The expressions which really annoy me and that I feel are completely overused are:

" to die for" ( as in a food that is completely delcious)
" throw him under the bus " ( let the person take the blame)
" how's the workin' out for you?" ( a kind of snide question to make light of an idea or situation that YOU knew was a bad one from the start)

It is interesting how these expressions quickly lose their value and become so annoying and banal when overused.

Does anyone else have these peeves?

"good to go"

"Do" as in "Let's do lunch" or "Let's do Italy."

And most of all, the ever present overuse of superlatives. Is everything really fabulous, awesome, perfect, wonderful, and yes, to die for?

I agree with Siobhan on no problem. What's wrong with "You're welcome"? I fear I am soon going to start correcting these (usually) young people who say it to me.

He goes Hey,
and then I go Hey,
and then he goes Whaddya think?
and then I go Duh ("Duh" is drawn out into three syllables to indicate sarcasm, and the eyes are rolled.)

This kind of conversation, almost universal in teenage girls, may well be why I cannot endure reading books written in the present tense. I just returned Wolf Hall to the library after reading about three chapters because it was told in present tense. It makes me shudder.

Rosefolly

and adverts which use the word 'ultimate', as in

'The ultimate Christmas experience'

(I always want to say, 'what, there'll never, ever be another one?) Is nuclear war going to happen?')

And what about 'trouser' and 'pant'?

(What? You;ve only got one leg?) That's come in with the fasion industry but I wonder what fool coined it in the first place?

People who say 'Haitch' instead of 'aitch'

('Go and look up "haitch" in the dictionary - you won't find it because it doesn't exist)

I could happily rant for hours here but I'd better go and leave it at that.

Dido

'No problem' is often reduced in Australia to 'no probs' *shudder*

I also resent being told to 'have a nice day'. Checkout operators here also often say 'how has your day been?' or 'what do you have planned for the weekend?', to which I would like to answer 'none of your bloody business!!!'.
I am constantly annoyed by the amount of conversation which is almost unconscious. In my job as a sales assistant, I never say 'how are you?', which is the most common greeting, as I am mostly not interested (I will say it to customers I know well, if I care about the answer). I always say 'hullo' or 'hi' but so many answer 'good, thanks' which shows they have not even listened to what I said.

OK, rant over :-)

I enjoy responses for such things which will get the person's attention and maybe spark a little humor in them.
A few will actually chuckle.

Other overused phrases, in my opinion:
"Spot on" (adopted by a lot of Americans lately because it sounds fresh to them)
"Brilliant"
"Ever so much" as a response to a question, such as: Did you enjoy your holiday? (I always want to ask in turn: Ever so much what?)
"Thankyouverymuch" (Said all run together, ironically or sarcastically)

Annpan, a heaping spoonful is one that is overfilled, the usually dry (or only slightly moist) contents not level with the rim of the spoon's bowl but domed or piled up. It's a legitimate measure in the US, readily understood by most American recipe readers. Heaping transfers to all sorts of situations where "more than normal" is meant.

I'm curious, Annpan, do you think the Beverly Hillbillies are supposed to be Texans? I get that impression from your post, but I may be reading it incorrectly?

I don't think most Americans are in the habit of dropping the /s/ from trousers, pants, scissors, etc., unless they are using them as adjectives; e.g., trouser legs, pant suit (now often one word), scissor blades...

I think that the expression " ever so much" came from Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". She used it frequently as a part of her quirkiness.
Again, to amuse myself, I enjoy responding "Thank you ever so". (a personal homage to MM)

American Idol entrenched Simon Cowls expressions into our everyday lingo....."spot on, brilliant...." etc.
I don't believe anyone ever used those words so frequently pre Simon.

Me: Hello, how are you?

Cashier: (Big sigh. Thoughtful expression.) Well, really, I have no complaints.

Me: Glad to hear it.

Cashier: Yourself?

Me: Same.

Cashier: We can't hope for any better.

Me: True.

I felt like an old-timer sitting around the cracker barrel!

