| Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4 5] > | Off topic: Clichés, anyone? (1) "I shall not rest" (2) "tireless/tirelessly" Thread poster: Mervyn Henderson (X)
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Mervyn Henderson (X) 
Spain
Local time: 09:07
Spanish to English
+ ...
It's a political thang, of course. I heard it again today on some news item or other, "we shall not rest until all women have gained the respect they so richly deserve". What IS this mismanaged verbal diarrhoea? If they never rest, they'll never get anywhere. What's their problem with rest? Is rest bad? I know Gerald Ford said "eating and sleeping are a waste of time" in an interview, for instance. Rest is bad? No, rest is bed. Obama said the "I shall not rest until ..." thing months ago about s... See more It's a political thang, of course. I heard it again today on some news item or other, "we shall not rest until all women have gained the respect they so richly deserve". What IS this mismanaged verbal diarrhoea? If they never rest, they'll never get anywhere. What's their problem with rest? Is rest bad? I know Gerald Ford said "eating and sleeping are a waste of time" in an interview, for instance. Rest is bad? No, rest is bed. Obama said the "I shall not rest until ..." thing months ago about something or other, but I'm 100% sure he's been to bed every night since. But not just him - I've heard loads of statesmen saying this recently, and it's such a load of messy goat's do.
Then there's the "tireless" syndrome: "X worked tirelessly for bla-bla" (usually after X has just kicked it), "I will be tireless in my efforts to ..."
There again, maybe you won't rest, like Barack and the other Supermen out there, but I can guarantee you won't do it tirelessly. Tired you will get, for sure. "I will be tired but undaunted" might be better. Tired but happy, tired but content, tired but resolute. If these people want me to rewrite their speeches for them, I could consider the sideline.
Any other clichés you're sick of hearing?
Mervyn
[Edited at 2014-05-06 12:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 09:07
French to English
| thinking outside the box | May 6, 2014 |
moving forward
basically all statements that have been PR'ed to pomposity
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:07
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
Any other clichés you're sick of hearing?
"I for one...."
"To be honest..."
oh.... and far too many more to list. There seem to be many people, especially when speaking in public, whose speech consists almost entirely of stock expressions, platitudes, clichés, and hackneyed turns of phrase that give the impression they are not being spontaneous or sincere, and are instead speaking like robots in accordance with pre-defined modes, carefully researched by their "advisers" to trigger specific reactions in whoever is listening. It is very unusual these days to hear any politician speaking from the heart.
Despite decades of patient work by Noam Chomsky and others into investigating how language is used to manipulate the truth, the politicians still seem to think we don't notice that they're constantly trying to trick us.
[Edited at 2014-05-06 13:29 GMT]
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 09:07
English
+ ...
| "From the get-go" | May 6, 2014 |
And even worse, "from the git-go."
AND "on a daily basis." What is wrong with just plain old "daily"?
[Edited at 2014-05-06 14:18 GMT]
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:07
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| "Going forward" | May 6, 2014 |
and "basically".
Plus
"the bottom line is" and even more so when it's shortened to "bottom line..."
"as far as ...." without "....is concerned", for example "As far as Russia, I don't think Putin will negotiate". Doesn't that sound silly? It should of course be "As far as Russia is concerned, I don't think Putin will negotiate".
"Everyday" when what is really meant is "every day".
"Criteria" when what is really meant is "c... See more and "basically".
Plus
"the bottom line is" and even more so when it's shortened to "bottom line..."
"as far as ...." without "....is concerned", for example "As far as Russia, I don't think Putin will negotiate". Doesn't that sound silly? It should of course be "As far as Russia is concerned, I don't think Putin will negotiate".
"Everyday" when what is really meant is "every day".
"Criteria" when what is really meant is "criterion". I've even heard semi-illiterates saying "criterias"!
"Phenomena" when what is really meant is "phenomenon".
"Momentarily" when what is really meant is "in a moment".
AND
Can I also add: people who make "inverted comma signs" in the air to show that the word they're using is intended ironically?
