Phrases that piss you off

[The Sanctifier]

Anything along the lines of "Its fantasy, it doesn't have to make sense" or "A Wizard Did It".

If a story doesn't make sense then how the hell is anyone supposed to understand it or follow along with the plot.

Saying "A wizard did it" without explaining why is a pretty lame and lazy excuse since it doesn't establish how they actually fit in or relate to the story or what role they play within the plot arc. There's basically no context then for this 'justification' being there and it really discourages the reader from thinking about the path a story would take since anything is made possible.

 

[Zak757]

Plenty of phrases I don't like have been said already but "you're comparing apples to oranges" hasn't been mentioned yet. It's a conversation stopper made to prevent critique or criticism that doesn't invite competition, which is generally a healthy thing that improves the quality of products. And why exactly are apples and oranges impossible to compare? I prefer oranges because, while pealing the skin can be annoying, I prefer the taste and I like how pieces of it break off into bite sized chunks.

Other annoying as fuck conversation stoppers include:
"So you concede that..."
"It sounds like you're just..."
"You're just whining because..."

I also find it annoying when people assume that the individual they are arguing with is crying or fuming with rage. It's a sign of over-inflated ego made to make the person saying it feel like the only rational person in a discussion.

 

[kortin]

I couldn't think of any originally, but I just got reminded of one.

Essentially "Wow I can't believe you're complaining about a video game, grow up and go deal with REAL problems in the REAL world".

See, this statement is twofold, first and foremost is implies that because there are bigger problems, the smaller problems are completely irrelevant. Then it says that the only problems in the world are tangible, there's no such thing as mental problems. The absolute worst part about people who use that is that they're always hypocrites. They will sit there and complain about having to do their taxes when there are children in Africa starving, women being trafficked in India and Mexico is overrun by cartels! And see, these are problems that no one person can fix, that's the argument these hypocrites would use, but they don't even donate to charities focusing on making sure these places are fixed.

 

[Total LOLige]

And as I'm typing this, I've remembered another often uttered phrase that I dislike:

"That's just my opinion"

This is a phrase that pisses me off. Another one along the same lines that I dislike is: "Well, that's just me". Defend your opinions to the death, people. You are right and everyone else is bloody wrong.

Oh, I don't like "that's your opinion but that's OK" also. Maybe I just don't like "humble" debates.

 

[Mydnyght]

"Do what?" Please, people, STOP SAYING THAT SHITFUCKING PHRASE!!!

You know, when one person says something to another person who didn't really hear that and therefore says, "Do what?" I hear that way too much! And the first person usually didn't give a command, so "Do what?" makes no sense that way!

Yeah, the phrase "Do what?" really needs to die a very long, very painful death.

 

[Grimh]

Well I've alway hated when people yell "Aaaauugh! It's a monster!" and run away whenever I get close to them.

It really hurts my feelings.

 

[FPLOON]

Plenty of phrases I don't like have been said already but "you're comparing apples to oranges" hasn't been mentioned yet. It's a conversation stopper made to prevent critique or criticism that doesn't invite competition, which is generally a healthy thing that improves the quality of products. And why exactly are apples and oranges impossible to compare? I prefer oranges because, while pealing the skin can be annoying, I prefer the taste and I like how pieces of it break off into bite sized chunks.

I thought the whole point of the "comparing apples to oranges" phrase was to state how someone would try to compare two things that, despite them both being enjoyed in a similar fashion, they are somehow "fundamentally" different in general... I mean, why compare an general action movie to a general romance movie if, despite the fact that you can watch them both basically the same way, they are part of two "completely" different genres, for example?

I do agree that the phrase is mostly used incorrectly to the point that even the phrase, itself, is flawed in its own logic, but even still... I don't know... The more I think about this phrase, the more it's hard to justify its overall existence nowadays...

Edit: Glob, do I now hate this "apples and oranges" phrase after really giving it some thought...

 

[Something Amyss]

"That's just my opinion"

Worse in my opinion because it's used explicitly as a defense when one finds their opinion doesn't hold weight or can't hold to scrutiny, or possibly disliked.

You rarely hear something to the effect of "I think owning another person is wrong and slavery should not return. That's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to it."

Similarly:

"That's just like your opinion man"

Oh, dear Batman, that one is so annoying. almost exclusively uttered in situations where it's inherently and unambiguously opinion.

 

[Wethisco]

People calling every video game that wants to say something as "pretentious", as if the very fact they want to make a statement is inherently pretentious and wrong.

 

[Barbas]

It reminds me of this scene. I think the explanation's needlessly cruel, but I agree with what he says at the end: if that's what people think then it because they haven't seen or experienced enough of the world. I don't know why they have that outlook, so I can't blame them for it, but dismissing so much of the world as lifeless or mundane is one of the worst of human follies.

