Lars, for some reason, Houzz has decided that only a certain number of comments - the most recent ones - should appear at any one time. So your first comment is now hidden in the lumped together tag of "see 37 more comments" right at the top of the page under the initial post, If you click on that, your post (and 36 others) should reappear.

Thanks, I had forgotten about that. I guess I never got used to that - or understood why they do it.

Senior doesn't bother me either. This is the third time I have been a senior (HS & college) but it's better than elderly whatever age that encompasses.

A word, a label, or the like that's used in an innocent or even ignorant way without an intent to insult or disparage shouldn't trigger a negative reaction.

Ahhh...but careless words, even if used without an intent of malice, still do trigger negative reactions. It is important to watch your words and proofread your text.

Well, that brings us to another phrase I hate to hear:  that well known non-apology, "I'm sorry if you were offended by what I said."

Someone who wants to be offended will find situations, whether or not warranted, to be offended.

I agree with jmm, the non-apology apology. Often practiced by politicians when embarrassing or damaging things become public. "I'm sorry the release of news stories describing my marital infidelities have hurt my wife and family". As practiced in various forms by Bill Clinton and so many others.

I'm sorry you feel that way. ( Nope. You are probably inconvenienced )

Not just politicians (although there are certainly plenty of non apologies coming from that quarter.) How about this, in the news here today from a senior Sony Australia exec fired for sexual harassment:

"There was a drinking culture at Sony Music," he said."But I never thought of myself as a person that would be touching inappropriately. If that were the case and someone feels that that happened to them, I certainly apologise unreservedly for making anyone feel uncomfortable at any time."

Ugghhh.

Is that ^^^^ an apology? Sounds like more of a denial.

His explanation was that he was probably drunk. I guess that means the groping didn't count.

Ahhh....it was the "culture" at his place of work. He was forced to drink, right? Someone else's fault. Heck, he doesn't even remember anything happening.

What a prince / s

Exactly. And his "apology" is a classic of the ilk.

Incidentally, he was a Vice President. I doubt he was forced to do anything. But his staff were forced to endure his behaviour. And you're right, he doesn't remember so he can't be held responsible and has nothing to apologize for. So he didn't.

I don't know how many times I've seen the same sort of thinking from celebrities of every genre.

At the risk of offending people, ( it is quite easy nowadays) I am tired of all the newfangled words they are using to refer to people. Women specifically. "birthing people" I have not given birth and I am 100% a woman and have the chromosomes to prove it honey. "Menstruating people" You mean genetic women who still have a uterus and that are of the age the menstruate? Its ridiculous.

I am absolutely supportive of people living how they wish, as long as it does not cause harm to themselves or others. Trying to falsely make it seem like trans women and actual women are the same by reducing genetic women to the biological functions that are unique to females is harmful, IMO. Be you, trans women. By all means,call yourself whatever you want. But we are NOT the same and I am more than a uterus and estrogen, so stop calling me something based on that to make yourself feel better. Go to therapy for that.

I am not offended by these words and tactics, but they do get a major eye roll.

Covid is not an acronym, it's a portmanteau of the words Corona, virus and disease.

^^ Most of the world disagrees with you, including the WHO, responsible for naming the virus and the disease (2 separate terms) in the first place. This is the definition of an acronym: "An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase, usually using individual initial letters, as in NATO or EU, but sometimes using syllables, as in Benelux, or a mixture of the two, as in radar."

• Illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 was termed COVID-19 by the WHO, the acronym derived from "coronavirus disease 2019."
• COVID-19 is an acronym that stands for corona virus disease of 2019.
• Covid-19 is an acronym, but needn’t be tagged or use all capitals. It’s a more precise term than ‘Coronavirus’.
• Did you know that Covid-19 is an acronym? I certainly didn’t until this morning. Bonus question: do you know what it stands for? I suspect that’s where most people strike out. If you’re interested, it’s:

CO: Corona

VI: virus

D: disease

19: 2019 (the year it was first identified)

I'd like to never hear the word 'mandate' again.

"Mandate" is a word used to avoid needing to use the words "gravely ill" or "dead".

And BS is an acronym used to avoid using 2 other words..

Mandates are a fact of life, synonyms abound.

"You know" sprinkled throughout a conversation.

I've never heard of mandate being used instead of gravely ill or dead. I only know it as an act of authority. How is it used in a phrase for the other?

"I've never heard of mandate being used instead of gravely ill or dead. I only know it as an act of authority. How is it used in a phrase for the other?"

I believe the intended meaning was that if there weren't mandates, there would be more seriously ill and dead. YMMV.

Ah I see.... I missed it as a reference to current events. Haven't had my coffee yet this am! Thanks.

My teenager has forbidden the use of "we're all in this together." I have to agree.

There are probably other ones that bother me- excessively PC or vulgar- but for the most part, words don't bother me too much.

Doubling down &Covid

If you get a chance could you.........

Irregardless.

Seen for saw

lol

Referring back to the "c" word, it is quite commonly used in the UK as a term of endearment. Like "he's a good c---" So not gender specific. I don't know if the elders use that term, but I do know that younger people do. Especially in Scotland.

