Words that people shouldn't use...

[Chu]

There are some words that I hear that just piss me off because they're being used wrong. Sometimes the word isn't technically being used wrong, but I have a weird fixation on its definition, so I disagree with what most people think it means. For example:

Anti-social - is not simply not wanting to talk to people. There is anti-social behavior (meant to be harmful to others) and then there is pro-social behavior (is meant to be helpful to others) but neither has anything to do with whether you enjoy talking to people or not. I may just be hung up on its psychological definition (does the regular definition mean something else?) but it still bugs me when people say that they're anti-social.

I could care less - just doesn't make any sense. You couldn't care less means that you don't care. If you could care less, then you obviously care.

Literally - is not a replacement for "very" as in "I'm literally angry." ><


There are others, but I lost my train of thought at literally. XD

[Weaseldale]

Yes, antisocial does actually have two definitions from a quick perusal of internet dictionary sites. xD Well, more than two, but most seem to concur with the psychological definition. It can be used to basically mean the same as unsociable as most people think of it, though, too.

Obviously it's still more than "not wanting to talk to people" but it isn't just the behavioral definition and such. Words.

[Chu]

Ah, thank you for the clarification, Ace. Are there any words that you hate to hear people use?

[Weaseldale]

People who use schizophrenic as if means multiple personalities bothers me so much.

On a slightly different note, people bother me when they rant about how retarded is incorrect to describe mentally disabled people... because until DSM-5 comes out (which, thankfully, is only a few days away /o/) it is correct. I mean, I agree that it needs to change, I just am bothered when people are wrong U:

Literally bothers me as well. xD So much. I'm sure there are more but my mind is ded U:

[Chu]

My psych teacher went on a rant about how wrong people are with their use of schizophrenic. XD She said that if we got that question wrong on the test, we immediately failed the course. A few of us shouted, "Thank you!!"

Ah, I forgot all about that. /o/ What date does it come out again?

[Weaseldale]

This month sometime, so next two weeks at the very latest, although I'm hoping it will come out this coming week /o/

[realAniram]

I always thought anti-social meant you were against having social interactions. xD;; So I'm guilty of over using that one.

'Literally' bugs the hell out of me and my brother. So much so we're trying to start a thing where we say 'figuratively' instead. "I AM FIGURATIVELY GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW YOU BOSH'TET!"

Could/couldn't care less only bugs me if I think about it too deeply. Which is something that I do a lot because linguistics = fascinating.

Technically is something that people seem to overuse a lot, at least locally. When someone says, 'Technically blah blah blah... But then technically blah blah blah something opposite,' it kind of gets on my nerves. Often used in conjunction with the incorrect 'literally'.

[Sly]

Hmm...you know what bothers me? whenever people use "of" where they should be using "have." I confess that I see this more in writing, than I hear it in speaking, but it's still irritating. For example when someone says "we could of done this..." That's just, grammatically, wrong.

[realAniram]

I think that's probably because a lot of people sound like they're saying 'could of' when they say 'could've'. I know I do, but that could be a regional accent. xD I usually try to use the have form but I probably use the of a lot.

[Chu]

Ace, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's sometime this week.


Aniram, I know I used to use technically a lot. >< Not sure if I still do.


Sly, I hate that. But then when I try to avoid "could've," "could have" sounds clunky. It's annoying.

[xanreita]

I hate when people describe themselves as "random" and proceed to blurt out words in the same vein as "pie", "cows", etc etc. It's not random if you're consciously thinking about what "random" word you're going to use next!!
Sorry for the over-use of quotations.

[Chu]

I hate that too. >_> The "lol so randum XD" trend in general, really. It's obnoxious.

[killerkitty]

I agree with everything in this thread so far. One thing that also bugs me is when people use "that" instead of "who" as in "You're the one that got away". I dunno, just something I don't like.

[Chu]

Huh, I never thought about that. I see why it would annoy you though.

[Zillah]

The "literally" thing bothers me quite a lot too. It's a little annoying when someone uses it as a simple substitute for "very" to emphasize something, but it's so much worse when the thing they're trying to emphasize is actually figurative, like "I am literally starving to death".

"Ironic" is another. People use way too often, as if it just means strange and funny. If something is ironic, it might be strange and funny but what it really means is that it's the opposite of you'd expect. I have a hard time finding really good uses for that word myself, so I just avoid it if I can.

I do hear "technically" all the time when it's not really appropriate, and I have one friend who uses "theoretically" in place of it, which I think is even worse.

And oh, "random" is a pretty annoying one too. If we want to get really technical, things like "the word 'cabbage' randomly came to mind" and "he was just some random person I know" are incorrect usage. Words don't come to mind randomly. They come to mind through connected pathways in our brains. Sometimes we can't tell where a word comes from, but that doesn't make it truly random. Similarly, a person you know isn't "random". What you mean to say is "he was an acquaintance, no one special; it could have been anyone".

"Irregardless" is a non-word that really grates on my ears when I hear it. My dad says it sometimes, and it's like nails on a chalkboard. Ughhh.