Spoiler: (NSFW) Adaptation - seminar scene.

Oh god, it's always painful to watch nicholas cage pretend to act.

The guy on the other side is not much better though. He was just asking a question and a pretty good one.

True. Writer's block is no fun, especially with the story he's trying to adapt. Still, Brian Cox's character does introduce himself as "an asshole from Hollywood", so you could see part of it coming!

 

[newfoundsky]

-Whenever people refer to their pets as if they're children, or more specifically, as if they (the owner) are the parent of their pet. ("Did you miss me? Did you miss your mama?" SHUT UP! IT'S A FUCKING CAT! THAT IS NOT THE SAME RELATIONSHIP! And stop talking about yourself in the third person. It's weird.)

What exactly is the difference besides a child slowly learning to talk?

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

I'll tell you what phrase DOESN'T piss me off:

"Am I the only one?"

If anything, it's everyone ELSE fixating on this one phrase, that pisses me off more than the phrase itself.

It's nothing more than a figure of speech. It's simply another way of asking "Does anyone else feel this way?", "Does anyone else think this?", "Is anyone else seeing what I'm seeing?", etc.

But for some reason, so so many people on this forum seem to have something of an allergic reaction to this simple figure of speech.
And it's ONLY this forum site that does this. Other forum sites I'm on never have any problem with this phrase.

People who get super pissed at that expression are ridiculous. Hyperbole is not only common in speech but a legitimate literary device taught in formal education. I don't think anybody actually thinks they are the only one who holds a certain position, unless that position is that they are the only person who exists of course.

 

[game-lover]

I've always hated the phrase "Better to ask forgiveness than permission."

Just... GRAGH!!!

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

"Don't be a dick"

Most of the time when I see people say that the situation is never, ever that simple. Also, using the term "dick" as an insult is just... well, it's just lame as fuck man, and I wish people would stop it.

 

[Vault101]

people who state vauge ideas on nature like theyre fact

to be more specific I once read people on a message board giving their reasons for being against gay marrage (sometimes against gayness period) without religeon

a lot of it was based on some idea of "nature" like "the point is to reproduce"

what annoys me is thats just an INTERPRETATION which to a lot of people "kinda" makes sense so they think its somehow factual/scientific when its not, so it may as well be the same as religion

 

[Eddie the head]

Well I've alway hated when people yell "Aaaauugh! It's a monster!" and run away whenever I get close to them.

It really hurts my feelings.

I know right? Seriously thinks for bringing a smile to my face man.

snip

That's not really a phrase.

 

[TKretts3]

"Is this even news?"

Seriously? Oh, well, I'm SO sorry to you, Mr./Ms. Supreme overlord whom the universe revolves around, that you are not interested in this story, or don't find it worthy of your oh-so precious time. Seriously, it's so annoying when people say this. Just because you don't find it interesting doesn't mean other people don't. Not every story could, or should, be some super shocking breaking tragedy piece about how everything is miserable and everybody is suffering. More things happen in the world that just wars, murders, and disasters. Some people want to hear the news/interviews/trivoa about their favourite shows or games. Some people want to know the latest rumours about the next iPhone. Some people want travel tips and stories about vacation spots and whatnot.

Don't like it? Don't think it's newsworthy? Don't care? Don't read it.

 

[K12]

people who state vauge ideas on nature like theyre fact

to be more specific I once read people on a message board giving their reasons for being against gay marrage (sometimes against gayness period) without religeon

a lot of it was based on some idea of "nature" like "the point is to reproduce"

what annoys me is thats just an INTERPRETATION which to a lot of people "kinda" makes sense so they think its somehow factual/scientific when its not, so it may as well be the same as religion

This annoys the hell out of me. Going a little further I hate the use "it's natural" as a argument for why something is good even when it is fairly unambiguously the case that it is natural.

I'm a vegetarian and the first response I get from pretty much everyone who wants to argue against this point is that "eating meat is natural"... my response is always "so what!?". Natural does not equal good!

 

[rbstewart7263]

When x is done right? especially. Female characters done right! its stating something that is opinion as though it can be a immovable fact. Like " hey we all agree these characters were done right! characters not like them are done wrong!" ugh grates my skin...

 

[Soulrender95]

while not a forum specific one, it comes up in movies, comics, tv shows all the time and a few times in real life

"I don't know, and wouldn't tell you if I did"

it just drives me nuts people who use it are basically admitting that the information they're giving is untrustworthy.
why would you do that? just going "I don't know" is fine, adding the second half just destroys any credibility of the "I don't know" and just increases suspicion.