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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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After NZ's loss to England in the cricket,Fleming came out with
"We're not icing the cake"
WTF is that shit? |
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Benicio
Joined: 25 May 2006
Location: Down South- where it's hot & wet
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| Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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"pro-active"
WTF does that mean? Nothing! Just a new way to say "active".
"Okay, people, time to get pro-active. Let's take a pro-active approach."
F***! |
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shapeshifter
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Location: Paris
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| Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:25 am Post subject: re. pro-active |
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| Benicio wrote: |
"pro-active"
WTF does that mean? Nothing! Just a new way to say "active".
"Okay, people, time to get pro-active. Let's take a pro-active approach."
F***! |
I don't mean to pick on you but this is nonsense.
First of all, I don't see how 'pro-active' can possibly be described as a euphemism. It simply isn't one.
Second, there is a clear difference between active and pro-active, with the latter referring to action that is taken before or in anticipation of another event or development.
I agree it's a word that is used too often but that doesn't change the fact that not a word of what you said makes sense.
Cheers |
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Delirium's Brother
Joined: 08 May 2006
Location: Out in that field with Rumi, waiting for you to join us!
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| Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:17 am Post subject: |
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| The contrast of pro-active is reactive or retroactive, perhaps. In that contrastive sense, it is a useful word. What makes pro-active annoying is its over-use and mis-use. |
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Rapacious Mr. Batstove
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: Central Areola
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Probably not considered euphemisms but these are beginning to dominate every day speech like a noxious weed:
The overuse of 'like' - "I was totally, like, confused man."
You know? or You know what I mean? "Korea is where it all happens, you know what I mean?"
Basically. "So I was basically, like, stuck in the elevator, you know what I mean?
Listen to a western teenager speak and count how many times you hear these. It's like basically heaps, aye, you know what I mean. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:43 am Post subject: |
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Rather than my running around policing everyone's posts, maybe the OP could change the thread title. Instead of "Euphemisms", how about "Slang" or "Idioms" or "Stuff" or "Things" or "Crap"? That sure would save irksome little Definition Nazis™ like me a lot of keystrokes! 
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote: |
Probably not considered euphemisms but these are beginning to dominate every day speech like a noxious weed:
The overuse of 'like' - "I was totally, like, confused man." |
And don't you find it annoying the way "was like" has come to mean "he/she said, and I quote"?
So I was in the bar and I saw this hot chick and I was like "Whoa!" and she was like "Eww!" and my friend was like "No way, dude!" and I was like "Why not!!?" and she was like.... |
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HapKi
Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:41 am Post subject: |
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"Someone had to say it," normally after a snide comment or direct insult.
No, somebody did not have to say it. You wanted to say it, and want to take the responsibility of saying it off yourself and on to everyone. |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:19 am Post subject: |
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"Whoever smelt it, dealt it."
That's bullspit, man. |
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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:47 am Post subject: Re: hmm |
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| The Cosmic Hum wrote: |
| we're pregnant |
YES! That's funny as hell.. |
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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:52 am Post subject: |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
Hey, good ones! Another that I have a near-violent reaction to is "closure" with respect to relationships. "We need to get closure on this. I want closure. Gimme closure, damn it!  " |
I always though closure meant good-bye sex. |
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superacidjax
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| Benicio wrote: |
The education field is riddled with useless, ridiculous, only invented to make it sound more intelligent language!
A great example is the word "syllabus". Why can't you just say "class plan"? No, you have to use this other smarty word.
I refuse to use it with my students because it's unnecessary and not readily understandable. They can easily not know what the h3ll a "syllabus" is, but can easily understand "class plan". |
There's a fine line however between precision language and simple language. Like Orwell's "Plusplusgood" instead of "exceptional." Using precise language is always a good idea. If your students don't know the word, teach it to them. If they go to a US university, they'll hear it then. The constant dumbing-down of the language due to diminishing vocabularies is troubling. There's a difference between using the right word and just being pretentious. Like the word "utilized." That's a crap word, the way most people try to use it in their writing. Trying to sound smart is just stupid. Using effective and precise language is something we should all try to do!
The overuse of adjectives is an annoyance of mine. Why say, "He quickly ran," when you could simply say, "He raced." I suppose I appreciate Stein and Hemingway's views of using the right word rather than using the wrong word glossed with adjectives. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 7:22 am Post subject: |
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"curves" or "curvy" = several kilograms overweight
"bathroom/restroom" = the toilet
"people of color" = blacks
"I like women with minds of their own" = I've given up all hope of shagging a Korean girl |
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Hopelessly Human
Joined: 03 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote: |
Probably not considered euphemisms but these are beginning to dominate every day speech like a noxious weed:
The overuse of 'like' - "I was totally, like, confused man."
You know? or You know what I mean? "Korea is where it all happens, you know what I mean?"
Basically. "So I was basically, like, stuck in the elevator, you know what I mean?
Listen to a western teenager speak and count how many times you hear these. It's like basically heaps, aye, you know what I mean. |
Although you are correct that these words are over used, I wouldn't say that they are beginning to dominate every day speech. They have been dominant for many years. They're probably at the midpoint of their domination period. |
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The Hammer
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Ullungdo 37.5 N, 130.9 E, altitude : 223 m
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| Hub of Asia = The center of economic activity in Asia, of which Korea is not, but wet dreams of being. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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"western food" = junk food
Q: "Can you speak Korean?" ------------------Q: "Can you speak Korean?"
A: "I can get by" --------------------------------A: "No". |
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