18 Words You Should Never Ever Use: Words that Scream 'I AM AN IDIOT'

Thanks, Ly, for your comment. I think you're right, in part. We can be sensitive. They are just words, but when is enough enough? I suppose using something comical would make me laugh off what people are really trying to say. While words are words, it's quite unbecoming to hear a toddler mouth profanity, as I did when my young son repeated the word, "shi*" over and over again in a toy store aisle. I was miffed I couldn't get through with my stroller and knocked down some items. It's just a word I let slip, I know, but it sure was embarrassing to hear it from the lips of my kid. :)

Yes, Chip. Thanks for bring this up. Here's an example from begthequestion.info/
"A simple example would be "I think he is unattractive because he is ugly." The adjective "ugly" does not explain why the subject is "unattractive" -- they virtually amount to the same subjective meaning, and the proof is merely a restatement of the premise. The sentence has begged the question."

Call it training, I guess. I feel the need to source and back up my material whenever necessary. When you're going to level a charge like that at someone, you'd better be sure and be prepared to back it up. It's there for verification purposes and for reader convenience--surely you can find it yourself, but it saves a reader's time to include it in the post. Also, just because I don't agree with and am shocked by something doesn't mean people shouldn't hear it for themselves. Knowledge is power. I appreciate you reading and commenting. I always welcome different points of view.

Thanks, Joe. I wonder how these things get started. I think my husband must hear "disorientated" often because he temporarily forgot what the real version was. Sometimes they really stick.

Yes, I do hear those a lot. Thanks for the reminder! Appreciate you reading, too.

I have yet to hear that one. Now I'm curious. I'm going to look out (or listen for) it. Very much appreciate the read and comment.

Great one! Thank you.

I'll tell you, lakeviewer, I had to look up" incidences." Can't seem to find proof of a plural version like that. I wonder if people are blending together "instances" and "incidents."

Since I hear such disapproval of the word by American teachers (and have for what seems like forever--yes, even in these modern times), I felt compelled to include "got." I certainly have used it on the occasion when I'm lacking a better word, which might happen more often than I'd like since I'm not the most eloquent speaker. :) I really believe, however, it makes one appear on the simple side.

Well, according to dictionary.com it is a slang word, but I'm guessing you figured that already. Unfortunately, I think a good part of society resorts to using slang to appear young and hip. Could it be we fear growing old? :)

That's right! Can't believe I left that out. Thanks, aubster.

Take a deep breath, kagle, and write about it. It is very therapeutic. But, I hear you, you'd think it'd be an easy thing to identify. And, feel free to write here anytime. :)

Yes, Dan, I see your point. For the sake of exaggeration, it's overused indeed...for Pete's sake. :) I think the same is true for antichrist.

Sure is! Why make things more complicated, right?

Great points! It sure is. I found this at langston.com/English/

Champing at the bit

If someone is eager or anxious to do something, they are said to be champing at the bit, (not chomping at the bit. nor chomping on the bit).
CHAMPING: Repetitious, strong opening and closing action of the mouth which
produces sounds when the teeth hit together. Champing in swine may be a
threat signal, but also is performed by boars during courtship and
mating. Definition from Hurnik et al., 1995.
- The Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior
champ
v. tr. - To bite or chew upon noisily.
v. intr. - To work the jaws and teeth vigorously.
Idiom: - champ at the bit
To show impatience at being held back or delayed.
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Note that some dictionaries define chomp as being derived from champ. One especially lazy on-line dictionary simply links chomp to the definition for champ, thereby implying that they're identical. The Merriam-Webster entry for champ at points out that while the verb chomp is a transitive verb, the verb champ can be either transitive or intransitive. In particular, the verb in the expression champing at the bit is intransitive, so it would be ungrammatical to say chomping at the bit (since chomp, being a transitive verb, needs an object); you could say chomping the bit instead, but that really lacks the impact of champing at the bit.

Yes, that does bring up the "who" vs. "whom" conundrum, which we'll save for another post. :) I wonder if it is the young. I notice my kids adding extra syllables to words like "no-uh" for "no." Do you also notice that?

Well, suppose a person is a little fearful of an adventurous getaway? :)

Yes, DarkAngel, that's what I'm saying. Nobody. Yes, I believe Dr. Laura is a complete fool for handling it the way she did. She didn't need to say the word once...let alone 6 times or more.

My kids are guilty of using "funner." It's a never-ending battle to correct them. I'm telling you this texting lingo is infused in our everyday speech and writing. You should check out a piece I wrote last month on spelling mistakes. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/so-not-an-expert/2010/07/isnt-spelling-important-anymore.html
Do you think we'll continue to hear and see "lol" and "omg" far into the future, or is it just a phase?

I couldn't agree more, Julie. Not that I listen to her very much, but one thing I can remember agreeing with her about was her theory about parenting..."trust but verify." I like to live this way or at least let my kids know there's a possibility I'll verify. :) That's sad that your kids had to hear that, but at least you know they have good heads on their shoulders. Thanks for reading and commenting!

I am LOLing (see above). Boy, that really doesn't make sense. :) That is a great one. I'd forgotten all about midriffs. Maybe that's a good thing, huh?

Yes, though they mean the same thing, "less" involves mass nouns, whereas "fewer" involves counting nouns--with the excpeptions of time, distance, and money. I like Grammar Girl's explanation:

"A count noun is just something you can count. I'm looking at my desk and I see books, pens, and M&M's. I can count all those things, so they are count nouns and the right word to use is fewer. I should eat fewer M&M's.

