11 MORE Overused Phrases Dumb People Say

11 MORE Overused Phrases Dumb People Say










In May I wrote a list of 11 phrases I find stupid. I thought of 11 more.

1. Any way, Shape or Form

Want to make a moron stutter? When they say "any way, shape or form", ask them what the difference is between shape and form. Or how "Any way, shape or form",  is appreciably different from "any way".


2. "Obviously....". When it isn't Obvious.

Obviously this one annoys me because it's obvious I hate incorrect word usage. With my last list of annoying phrases being my most popular list to date, I obviously was going to write another list like that. Plus it is Sunday which obviously is the day I am most likely to write a blog list.  So it is obvious that this is on the list.


3. Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol is a drug. And by the way, today I plan to watch sports and baseball.

4. Irregardless

This one annoys everyone. The prefix "ir-" means "not", and the suffix "-less" means "without". If you're aspiring to be as intelligent as people who use that phrase, I hope when you forget your wallet you remember to say, "Oh no! I am without my walletless!"


5. AnywayS (plural)

As we all can figure out, anyways is a compound word of any + way. When you use the word "any", you are, by definition referring to a plurality of things. You wouldn't say "Choose any of that one sandwich you would like".  I guess the superfluous S at the end makes it extra plural.

Are you as shocked as I am that this picture was taken with a crappy camera?

6. Near Miss

News anchors love this one when it comes to airplanes. "There was a near miss between two planes at Midway Airport this afternoon.". What happened at midway was a miss, not a near miss. A near miss would mean two plans barely collided, or grazed one another. If two planes almost touch but don't, that is a near hit. (This was suggested to me by my co-worker Gary).

7. Don't Overdo it

Chefs on cooking shows sometimes remind us, "Don't add too much",  of a certain ingredient. So what you're saying is don't put in quantity so great that it makes the food taste bad. Ohhh, I was going to intentionally ruin my food by adding a pound of paprika to my paella. Got it. Thanks.

8. Safe Haven

Haven means safe place. If you had a haven that weren't safe, it wouldn't be a haven. Although, maybe there could theoretically be a haven for violence. Like the two that Mayors Daley made on the Southside and Westside of Chicago.


9. "Usually Always" or  "I Guarantee he Probably Will"

These are errors of logic. While discussing this type of thing, it's almost a rule to mention the adage, "A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.". Fortunately there is already a word that means "usually always". It is "usually".


10.  Old Adage

using the word "adage" reminds me that it also annoys me when people say, "old adage". You can say "old saying", or "old phrase", but the word "adage" implies age. Lil Wayne may coin a lot of slang phrases, but he has yet to coin an adage. Though it would amuse the hell out of me if in 60 years my grandkids told me the old Li'l Wayne adage, "Rims hella big, tires skinny like Chris Rock."

11. Schizophrenic, when implying multiple personalities.

Sportscasters love calling inconsistent teams Schizophrenic. I've heard Chris Berman use that word incorrectly several times.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia include disjointed thoughts, hallucinations, and delusions and are completely separate from Dissociative Personality Disorder (commonly called Multiple Personality Disorder).

Confusing  Dissociative Disorder with Schizophrenia (a Psychotic Disorder) is about as intelligent as confusing cancer with herpes.

Your bad.


In summation:

Usually I'm always a grammar stickler in every way shape and form, but sometimes I'm not- I guess I'm just schizophrenic like that. Irregardless,  I obviously like blogging because it's a safe haven for my grammar rants. Most people don't appreciate me calling them stupid, if anyone ever tries to punch me because of it, I sure hope  it results in a near miss. And no, I'm not up under the influence of drugs OR alcohol (for the moment, anywayS).


Filed under: annoying, Grammar


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  • 1. Take eggs as an example. Way: over-easy vs. omelet; Shape: circle vs. rectangle; Form: flat vs. fluffy. Irregardless is a word. Get over it. Do you also hate inflammable?

