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04 October 2007

Pet Peeve: People who repeatedly use words that aren't words.→[More:]

No, not like "LOL."

Like "agreeance," which the producer I'm working with right now says all the fucking time.

She'll actually utter sentences like "We were hoping they'd be in agreeance with us, but they turned out to be in disagreeance."

This is an actual quote. This shit DRIVES ME FUCKING CRAZY.

Am I just being overly prescriptivist here? I don't think so, God damn it.

post by: dersins at: 16:03 | 38 comments

For all intensive purposes, I agree.

posted by Joe Invisible 04 October | 16:10

I used the word "crotchal" earlier. I apologize.

posted by kellydamnit 04 October | 16:10

Is calmative a word? I don't think it is. I resist its usage and join you in your campaign to rid the English language of made up words! (Unless it's Steven Colbert doing the make-upping, in which case, it's all right)

posted by msali 04 October | 16:34

you speak with truthiness. (msali said it's OK)

posted by desjardins 04 October | 16:37

I don't understand the problem. Those are all perfectly cromulent words.

posted by pieisexactlythree 04 October | 16:41

Throw "agreement" and "disagreement" into the conversation frequently when you're speaking with her. Don't put any unnatural emphasis or snarky tone on the words, just use them.

posted by DevilsAdvocate 04 October | 16:45

I once said "rappaport" when I meant "rapport." Funny.

posted by mullacc 04 October | 17:04

I love made up words except in professional settings.

More upsetting to me are perfectly good words used incorrectly, so that you THINK you know what they're saying, but it turns out they meant something else entirely.

Though my dad used to do this just to watch my mother froth at the mouth. Yes, they're now divorced.

posted by small_ruminant 04 October | 17:23

In theory, I agree with you, but can you give any more pacific examples?

posted by dg 04 October | 17:32

I work with a woman who is the queen of such malapropisms -- I know a few people in her department even keep track of them in a secret notebook. It's augmented by the fact that she's incredibly long-winded (though, it must be admitted, usually well-meaning in her sort of pushy, oblivious way) in speech and in email, so there are sometimes half a dozen or so to choose from every day.

My current favorite is the word "umbrellic," used to describe multiple things within one category (i.e., under the same umbrella).

posted by scody 04 October | 17:48

I had a history teacher my senior year of high school who would often combine words. I can't seem to recall any right now, but they were always synonyms. I'll see if I can dig them up.

posted by CitrusFreak12 04 October | 18:18

This thread has embiggened us all with its cromulence.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 18:24

I accidentally said "lettitor" or "ledditor" one day, in my hasty speech...I started to explain what I meant to say, but my conversation partner totally got it from the context. I now think that "letter to the editor" should be spliced into "ledditor" permanently.

posted by richat 04 October | 18:26

I had a boss once that told me that 4 quarters of an inch equal one hold.

posted by chewatadistance 04 October | 18:28

Mr. V does this a lot. Not intentionally. "Deaf" has been said as "Death". One of the constant ones: Aldteimers instead of Alzheimers. I wish I could think of more of them but I'm drawing a blank right now.

posted by redvixen 04 October | 18:42

I know this isn't the same, because it's a company name, but here in Canada the main ATM company is called "Interac," and I have a friend that says "Interact" with the fuckin' T on the end, clearly pronounced. Bothers me. Oh ya, when people say "ATM Machine." The M is for the MACHINE part, you don't need to say it again. Much like "PIN Number."

Also, "Valentimes."

posted by chococat 04 October | 18:49

I think it's fine to utilize fake words as long as it's done with strategery.

posted by brina 04 October | 18:58

I like "umbrellic." I'm going to use that one in a conversation today.

posted by lekvar 04 October | 19:08

Off the subject, but my pet peeve are stupid sayings. Tonight my husband told our whining child that didn't want to go to bed: "Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying." What in the hell? Groan.

My boss wrote sent out a department email that other day that said, "Thanks to Linda for that great ideal!"

Growing up I knew two people that said brefast instead of breakfast. OMG, that makes one want to kill!

My father-in-law says hamburg instead of hamburger, but that's acceptable so I'm told.

Husband and I like to use stategerize. Now, that's a great word.

On preview, brina, I agree!

posted by LoriFLA 04 October | 19:53

My current favorite is the word "umbrellic," used to describe multiple things within one category (i.e., under the same umbrella).

Clearly, it's a synonym for "bumbershootist".

posted by Eideteker 04 October | 20:06

Growing up I knew two people that said brefast instead of breakfast. OMG, that makes one want to kill!

My grandparents do that, but it's mainly due to their accents and imperfect English.

posted by jonmc 04 October | 20:08

eatin pasketti and thinkin bout playing hockey from work.

posted by shane 04 October | 20:37

It's not like this is the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night, but 'orientate' always rubs me the wrong way.

posted by box 04 October | 20:45

Yeah, me too - also "preventative" instead of "preventive".

posted by dg 04 October | 20:57

but "assholic" is a perfectly acceptable adjective.

posted by shane 04 October | 21:01

Only if you spell it arseholic, though.

posted by dg 04 October | 21:26

I think it will be best if dg and myself never meet, because I'd say that preventative is the 'correct' word, and 'preventive' the UTTER WRONGNESS. I swear I went to a "preventative maintenance" class at Uni once, and that was at a Uni, so it must be right, right?

Google seems to be on dg's side, so I suppose on this one I'm going to go with the anti-prescriptivist position.

My pet hate is "obligated"... a word which seems to be meaning "obliged", but feels the urge to absorb a couple more syllables. I suppose this is exactly the same whinge as dg's "preventative" one, and box's "orientate" one.

Of course, "obligated" has such a wide currency these days that I suppose it's a battle I've already lost.

(also: it's spelled "basketti")

posted by pompomtom 04 October | 23:46

"Orientate." Fucking Christ.

posted by Brittanie 04 October | 23:56

Don't get me started on people who spell everything with a z instead of an s just because Word is set to default to US English.

posted by dg 05 October | 00:19

Don't like Lewis Carroll much, Dersins?

posted by brujita 05 October | 00:36

I worked with a woman once that would request drawlings from our vendors. I also hate the misuse of manufacturer's and manufactures.

posted by youngergirl44 05 October | 01:09

'Drawlings' sound like little creatures that scuttle about under the desk making a scratching sound...

posted by pompomtom 05 October | 01:20

What's the big idear?

posted by chuckdarwin 05 October | 04:02

Oh jeez 'orientate' is annoying. What the hell is wrong with 'orient'?

posted by chewatadistance 05 October | 10:59

lol

posted by nola 05 October | 16:54

Warsh. *shudder* There is no "R" in wash.

posted by deborah 05 October | 19:33

Ekcetera, ekcetera...

posted by psmealey 06 October | 09:55

Preventive or Preventative?

posted by Eideteker 07 October | 07:18

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