Annoying words, and Words You Hate

[Anubis]

I can't stand the word "grody", which some people I know use to mean gross or disgusting. To me, the word itself sounds gross (which I guess makes it particularly effective, but I still don't like it).

[Aiwendil42]

Hmm - is "grody" the same as "grotty", as in A Hard Day's Night?

"I wouldn't be seen dead in them. They're dead grotty."
"'Grotty'?"
"Yeah, grotesque."

I don't think I've ever encountered the word in the wild, so to speak. Where are the people you've heard use it from?

[SlyReaper]

I've used the word grotty before, you grotty ratbag. Granted, it's not commonly used.

[Anubis]

Hmm - is "grody" the same as "grotty", as in A Hard Day's Night?

"I wouldn't be seen dead in them. They're dead grotty."
"'Grotty'?"
"Yeah, grotesque."

I don't think I've ever encountered the word in the wild, so to speak. Where are the people you've heard use it from?

I don't think it's the same word, although that may be where it came from. "Grody" is pronounced like "grow-dee" (sorry, I don't know IPA) and it has its own separate entry on Urban Dictionary. The people I know who use it are all from Arizona or California (and they all go to Arizona State University).

[gmalivuk]

Having separate UrbanDictionary references really doesn't mean much. Especially if there's not a significant difference in the definitions given. My guess would be that "grody" is simply a phonetic spelling of the way "grotty" would be pronounced in a typical American accent (at least, the way it'd be pronounced by someone who knew it came from "grotesque", since just seeing it for the first time I'd assume a short <o> as in "rot").

[Anubis]

My guess would be that "grody" is simply a phonetic spelling of the way "grotty" would be pronounced in a typical American accent (at least, the way it'd be pronounced by someone who knew it came from "grotesque", since just seeing it for the first time I'd assume a short <o> as in "rot").

Anyone who knew it came from "grotesque" would presumably also know that it was pronounced with a short 'o' in the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGo0ei_5Bx8

Anyway, I have no idea how one would definitively determine whether two words with similar definitions and similar but distinct spellings and pronunciations are actually different words...

[Lazar]

My guess would be that "grody" is simply a phonetic spelling of the way "grotty" would be pronounced in a typical American accent

I don't understand; in a typical American accent "grotty" would be pronounced [ˈɡɹɑɾi], whereas "grody" is definitely pronounced [ˈɡɹoʊɾi].

[Thebrokedown]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread and signed up just to post one of my annoyances. In the early '90s, seemingly overnight, the pronunciation of "ally" (the noun form) went from both syllables being stressed about equally to everyone saying al-LIE. (This is in the US.) I don't know if one newscaster misspoke, and everyone followed suit, or if it sounded more posh, or what. What struck me the most about this unnecessary change was the suddenness of it. One day, ally, the next al-LIE. (I hope this was clear--I am not up on the correct way to indicate pronunciation.)

[Eebster the Great]

My guess would be that "grody" is simply a phonetic spelling of the way "grotty" would be pronounced in a typical American accent

I don't understand; in a typical American accent "grotty" would be pronounced [ˈɡɹɑɾi], whereas "grody" is definitely pronounced [ˈɡɹoʊɾi].

I think the consonants are different too, at least the way I pronounce them.

[Iulus Cofield]

What consonants Eebs?

Dictionaries seem to list grotty as [ɡɹɑti], but, like Gmalivuk, I would've expected a word deriving from [groʊtɛsk] to start with /groʊt/, and so in AE to be [ɡɹoʊɾi]. [ɡɹɑti] seems like a spelling pronunciation.

[Lazar]

I think the consonants are different too, at least the way I pronounce them.

Well, the precise realization of intervocalic /t/ and /d/ in American English is an open question. Some speakers still perceive a bit of a difference despite using flapped allophones for both; taking a minimal pair like "matter-madder", there may also be some residual allophonic effects on the preceding vowel that perpetuate a distinction.

[Anubis]

I think the consonants are different too, at least the way I pronounce them.

Well, the precise realization of intervocalic /t/ and /d/ in American English is an open question. Some speakers still perceive a bit of a difference despite using flapped allophones for both; taking a minimal pair like "matter-madder", there may also be some residual allophonic effects on the preceding vowel that perpetuate a distinction.

