That tooly guy in the photo above is Scott Goodyear, one of the sportscasters during Indy Car races, and former racer himself. He’s also one of those people who says, “EKspecially.” A LOT. He says this at least 48 times during each Indy Car broadcast, and quite frankly, it takes away from my enjoyment of the race.
I hate this.
The word is pronounced “ESpecially” which is really quite handy considering that’s HOW YOU SPELL IT. I would like all of you to think about how you say this word when you say it out loud, and if you’re guilty of arbitrarily throwing a “k” sound in there for no reason, I would like you to stop.
Other things you might need to check yourself on:
1. Irregardless: You guys - irregardless is NOT A WORD. If you’re saying it, stop it. Say “regardless” and you’re done. No reason to just start throwing random prefixes onto words. Words are already long enough as it is.
2. I Could Care Less: Stop saying this. It means that you care. Don’t you see that? If you don’t care, and you are determined to tell someone just how little you care, then say, “I Couldn’t Care Less.” See how that actually means what you want it to mean?
I’ve got gobs more, but I’m curious to hear from our readers on this. Please comment and let’s all educate one another. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Scott Goodyear will see this and stop saying ekspecially. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
The one that runs me up the wall is “supposebly” with a “b.” There is a “d” not a “b” in supposedly people!
Folks saying ‘I go’ or ’she/he goes’ instead of ‘I/she/they said’
You and I think with the same brain! “Ekspecially” is one of my pet peeves, along with “HIGHlarious” instead of “hilarious” and the gross overuse of the term “high definition.” I’ve seen ads for “high definition” counter tops, for Christ’s sake!
Empower. I hate this word. I honestly believe the media invented this back in the 80’s for the feminist movement. That is when I first started hearing the word. In reality the word originated in the 17th century as a legal term and has been used and abused by anyone trying to sound important.
I think EKspecially goes in the AKs (ask) category.
I hate when people overuse the term “Literally”. It literally killed me to have to do it. Um, did it? Because I am sure you would not be standing here telling me that if you were “literally” dead.
And here’s another. What about when people say, Eye-talian instead of Italian. They don’t say Eye-taly, so why Eye-talian? What IS that?!?!
What about eXpresso. Come on people, say it with me eSpresso. Then there are always forwardS, backwardS, and towardS. These words are not meant to be plural.
I can’t stand it when people say ‘pacifically’ instead of ’specifically.’
don’t ‘axe’ me a question. just ask me……
This one is very, very common: Using “lay” instead of “lie.”
There are two verbs, to lay and to lie. Whe you tell someone to recline (present tense), the correct usage is “Lie down,” “Lie on the sofa” etc. NOT “lay down.” When you are setting something else down, THEN you use “lay.” Thus, “Lie down, sweetie, before I come and lay you down!”
It’s the same when you’re describing someone else’s actions in the present: “He’s lying down right now,” NOT “He’s laying down right now.” If the person is building a wall with, say, bricks, then yes, it’s “laying”: “He’s laying bricks right now.”
or if he’s not too busy, he could lay me!!!
conversate.
I never wish to converse with anyone who says conversate. I know it’s snobby, but i don’t think I could hold a serious conversation with anyone who asked to conversate with me. That means you, too Beyonce!
I totally get the lie/lay thing wrong all the time. Especially the “lain” thing. WTF is “lain” anyway? I can never figure out the tenses of those two.
But if someone named Hatchetwoman is telling me to lie down, you can bet your ass I’ll do it.
What I hate is the “probly” instead of “ProbABly”. Drives me INSANE.
I recently found this site and I am fascinated. For someone with an English degree I believe I’ve found my forum for venting when our language is abused!
My pet peeve is “baby daddy” or “baby momma”. Recently Oprah used it on her show (which I seldom watch) and I was completely repulsed.
How about this? Instead of saying “I’m not certain” or “I’m not sure” I HATE it when someone says “I’m not for sure” or “I’m not for certain” People in the Midwest do that alot!! The “ax” thing bugs me too, instead of saying “ask”. Since I’ve moved to the south, I’ve noticed people using a weird phrase as well. If they ask a question and you give them an answer, instead of saying “thank you” they say “Well, all right then”. I feel like I’m talking to Carl on Slingblade!!
I’m an English teacher, and I have noticed that many of my students (lower to mid income urban kids) have begun to disregard the possessive rules, such as the case with “baby daddy.” I saw many essays this past school year that included phrases like “Monica car” (Monica’s car) and “Joey house” (Joey’s house).
Irregardless kills me. So does anywayS. It’s just anyway.
Yeah, EXpresso instead of espresso drives me crazy, too. I’ve even heard newscasters say it that way, too. Geez!
But the one that absolutely kills me is when self-important people say “myself” in place of “me.” As in “Myself and so-and-so will be going to the…. .” I was educated by the strict Catholic nuns, and the I know the rule about ME vs I, and these pretentious dumbasses are just using improper English, but pretending they sound correct. PEOPLE…. it’s “So-and-so and I are going to the….” but if you insist on saying it wrong, just go ahead and sound like the hick you are and say “Me and so-and-so.” MYSELF is NOT a proper substitute for ME!!!!!!
Thank you so much for giving me the chance to scream this out in cyberspace!!!! I just found this website yesterday and I love it!
How about ‘ax’ instead os ASK. I can’t stand that one.
