Language Peeves

As in the the Fox News person Rita Cosby, who was describing a Little League baseball player with this phase: "He literally blew the spectators away!"

That earned her a letter, cc'd to Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch with a lesson about the meaning of the word "literally" and what it would look like if the child "literally" blew the spectators away.

 

Oh, @Michelle Anderson ... yes! I get such a kick out of that when I hear it! Things like "I literally tasted that a hundred years ago when I was a kid"... uh, really?!

 

One that still makes me shudder is the commentator who described the Dutch footballer Arjen Robben as being "literally on fire." Ouch.

I liked that one so much that I pinched it to use in my novel.

 

I dislike it when people say "I seen" instead of "I saw".

 

And theirselves instead of themselves.

 

Ain't

 

The response "I'm good," in reply to a general question about how well one is keeping always makes me want to say, "That is for other people to decide."

 

That reminds me of one of my late father's favorites- he'd often say "Same difference."

 

I agree with you on that.
I also dislike the excuse for risky/foolish behavior "You only live once." But I found a good comeback to that: "You only die once, too."

 

When I'm talking to people I know, I say, "I'm good" because, Shug, I AM good. When I'm talking to prim and proper people , I say, "I am well, thank you. I hope you are also."

 

@Tom Locke could she have been saying "ya know"? Very common filler phrase, but annoying.

 

"Unbelievable". When someone says that after a remark or statement is made, It's as if they are calling the person who made the remark a liar.

 

Love this thread - so many funny responses
Agree so much with the opening post too
I tend to write how I speak, I can't suddenly be someone I'm not to fit in
I don't class meself as 'common' - but a 'natural' cockney
Common speak - well it makes me teeth itch .......................