When I'm speaking quickly and informally they sound about the same, but if I am careful to pronounce them both the way I think they should be pronounced, there is a clear difference.

[gmalivuk]

I don't understand; in a typical American accent "grotty" would be pronounced [ˈɡɹɑɾi]

Well, then I have never in my life heard anyone say that, I guess.

the pronunciation of "ally" (the noun form) went from both syllables being stressed about equally to everyone saying al-LIE. (This is in the US.)

Really? I can't recall hearing anyone pronounce the noun that way. Do you think you could find a video or recording of someone saying it like that, perhaps?

[Lazar]

Really? I can't recall hearing anyone pronounce the noun that way. Do you think you could find a video or recording of someone saying it like that, perhaps?

I've heard ultimate-stress nominal "ally" used by a few people, although I think it's a minority pronunciation. I distinctly remember Condoleezza Rice pronouncing it that way in a press conference a few years ago.

[Anubis]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread and signed up just to post one of my annoyances. In the early '90s, seemingly overnight, the pronunciation of "ally" (the noun form) went from both syllables being stressed about equally to everyone saying al-LIE. (This is in the US.) I don't know if one newscaster misspoke, and everyone followed suit, or if it sounded more posh, or what. What struck me the most about this unnecessary change was the suddenness of it. One day, ally, the next al-LIE. (I hope this was clear--I am not up on the correct way to indicate pronunciation.)

I don't think I've ever heard that, and I live in the US. I put the emphasis on the first syllable, and that's what I always hear as well (although it's possible some people put it on the second syllable and I just don't notice).

[Eebster the Great]

I think the emphasis on the final syllable of ally is much more common for the verb form than the noun, though both are probably minority pronunciations. It actually makes sense, though. Many two-syllable words with verb and noun forms stress the first syllable for the noun and the second for the verb (e.g. insult).

P.S. I just checked Webster. It does indeed list both pronunciations for both forms but lists ul-LIE forst for the verb and AL-lie first for the noun.

[Chrishy]

Stephen Fry's PODGRAMS series 2 episode 3, Language

It made me think of this thread. Especially since you just said "action" used as a verb.

I do say "totes" for totally and "adorbs" or even "adurbs" for "adorable".

[The Scyphozoa]

"Backpack".

If I say the first "ck" it takes 1 whole second; if I don't, I sound like I have a speech impediment.

[Eebster the Great]

Stephen Fry's PODGRAMS series 2 episode 3, Language

It made me think of this thread. Especially since you just said "action" used as a verb.

In what context can you use "action" as a verb?

[Magnanimous]

Stephen Fry's PODGRAMS series 2 episode 3, Language

It made me think of this thread. Especially since you just said "action" used as a verb.

In what context can you use "action" as a verb?

Say, if you were describing what Action Man does for a living.

[SlyReaper]

As far as I can tell, it means "write down on your to-do list".

[Eebster the Great]

As far as I can tell, it means "write down on your to-do list".

Interesting. I expected it to be something more active.

[Ari Maze]

The word just just became just a bit annoying. May be just a lil' bit. I just think that... just too many people just say JUST... all the time, just like that. I hear it so often that it just loses it's meaning!

[Eebster the Great]

The word just just became just a bit annoying. May be just a lil' bit. I just think that... just too many people just say JUST... all the time, just like that. I hear it so often that it just loses it's meaning!

wat

[Velifer]

I hear it so often that it just loses it's meaning!

That's not so bad: merely, recently, precisely, absolutely... there aren't even antonyms in that list. Try this one:

Quite.
adverb.
1) Very.
2) Not very.
Interjection
3) Exactly.

It can be quite confusing.

[broken_escalator]

I hate solder, hymen and debris. They look like they could be pronounced in so many ways but no matter how I say it I'm always wrong D:

[Ari Maze]

That's not so bad: merely, recently, precisely, absolutely... there aren't even antonyms in that list. Try this one:

Quite.
adverb.
1) Very.
2) Not very.
Interjection
3) Exactly.

It can be quite confusing.