A friend of mine from London visited California and was very annoyed by the constant "Have a nice day!" offering. But when she went home she missed it. She would leave the stores wondering why the cashier didn't care if she had a nice day! Although that was a few years ago, and now the saying has spread to the Sceptered Isle.

Even worse than "goes" - like. Like, he was like, what's up, and I was like, whatever, and he was like, duuude.

And yes, ann, I also enjoy my little exchanges with people in shops. I live alone and usually work alone, so it is nice to have some human interaction even if it is somewhat contrived. Although I live in a very small town and certain courtesies are expected here, unlike the large urban/suburban area I moved from, where it was usual to conduct a transaction with no words spoken at all. The amount appears on a screen, one swipes one's card - no thank you or have a nice day necessary.

But at the same time, anything too personal gives me the creeps. A stranger asking my weekend plans is way too much.

I know this one has been discussed to death on RP, but the overuse/misuse of "literally" seems to be continuing unabated. It is often mispronounced to sound like "litchreally".

You never know.

"Have a nice day" is simply an informal version of "Have a good day", which is what "Good day" means, I do believe. I like it. What I don't like is the further evolution used widely here, "Have a good one." Have a good one what? Day? Creative experience? Trip to the moon? It irks me, completely undoing the breezy, pleasant effect intended.

Rosefolly

"What's it to you...I'll have whatever kind of day I like... ." made me laugh so much, I had a coughing jag (am in bed w/a bad cold).

Twice I've let people know that I wasn't feeling well (in just one short sentence), when they asked "How are you?". The response was no response -- just a slight, amused smile. Well, if they don't care, then why did they ask!? It was after that, that I started saying: "OK, thanks.", but didn't return the question to them.

Since "what's it to you?" has already come up, I will admit that I have heard it entirely too much from my British friends and acquaintances. I have been lucky that it has not been aimed directly to me, but I've found it disconcerting when they say it to each other -- the surliness, sarcasm, cynicism, and pervasive suspicion that there's an ulterior motive behind every utterance. My friend asked her daughter, "Will you be wearing that pink shirt tonight?" Daughter's snarl was, "What's it to you?" I don't know exactly what the background dynamic was between mother and daughter; but I've heard this response frequently to -- what seem to me to be -- other fairly innocuous questions and innocent remarks. Grumpiness seems to be the condition of the day.

Incidentally, in this area, (Wales, therefore I might say 'Round by here'), they have all sorts of variations which include the Welsh language - as, 'No problem' is 'Dim prob'. A common greeting is 'Shwmai' (the spelling is phonetic) which is a derivative and a dumbing down of 'Sut rydych i' - 'How are you'.

I've never come across 'my bad' so might make an inappropriate response if it were said to me.

On the other hand, I like to change up common expressions that I use. For instance, when I was introduced to someone, I used to say, "Glad ta meet ya". Now I say, "Charmed I'm sure". People love it.

What about telephone-answering habits?
As children we were always taught to answer the phone clearly, with just the surname used. So it would be "Hello, R--- speaking" Now we just say "Hello" plus our number, in case the caller is trying to reach the local bathroom suppliers; which happens often.
In this area where phones have only recently become a common household possession the receiver-lifter seems unsure of how to go on. Sometimes a bellowing 'Hello' or from younger people "Hi". One inappropriately jolly girl at the local funeral home/undertakers gave me a very breezy "Hi-ay" instead of a more lugubrious "Hello, this is the Gone-But-Not-Forgotten High Class Funeral Company. How may I help you?"
A US friend will phone up and while talking to me, will simultaneously be shouting at her children AND taking/making a call on her mobile/cell . . . but then her whole life is conducted in this crazy-making way. ;-)
Do you have similar examples?

I listen to a lot of kid speak, and I don't mind 'my bad', have learnt to live with 'no probs' but still don't like 'whatever' which is so dismissive.

I still don't like being told to 'have a nice day'; not because of the sentiment but because it usually means nothing. If it was truly meant, I wouldn't mind so much.

