I am developing an irrational hatred for the phrase "at the end of the day." Maybe I just hear it too often lately, mainly from reality show bottom feeders. I hope that's all it is, and not something more insidious, like that my editing brain has now crept into my real life and is mentally rewriting what people say. "That's a cliche. Find a new way to say it."
My editing brain ruins many, many books for me now. That's bad. Good in the sense that I love the good books even better, but bad in the sense that I'm less patient with books than I used to be. But anyway, editing brain, you are hereby ordered to leave Real Life alone.
And now back to words/phrases people hate. I've bumped into a survey in a couple of different places that says the word Americans hate most is: MOIST.
MOIST! MOIST! MOIST!
Raise your hand if you cringed.
I didn't. That word doesn't bother me. It bounced off of me like I was a MOIST-deflecting Superman. Or something.
I can't think of a specific word I hate. But I can think of lots of words that I hate hearing pronounced the wrong way, and by wrong way I mean not how *I* say it. For example, there is no Z in resource. So why is suddenly everyone saying it like there is? If you are one of these people, are you Canadian? Is this why this is happening?
Anyway, back to the editing brain and the sound of words: last night I was reading a novel (self-published, sadly) that was making me angry. It contained this fraction from a sentence: "treated with careful care by Carol." I think it was not on purpose. And so when I read that aloud to my husband, he gently took the book from me, held it up and looked at the cover, and then calmly punched it.
I love him.
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26 comments:
"...my careful care..." I can see why that would be annoying!
ROFL Your hubby is awesome. I'm finding that the things I'm told to watch out for in my own writing is definitely making things leap out in books. People sure roll their eyes a lot. And they do in real life. But it's not quite a glaring in real life as it seems to be on paper.
Every time I hear someone say they are noxious, I have to agree with them. By saying that they did make me feel nauseated.
I also have a natural resistance to the word moist. Never bothered me at all. But now that I know, may I can be noxious (and obnoxious) and use it in everyday speak as often as possible.
I don't like the word "nostrils." Once a copyeditor put it into my manuscript, and I asked my editor to change it. I know . . . it's not rational.
Whenever I hear the phrase "at the end of the day", that song from Les Mis pops into my head ("At the end of the day you're another day older/That's all you can say for the life of the poor."). Then the song is stuck in my head 'til...well...the end of the day. The annoying thing is, I can't recall all the words. Then I get mad at my brain for not remembering. Then my mind tries to defend itself by saying there are more important things in there. Then I counter with "well, why are you holding on to just half a song then, huh?". It just deteriorates from there...
The furthest I go in writing is my to-do lists but I can still relate. I find typos in published books all the time and it drives me crazy!
that book deserved to be punched
Kenny was the hero at the end of the post, but at the end of the day, he's just the guy from the comment trail whose train of thought deteriorates once he gets a song stuck in his head -- just like the rest of us.
Just kidding.
I am one of the people who hates the word MOIST. Another totally gross word is discharge--in any use. And since my husband knows I hate it so bad he finds many circumstances to use it incorrectly (*think the "discharge" pile when playing cards*). As far as phrases, I hate the phrase "each and every one of you" which (since I know you're LDS) seems to be used in testimony meeting ALL the time. So annoying.
"Grant it" when you mean "granted"
"Irregardless" in any medium
"Bear with me" - no, thanks. I think I'd rather not. Reminds me of "bear down" - which, thankfully, no nurse/midwife/doctor has ever asked me to do. It wouldn't have been pretty.
Hate the word "belly" unless you're referring to a kid's belly...hate it used in ANY adult way.
I'm not a fan of the word "moist" but I don't have an angry reaction when I hear it.
I agree with Becca, though, about the fake word "irregardless."
And self-pubbed authors really aren't helping their cause when they don't spring for a professional editor.
My list is long and completely justified. So I won't go into it here. I will say, though, that I'd rather hear any word on that list than be subjected to improper apostrophe use. This is doubly true for signs, books, or newspapers -- anything where someone was actually PAID to get it right.
And I don't know if I'm a follower or not. Did you just, like, transfer us here, like maybe with something out of Star Trek? Because you turned up in my reader - a happy little surprise!
It is entirely possible I did it myself; my brain is still in a box marked "misc hair appliances," and likely won't be unpacked before Thanksgiving.
See you soon!
My editing brain has ruined many a book. It kind of makes me sad. I wish I could go back in time when I liked everything :(
I saw your book on Chantele's blog today and it looks awesome! I need to find me a copy :)
Tender.
This is a word that should only be used in cooking. It makes me crazy in ANY other setting.
yes, writing ruins LOADS of books for me. There's SO much that would have never bothered me before. And when I look at my earlier manuscripts, I cringe.
CRINGE.
LOL this is too funny!! Why would moist be an annoying word? I see nothing wrong with it. A word that does annoy me: Toilet Tissue. Everytime my "non-boyfriend" uses it I cringe. It's toilet paper. Toilet tissue just sounds so delicate and feminine! Errr
Saying hi from the campaign. Very slow getting around to all my groups because of travel, life, more life, and uh, twitter. I made the mistake of joining twitter & following every single campaigner in Shelly Koon's list all at once right before I got on the plane. I'm still over 200 emails behind. But, it's not a nucular disaster. Yeah, that's my word peeve. It's nuclear, new-clear, isn't that clear? I enjoyed your humor and I like your hubby already. Sort of thought I'd be reading challenge #2. You're doing it, right? You have 2 more days. If you read mine (#52) & decide to follow back, click the chocolate follower contest tab.
The word MOIST doesn't bother me either. I mean... it's not a great word, but it has never bothered me either. What bothers me is when my mother says, "costRume" instead of "costume." How ridiculous is that? Drives me insane.
Also - I got the book! Thank you so very much!
I hate at the end of the day too. And I think I have reality TV to hate for making me hate it because there are idiot experts who don't really know what to say about a performance, can't make a judgment call, even though that is their job, and try to validate their idiocy by saying at the end of the day.
It's right up there with I don't want to be rude/mean/judgmental/etc. BUT...
Great post. New follower.
I, too, am MOIST impervious. Like a freakin rain coat.
Actually, when I think of the word "moist," I think of a beautiful slice of chocolate cake. So I kind of like it ;) . My youngest sister thinks of the same thing. What can I say? We were raised right.
nice post thanx
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