The term logomisia (from the Greek for "word hatred") refers to a strong dislike for a word or phrase based on its sound, meaning, usage, or associations. And it's clear from readers' responses to last year's list that many of you have experienced such word aversion.
You're annoyed (and sometimes profoundly disturbed) by buzzwords, vogue words, malapropisms, and clichés. You're vexed and perplexed by instances of bureaucratese, legalese, academese, and journalese.
And you're clearly exasperated by usage errors of all kinds--including some that aren't errors at all.
If you don't find your least-favorite expression in this list, please don't say we're "ridonkulous" for omitting it. That word or phrase (awesome, absolutely, iconic, you guys, or whatever) may well have appeared in a previous collection. (We've been assembling these loathsome lists since 2008.) For another, you now have an opportunity to add your verbal pet peeve to next year's list: just send it to me at grammar@aboutguide.com.
- and etc.
- ask (used as a noun, as in "Did you provide the team with a list of asks?")
- begs the question (instead of "raises the question")
- bestie
- big boy pants (unless you're addressing a four-year-old)
- blowout sale
- bro code
- bros before hoes
- bucket list
- change out (instead of just "change")
- come with (not "come with me," just "come with")
- community
- cra-cra (for "crazy")
- crunch the numbers
- crunk
- crusty (unless you're talking about pie)
- debt service (instead of just "debt")
- delish (for "delicious")
- deuces (for "goodbye" or "peace")
- dome piece (for "head")
- down the crapper
- end of days
- epic fail
- fashion-forward
- f-bomb
- friendly (as in "kid friendly," "wallet friendly," "stomach friendly," and so on)
- get your freak on
- Grow a pair!
- gun violence
- the gun went off
- had went (instead of "had gone")
- hating on
- heroes (diluted by overuse)
- How cool is that?
- I for one . . .
- I know that's right!
- IMHO (textspeak for "in my humble [or honest] opinion")
- in any way, shape, or form
- inbox me (for "send me an email")
- incentivize
- issues
- iteration
- It's all good.
- It's go time!
- junk (in reference to genitalia)
- Know what I'm sayin'?
- lean in
- legendary (as a needless intensifier)
- library center (and all other unnecessary uses of the word "center")
- like white on rice
- limited availability
- Made in China
- man cave
- mega (for "really large" or "extremely," as in "mega-hit")
- moving forward
- narrative (media slang)
- not for nothing
- no worries
- one-off
- opened its doors (instead of just "opened")
- optics (in reference to public perceptions or appearances)
- peace out (for "goodbye")
- perdict (instead of "predict")
- physicality
- pop (as in "This color will make the room pop")
- Press "one" for English.
- ratchet up
- Reduced Speed Ahead (road sign, instead of the imperative "Reduce speed ahead")
- re-re (a cruel insult, short for "retarded")
- resonate
- shootings
- slap your grandma
- so (an all-purpose intensifier, as in "I so want to have voter I.D.")
- sorry, not sorry
- stanky
- staycation
- sucks to suck
- Sup? (short for "What's up?")
- super (as an all-purpose modifier)
- switch out
- tatas
- That blows!
- That's sick! (as an expression of approval)
- The thing is is
- tick up and uptick (media slang for "increase")
- twerking
- upcoming (as in "the upcoming 2014 Olympics")
- up for grabs
- vacay (for "vacation")
- vajayjay
- What you got?
- wheelhouse
- which (when used to begin a clause that heads off in a new direction, as in "I drank a cup of decaf coffee, which I like coffee, but I want the real thing")
- wonderfulest
- woohoo
- world class
- years young (as in "80 years young")
- yolo (short for "you only live once")
- zillionaire
- zombie apocalypse
To contribute an annoying expression to next year's list, send it to Richard at grammar@aboutguide.com.
More Annoying Words and Phrases:
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