Sayings that you hate now

[Tora Ziyal]

By itself, yes. However, I've seen parents or prospective students decide against going there because of that, thus depriving them of a full language-accessible learning environment that many of them may not find elsewhere.

Not sure what you mean by "full language-accessible".

People make college choices for all kinds of serious and silly reasons. I have to admit, if someone rejected the only option they had for a particular kind of learning environment because some of the students do silly stuff with their hair, I'd wonder just how serious they were about their education or how badly they really needed that particular kind of environment.

 

[Finn]

^or assuming its "normal" for the Deaf walking around like that

*shrughs*

 

[lurok]

I don't exactly hate it, but it really puzzles me when I'm in the US and at every shop the staff asks "How are you today?"/.../

Isn't the phrase just a variation of the old How do you do?

Indeed. I live in the U.S and I still find that puzzling. However, we're just a bunch of courteous people trying to be friendly. I admit, I ask that question everyday at work. It's kind of an ice-breaker for what I do.

That's one of the things I love about the US that I wish we still had in UK. A small gesture costs nothing, and all you need to do is smile and say 'Fine (or other as appropriate), thank you'. I realise they're not really asking me how I am or requesting some life statement

 

[Miss Chicken]

Isn't the phrase just a variation of the old How do you do?

Indeed. I live in the U.S and I still find that puzzling. However, we're just a bunch of courteous people trying to be friendly. I admit, I ask that question everyday at work. It's kind of an ice-breaker for what I do.

That's one of the things I love about the US that I wish we still had in UK. A small gesture costs nothing, and all you need to do is smile and say 'Fine (or other as appropriate), thank you'. I realise they're not really asking me how I am or requesting some life statement

Here the question is often "How has your day been?". I usually "Good" but sometimes I answer "Boring, all I been doing is housework", or "Great, just been to movies".

I know that some large stores have secret shoppers who report sales staff who don't greet customers politely.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Not exactly sayings, but...

(1) "All anyone with cancer wants...", "I know we all appreciate (or believe or feel or whatever)...", and all the other variations of someone being convinced that everyone in a certain category feels the same way. And it's even worse when the person saying it doesn't even fit into that category themselves.

Example: There's a thing about people with cancer floating around Facebook, saying basically that while most of us want all sorts of superficial stuff, all someone with cancer wants is to live another day. Oh really? And, at least in my experience, none of the people posting it even have cancer themselves. How dare they speak for me!

(2) "No one else [except those of us in a very specific situation] would understand." It sounds so "us vs. them" to me. Have we given up on the idea that people can empathize with each other, even when they haven't experienced the identical situation?

Edited to say, oops, I posted something very similar to (1) way upthread somewhere. Sorry 'bout that.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I just thought of one.

I can't stand it when someone does something like shaving half of their hair, and dyeing the rest a variety of colors, then rationalizes it by saying "Do it once in your life", meaning it's okay to do stupid or crazy things if it's only once, no matter what it is because you live once.

Yolo, man.

 

[Mary Ann]

Yolo is the modern equivalent of "Hold my beer and watch this".

 

[SmoothieX]

The fiscal cliff.

 

[The Badger]

"I could care less."

Could you? Could you actually care less? Because if you could, then you must care, at least a little bit.

Seriously, when did people start saying this, and why? It always used to be "I couldn't care less", which actually means something.

 

[Grey]

"I could care less."

Could you? Could you actually care less? Because if you could, then you must care, at least a little bit.

Seriously, when did people start saying this, and why? It always used to be "I couldn't care less", which actually means something.

But I really could care less!

I'm just informing you that I have a mediocre level of care in this situation.

 

[scotpens]

"I could care less."

. . . Seriously, when did people start saying this, and why?

Here's as likely an explanation as any.

 

[B.J.]

^I'd just say "I don't care." Solves everything!

 

[The Badger]

"I could care less."

. . . Seriously, when did people start saying this, and why?

Here's as likely an explanation as any.

So it's meant to be said sarcastically, eh? That at least provides a modicum of sense. Thanks scotpens.

 

[scotpens]

So it's meant to be said sarcastically, eh? That at least provides a modicum of sense. Thanks scotpens.

The linked article also points out that "I could care less" may have started in unconscious imitation of Yiddish-inflected phrasing, e.g. "I should be so lucky."

Funny, Kylie Minogue doesn't look Jewish!

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccrj9BL6TpA[/yt]

 

[thestrangequark]

I just thought of one.

I can't stand it when someone does something like shaving half of their hair, and dyeing the rest a variety of colors, then rationalizes it by saying "Do it once in your life", meaning it's okay to do stupid or crazy things if it's only once, no matter what it is because you live once.

So, if they do it multiple times, it's okay...?

I'd hardly count a funky hairstyle as stupid or crazy.

 

[Silvercrest]

"I could care less."

. . . Seriously, when did people start saying this, and why?

Here's as likely an explanation as any.

So it's meant to be said sarcastically, eh? That at least provides a modicum of sense. Thanks scotpens.

I can see it being said as sort of a threat. "I could care less if you want." "Keep up yer whining and I'll start caring even less."

 

[thestrangequark]

^I thought it was people just mis-saying "I couldn't care less"...a phrase that actually makes sense.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

^I thought it was people just mis-saying "I couldn't care less"...a phrase that actually makes sense.

The problem is "could care less" is recorded in American English usage even earlier than Couldn't Care Less. That's why people have come up with an alternate explanation besides "they're saying it wrong." Yiddish influence is the most popular of these explanations.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Interesting...language is such a deceitful mistress.

 

[ThankQ]

"Do you mind that I told him?" How about you ask first you stupid ****.

Oops..., you are on the pill, right?