“That’s So Ironic!” & Other Overused Phrases

I spend an incredible amount of time each day writing and editing. It is my profession as well as my hobby. Spending so much time elbow deep in grammar has inspired me to create a list of annoying words and phrases that are never (never) necessary in written or verbal communication. I have incredibly strong feelings about this, as you can tell, but here goes.

Whatever: I’m going to get on my soapbox for a minute, and I’m not coming down. Isn’t it automatically annoying when someone says, “Whatever?” Even if you ask, “Where do you want to grab dinner?” And your friend responds, “Oh, I don’t care, whatever.” Receiving a “whatever” in a text or email is doubly rude, and I’m not only one who thinks so. According to Business Insider, “whatever” has been ranked the most annoying word for the past nine years, so be a good friend and tone down the attitude.

With all due respect: People always say this right before they say something incredibly rude. “With all due respect, your pantsuit is utterly heinous.” Or, “With all due respect, you are the dumbest bloke I’ve ever met in my life.” See what I mean? Not to mention that this phrase is a hedge. If you’re going to insult someone, go ahead and insult them. No need to preface the verbal bashing.

Literally: The word “literally” used to mean “in a literal manner or sense…