Ghastly expressions you want to see the back of in 2011

[Markus S]

- Moderating

Shall I move this to the "Lovely expressions you want to see more of in 2011" thread where you really intended to post?

Markus - moderating

 

[Fox]

I just want to see us all better behaved so that the word does not have to be used.

 

[David F]

Chaps

I like management speak, it is bloody good at getting an obvious point across. My all time favourites are "quick wins" and "picking the low hanging fruit"

Both are nonsensical but their meaning is crystal clear. These expressions enliven a dull language.

Mick .. now in archive driven mode

1) how can they be nonsensical AND crystal clear. IMO (Is that abbreviation acceptable ) they are just nonsensical.

2) the english language is not dull. (Just how some people use it!!.....chaps!)

 

[ErikL]

ErikL

I quite like the word artisan. can you give me some context here as I don't want to miss a good opportunity to be a grumpy person.

Artisan equals marketing speak.

 

[kendo]

theres far more annoying things than words. How sensitised have you become , so that words are more annoying than the shit that goes on in front of your face and you turn a blind eye to it all ... I cant believe how sad you have become.

"Sad" was pretty sad 15 years ago....

 

[Fox]

I like "artisan", I encourage the the term when it is used to describe the work of an artist. When it is used by a corporation to describe anything other than an individual's work it loses all validity.

 

[ErikL]

I like "artisan", I encourage the the term when it is used to describe the work of an artist. When it is used by a corporation to describe anything other than an individual's work it loses all validity.

Hmmm... At Wal-Mart, Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer, Costco- and even Whole Foods- the term "artisan" is overused.

 

[jackbarron]

"Not fit for purpose," is the one that I hate.

It's a favourite of politicians and broadcast journalists.

I can't remember hearing it used before the credit crunch.

Actually we should get rid of "credit crunch" as well.

"X - Factor" - anybody that takes part in it, or who uses the expression, should be castrated so they can't breed.

Jack

 

[canonman]

We will learn by our mistakes...

Blue sky thinking

 

[David F]

"Not fit for purpose," is the one that I hate.

It's a favourite of politicians and broadcast journalists.

I can't remember hearing it used before the credit crunch.

Actually we should get rid of "credit crunch" as well.

"X - Factor" - anytakes part in itbody that , or who uses the expression, should be castrated so they can't breed.Jack

Completely.

 

[Alex S]

Razor blade.

 

[Fox]

Hmmm... At Wal-Mart, Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer, Costco- and even Whole Foods- the term "artisan" is overused.

Absolutely and illustrates precisely what I am saying about when corporations use it, it loses its validity. The artist I bought a tile mural from, or the horse print or the people making my leather book protectors or the person who made my wood flutes or the boots being made for me are all by artisans. Corporations adopt terminology to try and personalise something they have made generic, mass produced and impersonal. Its wrong and disrespectful.

Corporations tend to adopt terms that describe aspirationally things they are not; they remove relationships with individuals and producers and attempt to commodify things of individual craftsmanship yet all they do is standardize and make generic. The antithesis of artisan.

A lot of these ghastly utterances only become popular or become misused because we don't correct the perpetrators when they are used. "Excuse me but what do you mean when you say [insert term]?" followed by a "then why don't you say that instead?"

 

[Martin D]

Whatever

 

[Joe Hutch]

A big ask

Draw a line underneath it (and move on)

Piers Morgan

Train station

Can I get ...

How are you spelling that?

I'm rocking my new shoes

Simon Cowell

Killer app

Steven Fry

Media hub

USP

UPS

 

[Joe Hutch]

Razor blade.

Badger brush

 

[Clive D]

Legacy kit

Inky blackness

 

[Still]

This is the police. You are surrounded. Come out with your hands up.

 

[Joe Hutch]

Chaps

I like management speak, it is bloody good at getting an obvious point across. My all time favourites are "quick wins" and "picking the low hanging fruit"

A bloke I know was launching a new product at an educational conference. Looking for a metaphor to describe something that gets a lot of customers quickly, and keeps them buying, he came up with 'Like selling drugs in the school playground'. It didn't go down well.

 

[Greg]

As Joe mentions: "a big ask", eg. "I know it's a big ask, but would you please...."

On recent teleconferences the big ask has morphed into just an "ask", so any request to do something put to someone is now apparently an "ask".

However, it hasn't stopped there. Now a simple question is also apparently an "ask".

I have a "big ask": please kill me now.

 

[ampman]

The decline in spelling standards is much more annoying.