Language purists sack "You're fired"


Personally, I think it's better to tell people that they are "fired" than to tell them that they are "terminated." I may lose my job, but I'm not dead (although I guess an angry employer may indulge in wishful thinking sometimes! ).

So what are the oft-used phrases you find irritating?

Hmmm. I have a few minor quibbles with the list. Some words they want to get rid of are perfectly useful -- such as "blog" -- but maybe they are just sick of hearing them. The one that baffles me is "safe and effective." This is a phrase which has been around for a long time and which has an important legal meaning. In order to have a medication approved by the FDA, the manufacturer has to prove that it is "safe and effective" -- neither one alone is enough. So, this phrase is very useful indeed.

Anyway, the new political word I was sick of hearing the first time I heard it was "girly-man." This really sets me off on a tirade against gender stereotyping.

Outside of politics, I guess I'm tired of hearing everything described as "extreme" when it has nothing to do with dangerous sports or some such thing. You know, like "Try our new Extreme Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips!"

We must see things very differently Victoria! I loved it when Arnold called the Cal. legislators "girly men". The expression made his point exactly. It showed he could poke fun at his own image. And, it showed he wasn't afraid of being politically incorrect!

That showed Arnold knows he has popularity and can get away with what he wants. Wouldn't exactly call him a social rebel. Very sad when the only republicans with charisma are the moderate ones--which equals Liberal to the conservatives.

Any of the Extreme anythings.

Conservative

Liberal

Homeland Security

Fair and Balanced

Wrong side of history.........he should try wrong side of reality

judeo christian

progressive values

iraqi resistance

Insurgents

Coalition

moral values

American idol

Talk Radio

Reality TV

Cautiously Optimistic

Conventional Wisdom

Consumer Confidence............really i wouldn't call spending money you dont have and going into debt confidence.

Foreign policy

Reverse Discrimination

I agree with alot of the words on Christopher's list, aside from the 'insurgents' and 'iraqi resistance', and the words I would add are 'terrorist', 'activist judges', and 'communism. I think these words have lost all meaning and pretty much used only to insult ideas or people.

Corporate welfare
Moral Values
Paper Tiger
Decency
International Community
Moral Obligation
Family Values
Tradition
Sensitivity

and the first prize goes to.....

Think of the children

What's wrong with "think of the children"??????

That phrase is used to justify turning our world into a G Rated and bubblewrapped version of itself, which is annoying enough in itself, but on top of that it is a lame attempt to make it seem like those of us that disagree want to feed babies to pythons or something.

I am not sure kids today are used to getting the "G" rated version . . . .

I guess my list would include:

Religious Right

Neo-con (the most often misused phrase in America these days)

whacko

fundamentalist

Xmas (not Christmas)

zealot

extremist

(I guess I think religion is bashed too much... )

One term that really bothers me is drug "czar" or any other kind of czar. What is this, the Romanoff dynasty?

I am not a Communist or a Socialist, but I don't like the term. It brings up Kossacks and firing squads. The least we could do is use an American-ish expression, like "honcho." Doesn't Drug Honcho sound better to you?

Excellent one, PE. I would further contend an American 'czar' is a Constitutional violation -

"War" is one nobody has mentioned. We've had a "War on Poverty," a "War on Drugs" a "War on Crime," now a "War on Terror" and god only knows what else. All were limited successes. The "War on Poverty" was scuttled by a real war in Vietnam and the current war in Iraq, threatens to end the wars on various other issues.

I am with you Amlord. Add to the list

"evangelical christians"
"pandering to the base"
"homicide bombers" : what a stupid redundant expression -- every bomber commits homicide, but only suicide bombers also commit suicide.

I also agree with Bof: "War" on everything from Iraq to poverty to drugs to etc etc sounds pretty fanatical to me.