cringe words

Guest   Sat May 03, 2008 10:16 am GMT
I was interested to find that 'awesome' is considered a 'cringe' word for some speakers. What other words would you consider in the same class?

I must say, I am of the generation (25 years) which regularly uses 'awesome'. On the other hand I find myself cringing when I hear a lot of words used by older people, words like 'goofy' and 'wacky'. I also hate it when people pronounce 'wh' with a blowing fricative-like sound. I also detest the word 'stupid' when pronounced 'stoopid'.
Guest   Sat May 03, 2008 10:27 am GMT
I cringe when I hear "freedom" from Dubya.
Skippy   Sat May 03, 2008 3:56 pm GMT
The word "host" meaning "many" in a non-Biblical context. I know this is very specified, but it seems in academia and academic journals people always feel the need to say "a host of issues" or a "host of variables" and it makes me cringe...
Johnny   Sat May 03, 2008 4:01 pm GMT
<<I also detest the word 'stupid' when pronounced 'stoopid'.>>
Are you American? Do you say "styoopid" instead? I thought it was normal for most Americans to say "stoopid".

I hate the word "one" used as a generic pronoun, as in "One should always consider one's priorities". I was told it's overly formal in American English. How common is it in everyday American English? Non written English?
Guest   Sat May 03, 2008 4:15 pm GMT
I'm uncomfortable with hearing "God" or "Jesus" spoken in public. The words themselves are OK, but I believe religion is a private matter, and speaking of God or Jesus in public seems like a breach of etiquette; it's the same feeling you get when someone stands too close to you.
Jasper   Sat May 03, 2008 4:29 pm GMT
↑ I agree, but I think that a lot of Americans won't be able to see this point of view; even our President wouldn't.
Guest   Sat May 03, 2008 7:34 pm GMT
Slang terms:
Bro
Bummer
Chill
Dude
Duh!
Fag - very offensive when used in an American context
Freaky
Funky
Hater
Jammies
Like - when used as a filler
Man - used in the context of "hey man..."
Pro - as in "He's a real pro."
Sweet! - this the one I hate the most
Totally!
Undies
Way or Way!- used in the context of "way cool", etc.

Mock Foreign Slang:
Correctamundo
No problemo
(Nearly all examples of this "language")

Contractions:
Ain't
Y'all - apologizes to the Southerners

Internet language:
DH and DW (used in the context of Dear Husband or Dear Wife)
h8 (h8er, etc.)
LOL (and other variations)
ppl
'puter
RU? (as in "are you?")
U2 ( as in "you too")

Corruptions:
Alternating "z" for "s" - pleaze (plz) instead of please, eazy (EZ) instead of easy, etc.
Alright pronounced as "aight"
Didn't, Wasn't, etc. pronounced as dudn't, wudn't, etc.
The word "something" pronounced improperly.
"Nuclear" pronounced by George W. Bush.

Locations:
Chitown instead of Chicago (hardly anyone from Chicacgo says Chitown unless they are joking)
Frisco instead of San Francisco
DEE-troit instead of DiTROit
Illinoise instead of Illinois (silent s)
Worshington instead of Washington
Skippy   Sat May 03, 2008 9:40 pm GMT
If someone starts speaking too comfortably about religion like "The Lord has really blessed us today" it makes me a little uncomfortable, but it hardly makes me cringe.
Guest   Sun May 04, 2008 8:51 am GMT
'Kiwi' for 'New Zealander'

I also hate it when people change words for no apparent reason other than that they think it sounds 'lol'. eg 'transformator' for 'transformer', or adding 'age' to words like 'ownage', 'stashage'.