h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A college colleague of mine, also studying Advanced Biology, could not stand the word 'Spleen'. It made him feel nauseous.

I'm not that bad, but the one word I seriously have a dislike to, and it doesn't matter what language it is pronounced in, or dialect or whatever, is 'Baby'. It makes me cringe.

I hunt for other words to use instead of 'that' word because I just find it so uncomfortable.

Do you have a word that does the same for you?

And could it be classified as a phobia?

MMF

Gervais.

The word Rude bugs me, strangely, only when said by someone older than twenty years of age and older.

I was going to say "No, what a bizarre idea. How can a word make you cringe?" and while I was trying to put that together i did think of a word:

gate

as used by journalists to actually I don't need to explain any further do I?

The one that makes me cringe is 'gift' when used as a verb, isn't give good enough?

F S

I'm off to do some fartlekking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek

Verb, what a word, I’m sure someone will tell me its got some kind of Greek origin but it just sounds odd, more liken to a greeting


"verb"

I was thinking of a word in it's original, true context, rather than abused as in DianaGate etc.
However I guess I didn't specify, so, Carry on.

MMF

>> a word in it's original, true context <<

Oh dear, that's a problem for me then.

It's the name sperm whale that gets me.
Every time.

The original word sperm is fine by me, but
I can't get my head around sperm whales. I
just don't like the idea at all, at all.



~jwf~

I don't like it when "transition" is used as a verb.

I still can't get used to "they" when used as a singular pronoun. I understand that it was so used many centuries ago, and has come back, but it still annoys me. Example: "Does anyone know what they want to order?"

Let's say it was "Does everyone know what they want?"

Anyone or everyone it's still just one, singular,
but the rule of third person plural still applies
because we are not sure which one.

When the number and gender of an antecedent is unsure
the third person rule rules.

Always remember the third bear in Goldilocks: "Some one has
been eating my porridge too! And they have eaten it all up."


~jwf~

There are many words that make me cringe.

I'm constantly experimenting with alternative constructions to the purpose of avoiding those which can be misleading or embarrassing.

I don't, but when she was a child, Mrs PP was told that the word 'bum' was rude and she still finds it discomforting to say.

Obviously, this makes it mandatory for me to get her to say it. It is a sourse of enormous amusement for me.

No, no. I mean, I feel that it is my duty to engage her in aversion therapy.....

PP.

Can't stand the words "guru," "ninja," or "rockstar." They've been misused far too often by marketing consultants to make themselves sound more important.

And I'm speaking as a content marketing ninja guru myself...

"
Always remember the third bear in Goldilocks: "Some one has
been eating my porridge too! And they have eaten it all up." "

Not a great example there Squiggles. They've already assumed one person so why then go for the third person plural?

Anyway... words that make me cringe are 'chops' and 'mojo'. As an approximate guitarist I hear these words a lot and it just strikes me as a way of making skilled musicianship seem cooler and more mysterious than is actually the case.

For me, it's "little" and "special". If someone chooses to use either of these, it's usually an indication of condesencion, over-sentimentality, or emotional blackmailing.

'Gutted'

as in 'I was...'

Deke

Networking


Being told by Employment consultants/managers/supervisors to network my school friends, colleagues, family and relatives. These are from people who have kept in touch with their school friends, always lived in the same area, and who's family and relatives all live very close by.

On that theme... Job fair.

Where you can network with a bunch of strangers who also have no decent contacts.

Comfort-zone

As being able to work outside your comfort-zone. In other words working in dreadful conditions and loving it.