    3. Caffeine and aspirin are drugs too. Should places forbidding heroine and alcohol post a full list of which drugs aren't allowed and which are?

    4. Do you hate inflammable as well?

    7. "Don't overdo it" is a phrase used in situations when it's likely that you will do just that. It implies that you are better off coming up short than going too far. Think of the Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right.

    How do you feel about the term over-exaggerate? While technically it's redundant, there is a "obvious" difference is their implication. I don't see an exaggeration as a negative thing, whereas I do apply a negative connotation to an over-exaggeration.

  • 1. You didn't get it. People often say things like, "In no way, shape or form do I agree with that plan." In which case shape, form and way are all the wrong word choices. They should say, "I absolutely disagree" or something more efficient and literally accurate.
    What does inflammable have to do with this? That's a real word and I'm fine with, thanks for asking.

    3.. What place does NOT forbid heroin??? Or did you mean it how you spelled it with an "e" on the end? I'm not sure where female heroes are forbidden. The signs should say, "No illegal drugs or alcohol".

    4. My answer didn't change since you asked me that the first time. You weren't in one of those legal heroin shooting galleries while you commented were you?

    7. Again, it wasn't that I didn't understand the (incorrect) rationale of it's usage. I'd prefer a chef say, "use a pinch of salt" or, "err on the side of too little.", or "a little goes a long way", or "it's easy to add too much, so be careful." etc.

    I think over-exaggerate waters down the meaning of exaggerate. Where should you draw the line? What if in 10 years people say "over -over-exaggerate", will you still use the lowly, "over-exaggerate"?. How does one know when you've left exaggeration and entered the realm of "over-exaggeration"?
    The good thing about our language is that there is a lot of words. If something is blown out of proportion to an astoundingly ludicrous extent take 19 seconds and think up a creative way to phrase it in a way that does it justice do not just say "exaggerate" with 17 "over"s before it.

    Thanks for reading.

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    In reply to TRSlyder:

    The 'no way shape or form' comment could still be accurate. While you could, as pointed out, say " I totally disagree"... The "no way" covers all your bases. However, the shape and form portion can be substantially different. While a square, or a triangle have a shape (and therefore a form) a puddle of water has no identifiable shape but has only form. So technically it could still work.
    I think this blog is funny in how you enumerate grammatical errors that annoy you but there are several errors in your rants ("near miss" portion discusses a near miss by 2 plans...instead of planes!!). If some things annoy you fine...but at least rant about them correctly. lol :-D

  • Dammit, I always add that "e" to heroin. At least that shows I don't often frequently write about drugs.

    You're welcome for reading. Big fan of your stuff.

  • all these are great, but baseball is not a sport. It is a recreational activity, in which two fat men play catch for 9 innings.

  • In reply to WeDuhPeople:

    She's got you there, buddy.

  • Yes, alcohol is a drug. But, using the phrase "drugs and alcohol" is making the point of the drug alcohol, which can be purchased in grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and such versus drugs, which are either illegal under all circumstances (cocaine and heroin) or require a prescription (hydrocodone, etc.)

    This probably goes back partially to the time after the Normans conquered England. In the legal system, both French and English were used, so that everyone understood the proceedings. That's why we say "law and order" or "cease and desist."

    Saying that the abuse of "drugs and alcohol" won't be tolerated makes it clear that you don't want people shooting heroin, snorting cocaine, or drinking a 6-pack of beer in one evening.

    It's the same reason that people say "fruits and vegetables." Some items that we consider vegetables are really fruits, such as tomatoes. If you say "fruits and vegetables," then you've coverd everything. Unless you want to be picky about potatoes. They are tubers, which are neither fruits nor vegetables.

  • I would theorize that the continuing popularity of using "Schizophrenic" to describe something that appears to have multiple personalities is because the root prefix "Schizo-" means split and the suffix "-phrenia" means mind. So it is still a valid use of the word even though it would be a medically inaccurate diagnosis.

