I really hate it when people say ‘hollibobs’ and ‘brekky‘, it makes my skin crawl! Another two pointlessly ‘shortened’ words from Lyndsay, words that still have the same amount of syllables!
  • pre-order‘ Isn’t an order a thing? You can’t pre order things, you just order them! Good point Naomi!

So tell me, do you agree or disagree with any of these? More to add! I know loads of people also dislike the word moist for some reason, but I really don’t mind that! Writing this has already got me thinking about annoying phrases, so I think I’ll write about those soon too!

words we love to hate

 

5 thoughts on “21 Words We Love to Hate

  1. I hate it when people use ‘mint’ or ‘minted’ describe something being good. Normally prefixed with well e.g. ‘That’s well mint’ – so many kinds of wrong

  2. I can add another regional name for a supermarket to your list. My husband is from Bristol and aparently it is normal to call Asda ‘Asdol’.
    My personal big hate it ‘cray-cray’ instead of crazy.

  3. Loved this post. My personal hatred goes to the word Crimbo instead of Christmas. Luckily I don’t tend to hear it very much these days – hopefully it was a noughties thing? Oh and also Noughties – I don’t like saying it out loud but I can’t think of a better alternative! 🙂 x

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