"Whatever" Reigns As Most Annoying Phrase

Nearly 50 Percent of Country Say "Whatever" Irks Them; Other Choices: "You Know" and "It Is What It Is"

(CBS)  If you find yourself irked when someone gives you the "whatever" treatment, you're not alone.

According to a Marist poll, almost half of Americans - 47 percent - said there's no phrase more annoying than "whatever."

Other candidates for most irritating phrases: "you know" netted 25 percent of the vote; "it is what it is" got 11 percent; "anyway" got 7 percent; and "at the end of the day" ended the day with 2 percent.

Some geographic tendencies also emerged. "Whatever," for example, is more loathed in the Midwest - where it annoys 55 percent of respondents - than it is in the Northeast, where it bothers 35 percent.

The telephone survey of 938 people was conducted last month. Respondents were selected from a list of telephone exchanges from around the country, selected to represent each region in proportion to its population. The margin of error is plus/minus 3.2 percent.

[shaunaw217]

"What's Up?" should be in the top 5!

[jaykay3141]

My vote for the most misused word is "everyday". I'll bet three-quarters of the writers who use it have no idea what it really means, and it's NOT "7 days a week", fer cryin' out loud!

Then there's the confusion between FLAUNT and FLOUT (have you ever FLAUNTED a law? Must look weird, waving a copy of it ostentatiously). Or people who say of an upset stomach, "I'm feeling nauseous." Get away from me if you're going to be making everyone else sick... Spelling-checkers should be programmed to shut down the computers of anyone who types "alot", "seperate",or "probly", or uses "your" to mean "you are".

<groan>Oh well, whatever. Most people could care less.</groan>

whatever~

[Toyboy]

What about "No problem", my most hated phrase.

[Hosheen]

In my experience, people say "Whatever" when they either don't have an intelligent reply or they just don't want to be bothered with you any more. If someone says that to me after I have explained my feelings about it, they get their wish. They'll never hear from me again.

[book_of_wally]

Thanks I will have to incorporate whatever into more of my everyday conversation.

[bubbadubba]

I am kind of sick of the "F" word too, add mother to it and that really burns me up.
I guess uneducated people with limited vocabularies have to use some word over and over again.
"F" I just hit the wrong key.

[get_down]

"You know what I'm saying" and "And everything"...

[ellensmithee]

WHAT EVER!
(Sorry, someone had to say it.)

[stuart-johns2]

I know it annoys me to no end when kids in school or at home or wherever they face an adult talking to them respond with "whatever".

It's as if to say your opinion means little to me, your wisdom does'nt count. "Whatever" is a dismissive term, a disrespectful term. It's a term designed to undermine the importance of another's feelings, experiences, and thoughts.

It's no wonder it is among the most annoying.

[farmerbb]

Sorry, but for me the most annoying word is "Goddidit".

[formrusmcsgt]

I can't nelieve airhead valley-speak didn't eben make the list.

"I'm like", "she's like".....

Idiots.

[longtree-2009]

bfd. some phrases have been around for years. the one that makes me grin is, "just conversating". almost all of the phrases bring a smile to my mug.

[incog-nito]

Advertisements:

[Corporation name], we'll be there.
[Corporation name], this changes everything.

[incog-nito]

Call the corporate feelgood talk:

Paradigm shift
Work smarter, not harder
Think outside the box
Take ownership of ...

Internet:
LOLOLOLOL
ROFLMAO
XOXOXOXO
Abbreviations like u, r, cuz, pls, ur, etc.
Smileys

[incog-nito]

Anyway, you know, at the end of the day I think this poll is totally bogus. Yeah, like, whatever!

[bubbadubba]

OH - MY - GOD!
Is the one that really chaps my rear.
When someone says it I say loudly "mine too".

[filmguy107]

MINE TOO!

[displeased]

I hate fake laughs and snot bubbles.

[John_Merritt]

There a fine bunch. Probably the same ones who coined these phrases now wants to eliminate the same words. Fine, whatever. What I find amusing is all these slang words we have actually and or added to dictionary's everywhere. I agree with the 'you knows' because I had a real problem with that term until I started writing most things and speaking less. It is amazing how cerebral a person can sound just by following this format. Everybody 'sounds cool on the internet' as the CW song goes.

[rondivoo]

I think you had better try again.... writing, that is. Bad grammar... "the ones who coined these phrases now (the word should be) 'want' to eliminate...." not 'wants.' And there are other mistakes.

NEWS FLASH!! .... Everybody does NOT sound cool on the Internet! ... Dumbos sound just as dumb when they write as when they speak. When I read these comments I am amazed that so many people didn't receive an adequate education.

[6591Hou]

What's surprising is that 'like' wasn't mentioned..... you know the conversation "It was like the best thing ever like you know what I'm saying?"

[filmguy107]

I can't stand comments. Any of 'em. That's the way I roll. Deal with it.

[makemyday2day]

I like can't stand you! Now YOU deal with that!