Indeed, it's not so bad! Thanks.
Also, it was written more as a joke, I laughed how often I could put that word in my post.

[Eebster the Great]

I hear it so often that it just loses it's meaning!

That's not so bad: merely, recently, precisely, absolutely... there aren't even antonyms in that list. Try this one:

Quite.
adverb.
1) Very.
2) Not very.
Interjection
3) Exactly.

It can be quite confusing.

How can you use "quite" to mean "not very?"

[Chrishy]

I hate solder, hymen and debris. They look like they could be pronounced in so many ways but no matter how I say it I'm always wrong D:

My last name is Hyman.

Just throwin' that out there. Yeah. I'm living with that.

[Velifer]

How can you use "quite" to mean "not very?"

Generally, any time it can be used with an adjective that can't be graded, it usually means "completely." With adjectives that can be graded, then it sometimes means quite the opposite (often because of understatement), and becomes a monster for ESL students.

My shirt is quite black. (completely)
That test was quite difficult. (ambiguous: was it just a little difficult, or damned hard?)

[Aiwendil42]

That test was quite difficult. (ambiguous: was it just a little difficult, or damned hard?)

Really? I'm having a hard time imagining this being used to mean that the test was just a little difficult.

In any case, there are tons of adverbs and adjectives that can have the opposite of their literal meaning when used with sarcasm or understatement, so "quite" is, well, not quite unusual in that regard.

[gmalivuk]

That test was quite difficult. (ambiguous: was it just a little difficult, or damned hard?)

I really don't see how that's ambiguous at all, actually. "Quite" typically falls between "pretty" and "very" on a continuum of intensifiers, at least for adjectives that can be graded. So sure, it has slightly different meanings with two classes of adjectives, but it's not itself ambiguous in any situation I can think of.

[Velifer]

"Quite" typically falls between "pretty" and "very" on a continuum of intensifiers, at least for adjectives that can be graded.

I agree that for most US speakers, that is typical. Now we can argue degrees of "typical."
A master's thesis on comparative language and the problems of translating "quite" is here. Page 17 has a review of Bäcklund's work placing "quite" about where you did on the continuum, but even in Bäcklund's paper, he identifies usage of quite with three different expressive meanings, including:

When “quite” carries the main stress when it modifies gradable words, it
expresses a negative and sarcastic meaning, such as “not very”.

[wish I could find the original, but hey, I'll argue from a secondary source on bar napkins and forums.]

[Oregonaut]

I have had a hell of a time spelling rhythm and rhythmic of late.

[mandachan]

"Outstanding." Speaker at a conference I went to a few years ago beat the word to death. And then everyone else at the conference followed suit. I still refuse to use it.

[gmalivuk]

When “quite” carries the main stress when it modifies gradable words, it
expresses a negative and sarcastic meaning, such as “not very”.

Well yeah, turns out words used sarcastically often mean opposite things from what they mean other times.

[Eebster the Great]

I find that "cleave" is a better example of an ambiguous word.

[Felstaff]

I hate it when the word 'destroyed' is used to describe animal euthanasia.

"The dog was later destroyed" just sounds so... well, Deathstarexplosion comes to mind.

Spoiler:

SUDDENLY:

Spoiler:

[maleficent]

I think the worst words in the English language are probably "mirror" and "error", but mostly because with an east coast accent they sound like "meer" and "err." Also, the word "spiel," because of that strange "sh" sound. It comes from the word "spielen," which is "to play" in German and It just seems like English speakers who first used it got the entirely wrong idea of its meaning, and then it stuck.

[firechicago]

I think the worst words in the English language are probably "mirror" and "error", but mostly because with an east coast accent they sound like "meer" and "err." Also, the word "spiel," because of that strange "sh" sound. It comes from the word "spielen," which is "to play" in German and It just seems like English speakers who first used it got the entirely wrong idea of its meaning, and then it stuck.

Or perhaps a quick google search would turn up a complicated etymology involving New York street music of the mid 19th century, a specific form of dance danced to that music, dance-hall gigolos who danced that dance, and hence the type of speech a gigolo might use on a mark.

Nah, you're probably right. I'll bet it was just people being stupid.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=spiel
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Spiel