Hollywood types started this one a few years back now even common folk use it. “Amazing” Holy Crap please find another word.
In addition to all of the above, I hate it when people are trying to say the name Jeremy and they pronounce it “Germ-y”. There are also some people who have issues with than and then. I hate that.
My nephews always say “mines” instead of mine. They will sit there arguing over a video game shouting “It’s mines!” It drives me crazy!
or “Valentimes”, or “tomatah”….or double negatives..don’t even get me started!!! if anyone says to me “i didn’t go nowhere last night” i assume they did, since 2 negatives equals a positive… are you smarter than a fifth grader???
Anonymous–you got mine! I was going to say “Valentimes”, but you beat me to the punch! I also get confused on the lie vs. lay issue. My mother corrects me ALL the time. How about when people say “all-timer’s” or “Old-timers” for Alzheimers? I know some people say “Old-timers” for a joke, but most are generally ignorant when it comes to the name of this disease.
He has a face you just want to smack.
Ebonics has taken over the English language. I have to listen to this crap everyday at work.
I HATE “volumptuous”. Why on earth would you just add an M?
Nucular. Makes me want to stab myself in the eye. Another word that’s pronounced very clearly the way it is spelled. NUCLEAR!
Everyone thinks that whereas two negatives make a positive, two positives do not make a negative. To that I say: “yeah, yeah.”
An only vaguely related thought: One swallow does not a girlfriend make.
Genetics73… truly a gifted mind!
Midwestern dialect peeves (and I’m from Illinois!):
-”Wish” is always used in the past tense, irregardless [snicker] of correct sentence tense: “I sure wished I would win the lottery.”
-”Wash” is pronounced as “warsh.” I have no idea where that dangling R came from, but it drives me insane. Warsh the car, George Warshington, etc.
-”Probably” is pronounced as “pry.” I’m serious. Two syllables are replaced with a completely new vowel sound.
I am a teacher…. I hate it when people say “member” instead of remember. Ugh! I also don’t like libary. It is a library, not a berry!
Wow! I feel better!
This post is like group therapy.
Mockarena — lol at your hatchetwoman comment!
“Lain” is the past participle … as in “The keys had lain on the table all morning.”
Speaking of participles, another peeve of mine happens when people begin a sentence with a present participle and then dangle the modifer (I know, I’m a grammar geek). Here’s an example: “Growing up in the South, pecan pie is something I know a lot about.” What that sentence is meant to say is “I grew up in the South, so I know a lot about pecan pie.” What it actually says is, “Pecan pie grew up in the South, so it knows a lot about …” and there it fizzles into gibberish.
The correct way to word the sentence is: Growing up in the South, I know a lot about pecan pie.
To figure it out, ask yourself who or what is doing the action — who grew up in the South? Is it the pie? (No) Is it you? (Yes)
Hatchetwoman….you’re my hero!!!
Mine too! I haven’t even heard the word participle or modifier (dangling or otherwise) since middle school!! Throws me right back into Mrs. Smith’s grammar class. Ahhhh memories.
I live in the south. My favorites these days are “I done went to…” and “I might would do it”
I hate it when people say “if you will” -what does that mean anyway?? If I will what?
And to The Anonymizer 3000-I live in Illinois also but I hear the “warsh” thing more in Indiana.
The thing that drives me nuts here is “I am going BY his house” instead of going TO a place. I catch myself saying it all the time and I hate it!!
Synergy. I absolutely hate that word.
Footprints… what is up with “all y’all” (southern thing….)
In New York or Brooklyn it is “youts” instead of just plain you.
Yeah… group therapy!
Thank you, ER! Glad I brought a little cheer to you!
One more, and then I’ll stop before I start making people sick.
What’s with this truncated English? I can’t stand it — how many of you have heard someone say words to the effect of “We will provide you paper”? It’s missing a word! Where is the word “with”? It’s “We will provide you with paper.” I’m in California, and whenever I attend a meeting, I absolutely know someone will be saying something along these lines.
The reason is that “provide” is a transitive verb in the above example, so it needs an object, which in turn needs a preposition. Even if you were to transpose the sentence, or re-word it, you’d still need a preposition: “We will provide paper for you.”
Erinn- “y’all”…the country folks down here slur everything together. There are folks down here that I have to ask them to repeat themselves several times before I can figure out what they are saying. I’m from somewhere else, I claim no southern-ness.
Another one down here that drives me insane… “Don’t mean to get in your bidniss, but….” (bidniss means business.)
THEN DON’T!!!
folks always lead their getting into your business with that statement
I hate hate HATE when people say kinchen instead of kitchen. My stepfather said it all the time…Thankfully he and my mother divorced.
I also have to agree with what another mocker said about a commonly used phrase in Illinois…probably starting around Peoria…and that’s warsh…I hate hate HATE that! And the further south you go in Illinois, the worse it gets. They use terlit instead of toilet. Or stool instead of toilet. I thought I would need a translator!
I can’t stand it when people pronounce ‘realtor’ like this: ‘real-a-tor.’ Grrrr!
My boss consistenly spells the word Lose (as in lose the sales) as LOOSE!
Seriously I work for him!
Do you know what I really hate? When pepole say “pitcher” instead of “picture”. That drives me crazy!
You know what I love? When posts like this come back from the dead. Thanks ashdyyy for bringing it back.
Here’s one that I’m guilty of saying all the time but which is completely wrong:
That’s a whole nother story.