Kath, I also dislike the dismissiveness of "whatever." I think it's ten times worse in person than printed -- the inflection drives me batty, along with the eye rolling and shoulder shrugging. Teenage girls are the habitual users of this expression in the US; is this true in Australia?

Several years ago when "been there, done that" was being overused, I told my DH that I thought it was dismissive. He disagreed with me, though, and said that he interpreted it as acknowledging shared experience. I don't know if that's what most people think -- maybe it depends on a particular speaker -- but I just know that I never liked it. I heard it again recently and thought oh no! please don't resurrect that phrase. What do you all think is the best interpretation?

I get annoyed by "whatever" (which I think is rather rude), "my bad" (which I think is plain irritating), and "like" (as listed above). However, although I work on a university campus, I have little interaction with the college students most likely to say those things, so I safe for the moment.

I am working on getting my DH to add to his vocabulary as right now everything is "asinine"... I am so happy that he is using big and different words - just need to spread out with his vocabulary a bit.... (Don't want that to sound like he is a dolt - far from it, but he is not a big word person...)

Rosefolly

I choose to blame the media both TV and movies for kids picking up new and abrasive ways to be rude and disrespectful to the adults in their life as well as their own peers.

It is really a shame.
We are losing our civility.

One of my co-workers recently took her family to New Jersey so that one of her daughters could audition for "American Idol." I am both happy and sad to report that her two teenage daughters who have spent their entire lives in Maine were shocked and appalled at the way their big-city counterparts spoke to their parents and even to their peers. Happy of course that my co-worker has lovely polite daughters, and sad for everyone else. (The audition was a bust, no surprise there.)

Now, this week I bought a hefty, well made, English farmhouse style basket that I found particularly attractive. The cashier said "What a cute basket!"
I am still annoyed by the word cute. It's not like it had flowers painted on it or something. And it is a good 15"x40"...

And the other word I hear all the time I cannot ever use because I am too old for, is Sweet.
Used the way I might say "Cool!"

But I hear people -- mainly girls and women -- say something is cute when it's no such thing. Like your basket -- it's obviously too big to be cute. From your description, I'd call it handsome or attractive.

Seems like people just don't want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h their minds to come up with their own way of using words.

Currently on the West Coast the trendiest way to say yes is "yas". If you have not heard it yet, you probably will soon. It sounds dopey and juvenile to me, but a lot of people who should be adults are taking it up apparently to sound "kewl". Yoyobon, I think you are right. No doubt television will spread it.

Siobhan, 'Pop Idol' and similar shows, have been running for quite a few years over here. I think your friend's children are extremely lucky not to be picked. The show seems to ridicule far more people than ever become 'famous'. Her girls would need skins tougher than rhino hide to stand the exposure. I seriously wonder why parents are willing to put their children through such torture.

Did anyone else ever use that expression?

I've noticed from some TV shows set in the vicinity of NYC that the phrase "Shut Up!" is used in a non-traditional, non-rude way, meaning "I don't believe it" or "Amazing!"

As for "kewl" and/or "cool" if one is around university students almost daily as I am, it is difficult NOT to pick up some of these phrases and use them back.

It hasn't started to bother me yet as I appreciate that he usually deliberates before giving his answers rather than rushing headlong into something -- except for a couple of very notable occasions.

I employ the phrase "y'all" as it comes in very useful when I am trying to get the attention of a large group of people, especially here in Texas... In fact, I learned when I was teaching that if I used the word "you" for a group of people, people assumed that I was talking to (or about) one person instead of the whole group.

When I was a young know-it-all kid, I would get irritated by one of my mum's friends who would address us as "kids". Every time she said this, I would mutter to myself that I wasn't a baby goat... The follies of youth that such phrasing was so important...

I believe some people who say "been there..." are trying to hurry the other speaker along.

