While many of the words you love to hate reappeared in the responses to my latest query on the subject, there is a slew of new words and phrases loathed and abhorred by my sources.\u00a0 Some of them are irritating, I suspect, simply because they aren\u2019t words at all, such as \u201caxe\u201d for \u201cask,\u201d mentioned by\u00a0Lise Nelson Rackley\u00a0<\/b>(who also mentioned \u201cexpecially\u201d as a word she loves to hate),\u00a0Brenda Dougherty Holmes<\/b><\/a>, and\u00a0Ann Dennin<\/b>.\u00a0 \u201cSupposably\u201d rubs\u00a0Terri Gregory<\/b>\u00a0the wrong way.\u00a0\u00a0Geri E Neumann<\/b><\/a>\u00a0can\u2019t imagine what a \u201chickster\u201d is\u2014perhaps a cross between a hippie and a hick, or simply the mispronunciation of the trendy term, \u201chipster.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Alana Rooney Kaplan<\/b>\u00a0detests \u201cirregardless,\u201d even though she understands that it now appears in at least one well-respected dictionary, apparently as the result of the Doctrine of Common Usage coupled with the Test of Time.<\/p>\n The misuse of words\u2014\u201ceffect\u201d for \u201caffect,\u201d and \u201cgood\u201d for \u201cwell,\u201d for example\u2014really frosts\u00a0Sarah Robertson\u2019<\/b>s cupcakes and\u00a0Jackie Gardner<\/b><\/a>loathes \u201cleave it be!\u201d\u00a0Jodie Kucich Shirley<\/b><\/a>\u2019s ears ring when she hears \u201cshould of\u201d and\u201ccould of\u201d instead of \u201cshould have\/could have,\u201d and\u00a0Tracey Muldaur<\/b><\/a>\u00a0sees red when anyone refers to a group of items as “these ones” or “those ones.”\u00a0 I see her point and concur.<\/p>\n Most annoying to\u00a0A. Cheryl Curtis<\/b><\/a>\u00a0is the California-girl-speak, “I’m like…” in which \u201clike\u201d is used as a filler.\u00a0 Another filler\u2014\u201cY\u2019know what I’m sayin\u2019?”\u2014irritates\u00a0Jeanne Anne Norton<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cThat’s an excellent question!\u201d is nothing more than a stalling technique, in\u00a0Susan Timko<\/b>\u2019s view, and, at least in\u00a0Judith Good Taylor<\/b><\/a>\u2019s opinion, the dismissive “so what!” is just plain rude.<\/p>\n Kathy McManus Carey<\/b><\/a>\u00a0greatly dislikes hearing anyone say, “By the very self-same token” and wonders,\u201cHonestly, what does that saying mean?\u201d\u00a0 I wonder, too.\u00a0 \u201cUp by you,\u201d ruffles\u00a0Peggy Bice<\/b>\u2019s feathers\u2014and, believe me, Peggy has plenty of feathers to ruffle.<\/p>\n Two terms associated with pregnancy topped my list:\u00a0 \u201cBaby bump\u201d should be eliminated entirely, says\u00a0Patricia O\u2019Donnell<\/b>.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re pregnant,\u201d joyfully exclaimed by either parent-to-be, is totally ridiculous, according to\u00a0Jill Easton<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0 (Jill happens to be in excellent company; just ask Mila Kunis.)\u00a0 Speaking of the totally ridiculous, \u201ctotes ridic!\u201d ranks right up there with \u201ctotes adorbs!\u201d in the opinion of quite a number of readers.\u00a0 To some, each smacks of laziness.\u00a0 To others, both sound totes juve.<\/p>\n Two phrases, prominent among the original list of words you love to hate, made a reappearance on this new list.\u00a0\u00a0Dorothy Macgregor<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Maureen Muir<\/b>\u00a0loathe \u201cjust sayin\u2019\u201d and \u201cit is what it is,\u201d respectively.\u00a0 The latter is also a pet peeve of\u00a0Libbi Manley Murray<\/b>,Alvaro Martinez-Fonts<\/b>, and numerous others. \u00a0\u201cWhatever\u201d also made a repeat appearance on the new list, with\u00a0Kim McLaughlin Herrick<\/b><\/a>, among others, bringing it up for reconsideration<\/p>\n Alison Cole<\/b>\u00a0finds \u201cwith all due respect” to be a distinct turnoff as a conversation starter\u2014one just knows that whatever follows won\u2019t be respectful in the least\u2014while\u00a0Donna George Marchese<\/b><\/a>\u00a0regards (for reasons unknown to me) \u201cnet-net\u201d as repugnant.\u00a0 For obvious reasons, many dislike vulgarity in speech.\u00a0 The lovely\u00a0Gabby Abbinanti\u00a0<\/b>can\u2019t stand the word \u201csucks.\u201d\u00a0 Her mom\u00a0Joni<\/b>\u00a0hates \u201cfrickin\u2019\u201d and \u201cdouchebag.\u201d\u00a0 (Can\u2019t say as I blame either one of them.)<\/p>\n Luke Driscoll<\/b><\/a>\u00a0(maybe because he has to deal with so many of them) detests this as an argument stopper: \u201cThe bottom line is…\u201d\u00a0 I always think of that phrase as part of the language of high finance, which brings me to perhaps the funniest word one of my pals loves to hate:\u00a0 \u201cDECLINED!\u201d\u00a0 Oh, dear sweet, totes adorbs\u00a0Patti McGuigan<\/b><\/a>, I do hope you don\u2019t hear \u201cDECLINED\u201dtoo<\/b>\u00a0often, but I must applaud your spectacular sense of humor about finances (high\u00a0or<\/b>\u00a0low)!<\/p>\n The list of the words\u00a0I<\/b>\u00a0love to hate is far too long to include here.\u00a0 (Just sayin\u2019.)\u00a0 However, one of the top contenders of all time, according to my own and other informal polls,\u00a0is<\/b>\u00a0among the words on my own list.\u00a0 So, what\u2019s the word? \u00a0Panties.\u00a0 You are probably axing yourself why the word \u201cpanties\u201d sounds so skeevy to me?\u00a0 That\u2019s a frickin\u2019 excellent question!\u00a0 But, um, er, I\u2019m like\u2026afraid I couldn\u2019t tell you precisely why.\u00a0 It is what it is. Whatever.\u00a0 So, with all due respect, this old hickster is signing off.<\/p>\n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.<\/span>” mce_’ + path + ‘\\” + prefix + ‘:’ + addy93248 + ‘\\’>’+addy_text93248+'<\\\/a>’; \/\/–><\/p>\n By Cara Sheridan O\u2019Donnell<\/p>\n Follow us on Twitter – @DigiPrintNews<\/p>\n
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