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Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Humor » Page 7

Humor

Misused Words and Phrases

By Karen Ballon May 29, 2013
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 literally

The English language is full of persnickety quirks, the most despicable of which are buzz words. Words and phrases we’ve decided work better than plain speech. Why say what you mean when you can just toss out a phrase that says what you want, but in such a vague and convoluted manner than people spend so much energy figuring it out that they can’t challenge you? Genius! Or how about those words we overuse, or misuse? Oy, da pain!

So here, for your reading pleasure, are some of the words and phrases that drive this logophile right up the wall. Literally!

Can you unpack that for me?

Nope. I can’t. Literally. What’s more, I don’t want to. I don’t like packing or unpacking. And what does packing have to do with anything? Whatever happened to the plain and simple, “Would you explain that, please?”

Repurposed

Folks, we all know what this means. Fired. Laid off. Out of a job. You can’t take away the devastation by giving it some innocuous name and hoping nobody challenges you on it.

Baby bump

Seriously? It’s not a bump. It’s a baby. Way better than a bump.

Drill down

Sounds painful. And for most of us, it is painful. Literally.

That’s just so random.

Um…huh? What does that have to do with…well, anything?

Irregardless.

NOT a word. Regardless is a word. Irregardless is saying it’s regardless of being regardless. Can you say department of redundancy department?

Awesome

You know what’s not awesome? Using awesome all the time. To quote one of my all-time favorite movies: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Webster’s defines awesome as something that’s:

Expressive of awe; deeply reverent

Extraordinary

Awful (as in full of awe) or terrifying

We’ve literally stripped the meaning and power from this word by using it to refer to everything from Kleenex to chewing gum to you name it. Friends, storms are awesome. GOD is awesome. Your new shoes or car or the movie you just saw? Yeah, not so much.

Precious

Okay, if you use it the way Gollum does, then that’s fine. But as with Awesome, people have taken to calling everything precious. Let’s check Webster’s again. If something is precious (in a positive sense), then it’s of extreme value or high price. In fact, it’s of such extreme value that a suitable price is hard to estimate. Now, ask yourself, does the thing you just called precious fit that bill?

Whatever!

Ooo, just makes me wanna throw something. I mean, could you be any more dismissive?

Whazzup?

Especially when said in that dumb gravelly voice and drawled out. Makes me want to go deaf. Literally.

And my all-time hated word, the one that literally everyone uses wrong, I mean, they literally can’t figure out how or when to use it…

Yup, you guessed it.

Literally.

But rather than go into detail on this one, I’ll let Captain Literally explain!

 

Your Turn

How about you? What words or phrases make you grind your teeth?

 

Leave a Comment
Category: Craft, Creativity, Humor, Karen, Language, Writing CraftTag: Grammar, Humor, Language

Astounding Technology Breakthrough!

By Steve Laubeon April 1, 2013
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The secret of making a video go "viral."
Makes one wonder if this is for real....

Read moreAstounding Technology Breakthrough!
Category: Humor, Steve

Redundant Redundancies

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 20, 2012
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We all say them occasionally but should avoid redundancies in writing. I still see redundancies in query letters, and sometimes even in published novels -- and I don't mean an endearing speech marker a writer has bestowed upon a character. Here are just a few:

tiny little
add up
very unique
nodded his head
fiction novel
advance warning
close proximity
safe haven
hurry up
lag …

Read moreRedundant Redundancies
Category: Craft, Humor, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Redundancies

Some Days….You Gotta Laugh

By Karen Ballon August 22, 2012
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Karen Ball

Some days…you just gotta let go of any hope of accomplishing what you want and laugh!

I’ve had a week and a half of days like that. I promise we’ll get back to catalyst next week, but today, let’s laugh together. I received the following from a writer friend, and all I can say is, “See why it’s so important to edit what you write??”

These sentences appeared in church …

Read moreSome Days….You Gotta Laugh
Category: Humor, KarenTag: Humor, Laugh

Spell Checking

By Karen Ballon July 18, 2012
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Shortly after I became a book editor, I was working on a nonfiction manuscript that focused on Mormonism. When I finished editing, I ran the spell check. Imagine my reaction when the dear spell check wanted to replace every Mormon with moron and Mormonism with Moronism!

Since those long ago days, spell check has invaded countless emails, files, and text messages. As much as we appreciate it …

Read moreSpell Checking
Category: Craft, Get Published, Grammar, Humor, KarenTag: Grammar, Humor, punctuation

The Most Patriotic Dog in America

By Steve Laubeon July 4, 2012
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HT: Take Your Vitamin Z

Read moreThe Most Patriotic Dog in America
Category: HumorTag: Humor

Word Trivia

By Steve Laubeon May 11, 2012
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Word Trivia

“Stewardesses" and "reverberated" are the two longest (and commonly used) words (12 letters each) that can be typed with only the left hand.

"lollipop" is the longest word typed with your right hand.

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or …

Read moreWord Trivia
Category: Fun Fridays, HumorTag: Fun, Humor, Trivia

Blood, Guts and Peanuts: What it’s Like Writing with Ted Dekker

By Steve Laubeon April 30, 2012
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Guest blog by Tosca Lee

Our guest today is Tosca Lee, author of Demon: A Memoir and Havah: The Story of Eve. She is also the co-author with Ted Dekker of the NYTimes bestseller Forbidden. The next book in that series will be out this Summer. A sought-after speaker and former Mrs. Nebraska, Tosca was a senior consultant for a global consulting firm until turning to writing full-time. She holds a …

Read moreBlood, Guts and Peanuts: What it’s Like Writing with Ted Dekker
Category: Guest Post, Humor, Writing CraftTag: Collaboration, Humor, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee

Fun Fridays – Mar. 23, 2012

By Steve Laubeon March 23, 2012
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Kids can say the darndest things about the Bible!

http://youtu.be/Ofbe158uk7k?t=2m48s

Read moreFun Fridays – Mar. 23, 2012
Category: Fun Fridays, HumorTag: Humor

My Hat Collection

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 15, 2012
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As an agent, I wear many hats and I love them all!

Miner's Hat:
Worn while picking through slush pile submissions.

Tiara:
Worn in celebration of gem discovery in the form of your marketable manuscript.

Gold Crown:
In celebration of signing you to be a new client.

Read moreMy Hat Collection
Category: Agency, Humor, TamelaTag: Agents, Humor, Tamela
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