Also, the term "fanny" over there is our term for the "c" word. So don't go to England and talk about your fanny pack!

Sleeperblues, that's true of Australia too. An extremely straitlaced acquaintance had the opportunity to go to Australia with her husband, a trip where they mostly camped. She'd packed lightly. When in a city where she might want to shop, browse, she wore a 'fanny pack', had no purse or handbag with her. Until someone pointed out to her the different meaning, leaving her horrified ;)

In Australia a fanny pack is called a marsupial.

I can honestly say I have never used or heard the c word used as a term of endearment. It is definitely not common and I’d be shocked to hear it. If anybody did use it, it would be in specific registers, situations and circles which an American visitor is unlikely to find themselves in. Using strong insults as endearments takes a lifetime to understand and you need to be very sure of your audience. Please, if you ever come here do not think its normal to use it. People would be horrified.

But don’t worry about fanny pack. Everyone knows it’s American for what we’d call a bumbag and people will understand it as that. Fanny and c... are in no way interchangeable. The latter is very strong and insulting. Fanny is a harmless baby word.

Car warranty

Can't write it since it is political.

I don't think an Australian would be offended in the least by " fannypack."  We all know it's North American for bumbag.  As for the "c" word, it doesn't carry quite the weight it seems to in the US - it's in about the same category as the "f" word, not part of polite discourse but not something people will recoil in horror from.

Here in Ontario Canada, it has become quite common to use the words

' no worries".....thank someone for anything, and the reply, instead of " you're welcome" is " no worries".

Another is "sorry?" instead of "pardon me"-- pardon me, does not exist amongst some of the younger generation.

Reminds me of the old one about the guy sitting next to a priest on a plane who was working a crossword puzzle. The priest asks the guy...it's a 4-letter word, clue is something only a woman can be and I have _ - U - N - T. The guy is thinking immediately of a word but doesn't dare say it to a priest.

Suddenly the priest says, "Oh I've got it! A-U-N-T!"

Haha Annie! I’ve heard the punchline where the guy suddenly says ”Aunt” and the priest replies ”Hmm, do you have an eraser I could borrow?”

Basically.

"That's a great question."

I get tired of people who are being interviewed answering with this statement first. It is obvious that they are stalling for time, and the interviewer is not interested in whether the interviewee thinks a question is great or not - they just want answers - not stalling.

It is sort of okay when someone says it once, but when they say it three or more times during an interview, it becomes very tiresome.

I like That's a great question. Maybe it's overused to the point of losing sincerity or meaning but I think it's a way for the question recipient to be gracious and to acknowledge with welcome the question being posed. Absent saying something like that or "Thanks for asking that question", it can seem like the question recipient is peeved about the question or wants to blow it off.

I use, "That's a great question!" when I'm giving presentations (for work), as a way to encourage more audience participation. :) I swear to you I can feel it working.

I agree, I wouldn't want to preface every reply with it - but I've found if I sprinkle it in there, more questions are almost sure to follow.

Basically is so overused. Also when I say thank you, I usually get 'no problem'.

And I, who used to disparage fanny packs back when they were popular, was given one by my daughter to use on the trail so I could carry my iPhone and bandages. (It IS a classy one though from REI ...lol) Fanny is not a vulgar word. I know because my mother who never said a swear word in her life said it all the time. Who wants a swat on their fanny?

I can see saying "That's a great question" when talking to a group of people, some of whom may have good questions and some of whom may not, but when it is a one-on-one interview, it sounds like stalling and also sounds insincere. In a one-on-one interview, it sounds to me like saying "You've asked a question for which I do not have a good answer."

The point is that when it is overused, it loses meaning or sincerity.

I think "no problem" in response to "thank you" is possibly a translation of "de nada" from Spanish. People sometimes say "no problema" in Spanish in response to someone saying that they are sorry.

I really, really hate hearing people say "You're welcome" when no one has thanked them. If anyone did that to me, I would say, "I'm not thanking you and have no intention of doing so."

In Russian, the word for "please" (пожалуйста) is the same word for "you're welcome." That way one could not say "you're welcome" in Russian before being thanked, which is helpful.

Does the "C" word rhyme with "cap" but with an "R" in it? That would perhaps describe what goes into a fanny pack.

The "c" word rhymes with hunt.

It's really does trigger a deep, almost visceral reaction in many women. I know lots of women who are fine swearing like sailors, but no one in my circle ever uses that word. Ever.

"I really, really hate hearing people say "You're welcome" when no one has thanked them."

I've had that happen to me, but it was because I should have thanked them, and didn't. My fault, not theirs.

"In Russian, the word for "please" (пожалуйста) is the same word for "you're welcome."

This is true in several European languages too. I'm not sure it's a matter of definition or a matter of usage, because in some there is a different way to say "you're welcome" that seem to be not as frequently used as the "please" form. In German, as an example, that I know you're familiar with, it's bitte and bitte.

In German, you can respond with bitte schön if someone says Danke schön. If someone only says Danke, then you can respond with bitte.

It is similar to Russian in that respect, but пожалуйста seems like a much more expressive word than bitte, which is why I notice it more.

Same in French with s'il vous plaît