[Edited at 2014-05-06 16:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 09:07
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Sorry, Suzan ... | May 6, 2014 |
... maybe I'm talking to the wrong people or reading the wrong stuff (or the right people or stuff, maybe!) but this is the first time in my life I've ever read "from the get-go". I assume it means "from the very outset", something like that. In that case I can imagine "from the git-go" coming up on Walker Texas Ranger, CSI Las Vegas or the like.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:07
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
... maybe I'm talking to the wrong people or reading the wrong stuff (or the right people or stuff, maybe!) but this is the first time in my life I've ever read "from the get-go". I assume it means "from the very outset", something like that. In that case I can imagine "from the git-go" coming up on Walker Texas Ranger, CSI Las Vegas or the like.
I have indeed heard the American expression "from the get-go" but probably only about 3 times in my life !
| | | | Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 09:07
Italian to English
In memoriam
Suzan Hamer wrote:
And even worse, "from the git-go."
That's annoyed me from day one....
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:07
Member (2008)
Italian to English
As in
"I was like OMG look what he's doing and he was like oh really and I was like green with envy and like.....etc."
Sometimes, here in London, I find myself walking along behind a group of (usually but not always American) young women (yes, usually women) and all I can hear is "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" - endlessly !
Here's an example:
... See more As in
"I was like OMG look what he's doing and he was like oh really and I was like green with envy and like.....etc."
Sometimes, here in London, I find myself walking along behind a group of (usually but not always American) young women (yes, usually women) and all I can hear is "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" - endlessly !
Here's an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUbphZCjR3w
[Edited at 2014-05-06 16:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Trudy Peters
United States
Local time: 03:07
German to English
+ ...
surely interspersed with "you know" and "I mean"
I have noticed that the Williams sisters (tennis) rarely use any of the above fillers. Someone taught them well.
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 01:07
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam | One of the Only | May 6, 2014 |
It is either one of the few or the only one. It makes me sick to hear "one of the only", and I have seen it in mainstream media. Shame.
BTW, "media" is plural, and the singular is "medium".
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I've just finished a round of interviewing for teachers for my language school. Rare was the candidate who didn't use the expression. What DO they mean? That they have been lying up until that moment?
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The Misha
Local time: 03:07
Russian to English
+ ...
| We are working hard to blah blah blah | May 6, 2014 |
Never mind they are probably sitting in a government office somewhere, strictly 9 to 5, biding time until they can start collecting on the pensions most of us will never see.
| | | | Suzan Hamer
Netherlands
Local time: 09:07
English
+ ...
| Very funny, Giles. | May 6, 2014 |
Giles Watson wrote: Suzan Hamer wrote:
And even worse, "from the git-go."
That's annoyed me from day one....
I hear it ALL the time (and from people who are not and have never been, and probably never will be, on a horse), Mervyn and Tom... Even on the BBC. Drives me absolutely nuts.
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:07
German to English
+ ...
| Clichés, ignorance, bad grammar | May 6, 2014 |
This is now rather close to what is, I suggest, an overlap area between over-used clichés, bad grammar and ignorance.
Tom in London wrote:
and "basically".
Plus
"the bottom line is" and even more so when it's shortened to "bottom line..."
"as far as ...." without "....is concerned", for example "As far as Russia, I don't think Putin will negotiate". Doesn't that sound silly? It should of course be "As far as Russia is concerned, I don't think Putin will negotiate".
"Everyday" when what is really meant is "every day". Yes, I often see that one in signs over shops and businesses.
"Criteria" when what is really meant is "criterion". I've even heard semi-illiterates saying "criterias"!
"Phenomena" when what is really meant is "phenomenon".
"Momentarily" when what is really meant is "in a moment".
... and the roughly similar "presently". I remember when I was flying from USA to England (more than 20 years ago) the pilot announced "we shall presently be landing at Gatwick". To me, "presently" means "now, at the present time", and he meant "in a few minutes".
AND
Can I also add: people who make "inverted comma signs" in the air to show that the word they're using is intended ironically?
Another one (ignorance in this case) is the use of "on behalf of" when the real meaning is "on the part of".
Some fast-food premises and cafés in England offer "paninis" (filled, Italian-style bread rolls), in ignorance of the fact that a bread roll is a "panino" and "panini" is already plural.
Oliver
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