'Whatever' Dubbed Most Irritating Word In Poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Whatever you think about using grating words, at the end of the day it's actually better not to say whatever, if you know what I mean.

For the second consecutive year "whatever' topped a Marist poll as the most annoying word or phrase in the English language.

Nearly 39 percent of 1,020 Americans questioned in the survey deemed it the most irritating word, followed by "like" with 28 percent and the phrase "you know what I mean' at 15 percent.

"Perhaps these words are introduced through popular culture, for example movies ... so they catch on," said Mary Azzoli, of Marist. "It has a lot to do with how accepted and how popular they become in every day speech."

Azzoli said words like "whatever" can be quite dismissive depending on how they are used.

"It's the way they are delivered and inherent in that delivery is a meaning.

The phrase "to tell you the truth" and "actually" were also unnerving to many people. But for younger Americans, aged 18 to 29, "like" was the word that annoyed them most.

(Reporting by Bernard Orr; Editing by Patricia Reaney)

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Jean Reginald Charles]

12:26 PM on 12/22/2010

"mm mm". As in:
me: "thank you"
them: "mm mm"

[Badgirl]

01:13 PM on 12/21/2010

Classy. And, amazing. Truthfully. And, when all three are combined and used a description? ROTFLMAO. Guess that's why narcissism is the new normal.

[TuffHuffPuff]

11:53 PM on 12/18/2010

I think we have over thought this a bit.

Most inappropriately and over used the world over in all cultures, and certainly in English here:
"Oh God!" when merging with our intimate partner. Shouldn't we be speaking our beloved's name?

[Scorpiaux]

11:28 PM on 12/18/2010

"Think outside the box" may have been mentionerd here already, but I haven't looked for it. It, however, grates on my nerves just as much as "At the end of the day." "To make a long story short" does nothing but make the story longer. "Have a good rest of the day" is stupid.

[Badgirl]

01:08 PM on 12/21/2010

I was on your side until "have a good rest of the day"...

[Scorpiaux]

07:16 PM on 12/22/2010

Oh well. Can't please everyone, I guess. On the other hand, maybe it really isn;t stupid. It just sounds awkward.

[thebigbike]

05:31 PM on 12/18/2010

My response ( like many others on this blog) wil be "What-everrrrrrrr" This word is certainly a demonstration that sometimes people CAN acheive nearly 100% success. After all, what IS the purpose of using this word as a response except to irritation the hearer?

for me'' "went missing" and "spot on" make me react badly. When a Bristish perosns uses, them, not so much, but.... we do have " disappeared" which uses one less character/space, and RIGHT ON!!! which is home grown. oh well. like, whateverrrrrrrrrr, you know what I mean?

[thebigbike]

05:34 PM on 12/18/2010

sorry for the typose "wil for will, irritation for irritate, Bristish and perosns

[Hnorc]

04:13 PM on 12/18/2010

Whatever, I'm just trying to keep it real. Know what I'm saying?

[aurorabora]

10:44 AM on 12/18/2010

Can we please get rid of not so much. Just like back in the day it seemed to, gosh, I dunno, come out of nowhere? Uptalk equally creepy, but hard to recognize on the printed page, er, as it were.

[lisa molweni]

07:44 PM on 12/17/2010

" 'nuff said"

[Economist24]

04:13 PM on 12/17/2010

"Refudiate." Sarah Palin--the Amber Portwood of politicians.

[Badgirl]

03:20 PM on 12/17/2010

Truthfully. Amazing. I'd add "amazing" and "truthfully" to your awesome list of whatevers.

[flyn2hi]

03:15 PM on 12/17/2010

Has to be "like" and the fact that no one under 25 can get through a sentence in an interview without using it.

[flyn2hi]

03:11 PM on 12/17/2010

Kjm Kardashian gets my vote fotthe most irritating person. Do they have a poll for that?

[chino66]

02:23 AM on 12/17/2010

Not a word, but people who make partisan, political comments on every article on HP is irritating to me.

[flyn2hi]

03:11 PM on 12/17/2010

agreed!

[escapee]

11:23 PM on 12/16/2010

Hopey Changey

(barf-e)

[dartagnan]

10:39 PM on 12/16/2010

"GREAT!" -- most overworked word in contemporary American. Nothing can ever be just good, or fine, or okay anymore -- everything's gotta be "GREAT!"

As in: "How are you?" "I'm GREAT!"

And if you don't say "GREAT!" they think something's wrong with you.

"Awesome" is a close second.