Here's an absurdity, the likes of which I've heard too many times from sound-media reporters (the latest being today):

The convicted murderer escaped from such-and-such prison. He carjacked a vehicle, taking the driver hostage. He killed the hostage and dumped her body. Do not approach this gentleman as he is considered armed and dangerous.

A lone gunman killed six hostages and wounded three others. He then committed suicide. We have not verified this gentleman's identity yet.

I will admit that I have said 'yas' for years - I thought it was a weird affectation of mine, from living in many different places with different accents. And now it's a trend!

I can only hope those reporters have no idea what they are really saying. If that is their idea of gentleman, we are in big trouble.

In my opinion, a local bit of dialect is not the same thing as the kind of thing as annoying slang. It persists, for one thing, rather than being a fad that flashes past.

Rosefolly

We're getting into the area of what I call 'dumbing up', now, with your example of the misuse of 'gentleman'. 'Dumbing up, which I hate, is where everything has to be one or more grades up from its original - which original word begins, eventually, to sound rude and impolite. Examples are:

Woman now = Lady ('The woman behind' No. 'The lady behind'. Yes.)
House = Home ('Moving Home')
Wage = Salary
Pupil = Student
Lavatory = Toilet/John/Loo

One result of all this is, of course, that we lose words from the language; another that it makes the substitute words wooly and imprecise in their meaning.

Dido

Young people here (one of my sons included) use 'sweet' for good. For example, I'll say 'we're having roast for tea' and he'll say 'Sweet!', usually elongated into 'sweeeeet'!

I have never heard our reporters use 'gentleman'. They usually say 'man' or 'suspect'.

Sometime (late-'80s?), it popped up on the East coast. Eventually, it crept up on TV -- reality and fiction shows. I don't like it all the time; but in a casual way it's OK.

Is it "dumbing down" or "dumbing up" ? Is the former American and the latter British?

I think all generations have certain cliched expressions that are here today, gone tomorrow. In my late father's day, they used to say "get the dope on" meaning to pick up information (nothing to do with drugs). In my late aunt's generation, if one saw a puppy or a kitten, it wasn't described as "cute" or "sweet." Instead, it was so "cunning."

sweet 260 up, 110 down
1)Something good that happens
2)describing something cool
1)Hey I just got the last tickets to the concert. Sweet!

2)Oh man that concert was so sweet!

Sweet 394 up, 293 down
as in response to "Dude"....
"Dude what does mine say?"....
"Sweet! What does mine say?"
(repeat as neccesary)

Until I just coined it (above) there was no such expression as 'dumbing UP' in common parlance. Of course you can't 'dumb up'. it's a contradiction in terms. I used it scathingly as, as stupid a term as I consider those things I cited (above) to be.

Dido

I found that when I was around those in the deep south, I would lapse into the "y'all" and even say "Where's it at"? (Shame on me). Whereas, when I would travel up north, I would lose my own native accent, perhaps in an unconscious desire to fit in. (Southern accents used to be ridiculed by many Northerners).

As to "Where's it at". Must confess I don't know what's wrong w/that phrase ! I say it myself, and I'm told that I have good speech habits. Are you supposed to say "where is it at"? It's probably typically American of me, but I like to "shorten" speech and writing where I can... often using the good ol' apostrophe (ha-ha!).

While I loathe it when (nearly) everyone uses the same tired slang or poor speaking style (like going up at the end of a sentence as if it were a question when it isn't), I also don't like the sound of people speaking in an overly-formal way in casual conversation. They sound so stiff and artificial.

I have often wondered where the going up at the end of sentences came from. Is it possibly from the "Valley Girl" way of speaking. When did that start?

My cousin's husband was transferred up north when her children were middle school age. The kids changed their accent right away, and she did to some extent over the years. When he retired and they moved back home, she changed right back to our local accent.

Shades of my mother the teacher, I can't stand "Where's it at" and have to bite my tongue not to say "Behind the at" to total strangers.

