I like words. I love language. I love weaving words and sentences together into something beautiful, amusing, or touching. Whether you love it or hate it, if it makes you react, I'm happy. Like any wordsmith, however, there are certain words that I absolutely cannot stand – and here they are, 10 words that need to go away. They won't, and that's cool, but a girl can vent and wish at the same time, right?
This started and stopped being cute for me when they made I Love You, Man. I know that's not where the term first started but that is where it entered my social consciousness, because I love Jason Segel and Paul Rudd. Now, any guys who are ever friends in public are having a bromance. That's great, it's always nice to see guys with close, male friends, but what happened to “buddy” or some other friend-friendly term that actually exists?
Another word that gets its origins in reality TV, the only positive attribute this term has is that it rhymes with “enemy,” which is great for poets. Otherwise, I am sick of hearing it. Girls, especially in celebrity land, are catty enough to each other. They don't need to start thinking that cattiness is justified just because it has its own word.
The Better Half just got me Tucker Max's new book for Christmas. I both love and loathe Tucker Max, but right now, that's beside the point (although I would love to hear your thoughts!). Max pretty much claims sole credit for creating the fratire genre of writing. Maybe so, but that doesn't mean it's a good word. What bothers me is its obvious relationship to satire, and the implication that anything Max-esque writers produce is satire drives me bonkers.
Ugh. Reality TV again. The Kardashians, Paris Hilton, those girls from Pretty Wild: all celebutantes, all proud of it. What are they proud of? It's not even a real word. It makes my spell check foam at the mouth!
O rly? I admit, I use text slang a lot – generally ironically. But “whatev” drives me bonkers because it has made its way into actually conversations. So o rly, srsly? You can't take the time to speak that extra syllable?
This word just sounds gross. I'm not gonna judge; if you sex text, that's cool, do your thing. But out loud, the word itself just sounds … I can't even describe it, but I think I just jettisoned back to 2005 and threw up in my mouth a little bit.
This word is actually recognized as a word now, at least in certain circles and certain dictionaries, but I don't care. That doesn't make it right. It's “regardless.” Typically I don't care, but lately I seem to run into people who say both “whatev” and “irregardless,” so it's like they took the necessary syllable off one word and added it onto the word that doesn't need it.
My issue with this is connotation. Everyone gets labeled a diva now. It used to belong to opera singers. Now Celine Dion and Mariah Carey are divas. So are bitchy girls. What? Why? Can they sing a mean aria?
From the very dregs of reality TV, especially the sort that spawns celebrities (and celebutantes). They are not celebrities and what they portray is not reality. Ergo, they should not ever be validated.
I just don't like the sound of this one, honestly. I get it, I know I can't theoretically hate it if I'm still willing to use the word “blog,” but it just sounds like someone had a whoopsie.
I don't (typically) hate on people who use these words, I just try not to do it myself. And you know what? It doesn't even work. They creep into the consciousness and just slip out. What words do you hate? Do you ever find yourself saying them anyway?
Top Photo Credit: retro-space