Mass nouns are just things that you can't count individually. Again, on my desk I see tape and clutter. These things can't be counted individually, so the right word to use is less. If I had less clutter, my desk would be cleaner. Another clue is that you don't make mass nouns plural: I would never say I have clutters on my desk or that I need more tapes to hold my book covers together."

Hope that helps anyone confused by the rule. Lots of thinking going on here. LOVE it!

In that case, it should probably read: brought back to light. Being such a recent leader, Bush was fresh on my mind (and I'm guessing the minds of readers my age and younger). Thanks for your opinion, lovebug. I do hope you join us again.

Funny. Yes, a lot of these words are a matter of pronunciation and some are not. They needed a category and I though words most fitting. I appreciate your input, Jim. Hope the weather's fair in Maine.

Yes, timetao, that must be common. Someone mentioned that earlier. I often hear that, too, but it escaped me while writing this post. I'll be sure to add your inclusion in the the Part 2. Thanks so much!

Great one. I'm not sure how many people realize that. "Fifth anniversary" is how it should read. I imagine with budget cuts networks are strapped for the cash to pay proofreaders and fact checkers, or at least enough of them to do a terrific job. Way back when when I worked in publishing, nothing went to press before at least four pairs of eyes read articles, ads, basically everything. Later in my career it was down to two or three sets--at least at my office. That can be a dangerous thing.

Yes, as is "Where are you at?" There's no need to be redundant and use "at" at all. It's perfect as you have it: "Where are you?" Thanks for the comment!

Thank you, dwdm. I'll have that corrected asap. My bad, as my kids would say. :)

That has not been mentioned, Tiffany! Thanks. You are in the right field, Ms. Grammar Queen! Keep on teaching and correcting those kids.

I must say it's even hard for me to keep up with the comments. People have a lot to say and that's WONDERFUL! Maybe there's hope, even for me. :)

P.S. I fully expect to see "texting" and "versing" there one day, too, if it isn't there already. The will of the people, I guess. :)

Yes! It makes me think they mean they're in need of a laxative.

I hear ya, tribtest. I just asked my kids how they pronounce it just to be sure it wasn't going around our house. :) We're good.

There's a lot to cover, that's for sure! I like to remember "lie" is to recline; "lay" is to place. And, isn't obtuse a an angle term in geometry? Thanks for your comment!

You know, when I first heard someone say that, I had to check things out for myself. I thought maybe I was wrong, which is known to happen occasionally. :)

I think it's for emphasis. From the Phrase Finder:
"Believe me when I say the phrase is "believe you me," and it means the same as "believe me." The OED comments thus: " believe (you) me, phr. strengthening an assertion." It gives citations which go quite a way back for "believe me," but only from 1926 for "believe you me." Like "believe me," it's an imperative, although the addition of "you" makes it sound somewhat like a subjunctive. As the OED says, it's a way of saying, "It's really so." SS "

Do you think that's a regional thing?

When I double checked at dictionary.com, they had the three-syllable and two-syllable versions listed, but here at Merriam-Webster, they only offer your preferred pron.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio-medlineplus.pl?vetera01.wav=veteran

Funny. I love that response! How about when a person start a sentence with "Honestly?" How else were they going to speak?

Sort of like how Corona is considered pretty cheap in Mexico and here it is thought of as so fancy? You are probably right about the trashy name. Thanks for your remarks!

:) They keep on coming. You should read the other comments for even more wooziness. Thanks so much for reading and participating.

Dictionary.com says "over" can mean:
"in excess of; more than: over a mile; not over five dollars."
I'm with you, however. I'd opt for more than more often than not. Thanks for your addition!

This is a tough one, mestebe. I learned from my old English book that "good" and "well" are fine here. "Well" pertain more to your health, while "good" indicates a state of being. I no longer have that textbook, but here's some background from Grammar Girl:

"That's why, even though good is primarily an adjective, it is OK to say, "I am good": am is a linking verb, and you use adjectives after linking verbs.

Aside from the linking-verb-action-verb trickiness, another reason people get confused about this topic is that well can be both an adverb and a predicate adjective. As I said earlier, in the sentence He swam well, well is an adverb that describes how he swam. But when you say, “I am well,” you're using well as a predicate adjective. That's fine, but most sources say well is reserved to mean “healthy” when it's used in this way (1, 3, 4). So if you are recovering from a long illness and someone is inquiring about your health, it's appropriate to say, “I am well,” but if you're just describing yourself on a generally good day and nobody's asking specifically about your health, a more appropriate response is, 'I am good.'"
Thanks very much for reading and commenting! Special thanks for bringing up something VERY controversial.

LOL. What a great reply! Appreciate your addition.

Bet it does. Don't you wonder how these things begin? Thanks for reading and commenting. Do hope you'll come back!

Guilty also. :)

Good points. I think I used to say "table" incorrectly when running PTO meetings a few years ago. I believe I would have learned that from "Robert's Rules of Order." Go figure. Thanks for straightening me out!

Love it! And I do hope you point it out just that way to offenders. Have a great night!

Thanks you, Chuck. I was not aware. I guess he brought it back to light. :)

Excellent! I remember seeing preventative frequently at the trade magazine I used to work for.

I see your point. I guess it would work here if the student were students...as in students took their lives. Thanks for your inclusion and for reading!

Just when I think we've covered everything.... You are right. Thanks for catching and listing that, JA!

Great additions. I'm also guilty of avoiding words that people don't think are, well, real words. I hope to include those words in the October addition of Say This Not That. Keep a look out! And, thanks for reading and commenting.