  • Perhaps people that write blog posts about grammar should learn how to properly use verb tenses and capitalization before posting.

  • Martini, blogs are the text messages of the journalism world, and no grammar rules apply. Sorry, bro. Rules.

  • There's much truth in what you say and I applaud you for saying it.

  • I have one that really ticks me off:

    "Where you're at?" Even announcers/reporters on TV say it.

    And there's the ever popular: "shoulda went"

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    I agree with your list. One that hits my hot button is very unique. Unique means one of a kind so adding very falls into your safe haven category.

  • In reply to Blake Hobson:

    Agreed. That was listed on my first list. That one really gets me.

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    I love this list. I have been called a "grammar nazi" since college, so I can relate to your frustration with these mistakes. I have a couple more to add to your list:

    1. "Like" as in, I'd like to thank you for coming. I'd like to welcome you to the meeting. WHY LIKE? Would you like to do it, but there's something preventing it? If not, as Nike would say, "JUST DO IT." Thank you for coming tonight. Welcome to the weekly meeting of grammar addicts anonymous.

    2. Any and all. This one particularly makes me crazy - REDUNDANT!

    3. Will someone please explain "honest to goodness" to me...it just doesn't make sense!

    MADDIE...Your, "where are you at," comment reminds me of my favorite joke about not ending your sentences in with prepositions...I'd type it, but it's a little dirty ;o)

  • In reply to Jenn Jarmula:

    Totally feeling #s two and three. All dirty jokes are welcome at the dirty joke department- TRSlyder@yahoo.com

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    How about the phrase, "you're more than welcome." I have always strained to understand that one.

  • In reply to Blake Hobson:

    Great call

  • Incorrect usage seems to be a valid complaint, but attacking phraseology and common idioms seems pointless. What about the phrase "amuse the hell out of me"? Would you analyze that one?

  • Thanks for reading TJ. Please keep in mind I'm just a guy with a blog and I write what happens to annoy me. That quotation, in theory, should annoy me but doesn't very much for some reason. Maybe because it contains a swear word, and I'm partial to profanity.

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    re: anyways What are you talking about? All good Chicagoans put s at the end of words. For instance: "Anyways, I am going to head down to the Jewels to get me some aspirins and drugs, irregardless of whether or not they have said drugs behind the counter or not. And then obviously I am going to stop for a polish sausage on my ways back home."

  • In reply to Chrisb:

    lol, that was funny. I just thought they added an extra "s" or three, as in, "Sometimesss even beerss and sausagess with the boyss don't even rescue me when I'm down in da dumpss.". Now I know.

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    Here's one in the same vein as schizophrenic.

    Antisocial; how many times has someone gone to a person sitting quietly in the corner at an event, and told them to stop being so antisocial.

    Antisocial Personality Disorder ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder ) is classified as "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood." In other words, psychopaths.

    The term they should be using is Avoidant; as in Avoidant Personality Disorder ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avoidant_personality_disorder ), which is social inhibition.

    Keep that one in mind for next time.

  • Loved it!
    Similiar to Maddie, I can not stand seeing "should of" written - hello, it's "should have"
    Also, "or what have you." Just sounds like laziness in not finishing your list, or just stick with whatever.

    It's not a phrase, but grammar related - the misuse of apostrophes. Biggest facebook post pet peeve I have.

  • "I tell you what..."

    There's no need to preface what you're going to say with that. Just spit it out.

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    In reply to Utard:

    In that same area is, I believe.... Why would a person say or write a thing if they didn't believe it? I suppose it is tossed into the sentence to mean that whatever follows is opinion rather than some empirical fact that the speaker knows for sure.

  • In reply to Utard:

    lol. that is a great one. I always want to say, "uhh, I know. I figured that out when you were, uh, telling me." It's like the opposite of "Not to interrupt..." while they interrupt. My mother is a staunch advocate of that one and "not to change the subject..." while doing exactly that.

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    Ok, as all good Chicago residents know, the following phrase is ok, "Do you wanna go with?" Only in Chicago is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition.