English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh people sound wonderful to my ears ! ... not stiff at all. (OK, there's the occasional "don-ish" type; but we have those over here, too.) I love the LILT in their vocal expression, and the soft drawl. But then, I have a bias as to the drawl -- being from the Midwestern U.S. ! Americans sound so flat or monotone to me.

Living in such a cosmopolitan city as New York, I hear all kinds of accents everyday. Unless, I can't understand the person, I think accents are a delightful cocktail for the ear ! It'll be a very sad day when, through the influence of global television, accents begin to die out. To me they are a sort of vocal "accessory" ! And without them the human race would lose some of its dazzle.

And I stand corrected as to "where's it at." I'll try to remember not to do that anymore.

woodnymph2 -

It seems like the icky habit of going up at the end of a non-interrogatory sentence began in the late-1980s or early-1990s. Even people on TV and radio began speaking that way. It became soooo prevalent, I was nearly grinding my teeth. But after a couple years it died out. .... Well, almost. ... It's still around. [Sigh] It might come from Valley Girl speech, as so many other unattractive speech habits have ! ! I've also heard investment bankers w/Harvard Business degrees using "California surfer speech" in the office. Hey, how rad is that, Dude !?

Funny enough, it was ok once we got going.

I also asked the staff if there was a water fountain available, and every single one of them (about 5 people) just stopped talking with each other and stared at me as though I was an alien speaking in tongues.

Sometimes I think I'm American, and sometimes - well, it's clear that I'm not.

:-)

*tsk , tsk *

Another contraction that has become common is 'invite' for invitation. "I just received my invite for the party but am too lazy to use the full word."

Liz, probably your Dr found his computer more fascinating that you, the patient; it happens all the time over here. Is English English regarded as 'foreign' in Texas? I have noticed over at a game at the 'Circle Theater' site the punters have been told not to use eg's of 'Foreign' movies . . . by which they mean anything non-American. In the UK we use the term if the film has
been made in a language other than English so American is OK . . . just ;-)

And you're right: English films do count as 'foreign', at least here in TX. Actually, anything that's not "American" (as in USA) is 'foreign' to a lot of people. However, the more well educated/well traveled people don't seem to view things that way... Don't mean to sound snotty about this: it's costs a lot to get out of Texas for many people since it is so big, and so it's not uncommon to meet people who have never seen the sea or stepped out of the state. I think for some it's more of an economic barrier than a xenophobic thinking pattern.

Is this ever an over-worked term, now, in terms of selling products in the U.S.! I was in a gourmet grocery store yesterday and they had ordinary wines for sale, but just had to label each one "organic." I asked the vendor what an organic wine actually is. She just shrugged and could not answer me. I deem it is just a trendy way to promote products and charger higher prices....

This link might shed some light:

Really. Use your common sense, journalists.

lemonhead, are you sure they didn't just think it odd that anyone would expect them to have a water fountain? I'd call it a water fountain (or a drinking fountain) too, but I've noticed that water fountains are very hard to find now.

Is anyone bothered by the way nouns are made into verbs?
Example:

We're transitioning to a new system now.

My SIL hates "it is what it is" but it's a phrase I'm guilty of using (hopefully not over-using) b/c sometimes, well you just can't change what it is, so you might as well accept it...

...and while not true to topic necessarily, I hate adjectives used as adverbs, especially in advertisements. Radio ads are notorious for this (or notoriously bad...) Or maybe I should just accept that English is a living, growing language, and adverbs are on the way out, as adjectives are just so, like, versatile, ya know!!

Still, perhaps you're right in that it was a strange request. Didn't really want to drink from the sink in the clinic room! :-)

"My bad" is one that drives me crazy... Haven't heard it for a while, but there was a time when it seemed to be ubiquitous...

ORIENTATED: toward the east

ORIENTED: in the direction of or manner of

(Loosely , since I didn't copy the exact definitions !)

This is something I never knew !

lemonhead, your question wasn't at all odd, given the situation - a place where water fountains are routine.

To me, "drinking fountain" and "water fountain" are both usages that would be understood anywhere in the US. I've used them interchangeably for years.