Mangled and abused words and phrases

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Humpback

On a new journey
Dec 10, 2006
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I just read and contributed to a thread on YouTube rubbish and it started me thinking about words and phrases which by being mangled and/or abused in everyday language or speech. (NOTE: This thread is not about incorrect spelling although personally this does irritate me too). I set out two examples below.

Tactical - appears on ever increasing numbers of outdoor kit to be used by non-soldiers
Organic - seen this used instead of vegetable


Any other gems?

Alan
 
Awesome - for anything that is remotely interesting
Legend - For someone who is quite good at what they do
 
"Bomb-proof" - applied to any kit slightly stronger than a paper bag. Bomb-proof means you should be able to abuse it for some time before it falls apart and it is fit-for-purpose.

"Traditional" - something hairy, uncomfortable and lacking the benefits that technology has brought to human existence.

PS - Humpback - I share your pain at the lack of good grammar/spelling. If the non-native speakers can make the effort...
 
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All previous suggestions irritate the poo right out of me, but my 12 year old has just picked up a new one that annoys me even more: "epic"

"Oh Dad, Nicole just told me a joke that was absolutely EPIC!!"

No darling, she really didn't. It wasn't ten hours long and directed by Cecil B. DeMille, now was it? And it certainly wasn't a near-death experience in the mountains, so in no sense was it epic. Grrrrrr!

Thank you for starting this thread, I've been needing to get that off my chest for some time!!

Rich
 
"Traditional" - something hairy, uncomfortable and lacking the benefits that technology has brought to human existence.
I'll be your huckleberry :D

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
 
The misplaced " ' " as in the sign out side the grocers "Cucumber's" ... cucumber's what?
The description of leg coverings as amphibian predators ... "gaitors" instead of "gaiters"
Arrant misuse of words that sound similar "two", "too" and "to" as an example, "toe" and "tow" as another...
Deliberate mis-spellings in names - "Krazy Kats" instead of "Crazy cats"...
"Literally" mis-used as in "I literally died!" - so you are risen from the dead? Did it take 3 days? Should I fall down and worship you?
OOOOOOOOOOOOooooooh the list is literarlly endless....
 
For Christ's sake, get over yourselves. Languages evolve and always have done, both in pronunciation and meaning. The English you're speaking today would likely make Shakespeare turn in his grave. And many of the Finnish words I use today, would be unintelligible to a Finn 50 years ago.

PS But I have to agree that the constant use of "tactical" turns my toes red. :lmao:
 
A sheaf for a knife. Is it made of wheat?

A sheath for an axe - its a mask.

Tech' to mean electonic gizmo

oh...and incomplete sentences ending in inaccurate punctuation......
 
...Deliberate mis-spellings in names - "Krazy Kats" instead of "Crazy cats"...

How about replacing the s with a z? "Krazy Katz"

Dawgs?

As others have posted "tactical" when it obviously has no bearing to police tactics or gear.
 
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