  • Ok. Since someone brought up Chicago, I have to put this one out there. ... and by the way, that's pronouced shi-caw-go, not shi-CA-go.

    With all due respect for "Chicago's Finest," I absolutely go CRAZY when they say "I'm the police." Really? You're ALL of them? I've been known to bang my head on a wall when I hear this... it's like a trigger! Maybe it's not just a Chicago thing but this is where I live and I hear it ALL the time.

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    In reply to ChicagoGal:

    So.......Chicago should really be spelled "Chicaugo"???

    By the way, I have yet to find it written down that when Patrick M. Chicago founded this city named after him way back in the day, he wrote out the way he wanted it pronounced by future generations.

    If you find it, please email it to me so I can correct my pronounciation. Until then, it's Chicaaahhhgo, biotch!

  • Blake... I want to go with!

    I didn't realize how much slang I used in my every day speech until I went to Spain. I stayed with someone who was there teaching English as a second language (he is a Brit). His friends who had learned English (properly) had a very hard time understanding what I was talking about. Apparently, Americans could use a little brush up on our English!

  • In reply to ChicagoGal:

    Don't sweat the slang, ChicagoGal. Brits have plenty of slang that most Americans don't really understand and Aussies have other slang terms not used by Brits or Americans. In a similar vein, in many places the term "honest politician" is taken literally, but in Chicago it refers to a politician who doesn't continue to shop around after he's been bought.

  • There is no word "preventative". It is preventive. Just like no word incentitive or maintainence. Incentive and maintenance respectively.

    And the word "awesome" is so overused that it is absolutely meaningless.

  • In reply to Senor Bruce:

    Great calls all around- I'd also like to mention to rappers that "Conversate" is not a word, but converse is. I apologize for being one of the overusers of "Awesome", but feel that the definition of "incredible" is much more watered down. Literally, it means "not credible" or something hardly believable. To say someone is "incredibly nice" makes it sound like their parents were jerks and you can't explain how that person is actually nice.

  • Your friend Gary probably heard the George Carlin bit when he offered the "Near Miss/Near Hit" phrase. George does an airline routine that just kills!

    A very midwestern phrase that always makes me cringe is: "ALLS I KNOW IS THAT...." I'm thinking, really? Is that everything you know? and is alls supposed to be the plural of "all"?

    Another is when one person asks, "Do you mind if I...blah, blah, blah" and the second party answers "Yes" to give consent instead of answering "No" which should properly inform the first party that one doesn't mind if they proceed. Either you mind, or you don't mind....but one should properly answer the question actually being asked.

  • In reply to 60641c:

    Thanks for reading and commenting, 60641c. I just asked Gary and he said, "Actually I didn't see that one! But I do like him.". I'm familiar with that Carlin routine and you're right- it is outstanding.

    Great call with "AlI I know is..." I've thought that before but forgot to list it.
    Your last point reminded me of- "Mind if I ask you a question?". Well, you just did without permission, so why are you asking permission for a future question?.

  • One I have heard a lot lately is "orientate." Why can't we just "orient" people?

    FYI- I had a discussion with someone re: "anyways" and afterward looked it up in a dictionary. Turns out the dictionary allows the "singular" and "plural" forms.

  • In reply to RBerlove:

    And another one that really bothers me is "same difference."

    One that people get wrong all the time is "costed."

  • Are you's instigating that I don't got no good grammer? Last week though, I did saw a hole flock of gooses fly over a heard of sheeps and mooses or is that meese?

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    Irregardless is only a word because it's in popular use. If I made up a word, and it spread into the general population, we'd call that a word too. The problem with "irregardless" is that it's used in a context where "regardless" should be used instead. It's a word used by people who don't know how to properly use the word.

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    I hate when people use the word "sir" in everyday speech like theyre living in 1800s Britain.

  • In reply to Jeffrey Shain:

    Thanks for reading. And I do declare I bid a kind day to you, my good....homey.

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