words people use that make you realize they are a douchebag

[stuporfly]

Agreed with all three, Tom. Especially...

"zeitgeist"

I suspect I've been lazy and used the other two at various times, but I hated myself in the morning.

[Courtney]

"seminal"
"influential"
"zeitgeist"

I disagree with all three of these.

[jackstraw94086]

People saying "utilize" when the proper word is "use"

This has been happening a lot more often at work recently and it's really irritating me even though it's not necessarily a sign of a douchebag. They probably think it sounds smart but it is really making them sound dumb.

Utilize means to create a use for. To employ an object or thing in a task for which it wouidn't normally be used for.
If you want to employ some device or tool for what its original purpose is then you simply USE it.

You can't utilize a bottle opener to open a bottle, you USE a bottle opener
You might however utilize the edge of a table to open your bottle.

Hearing most people USE this word inappropriately is like nails on chalkboard at this point.

[amyzzz]

I like seminal, although I concede it is pretty douchey.

[TomAz]

I disagree with all three of these.

Unsurprising from a Vassar girl.

[MissBellaHell]

I disagree with all three of these.

Yeah. Hating those words isn't anti-douche, it's anti-intellectual, which is douchey in itself.

[TomAz]

THUS SPAKE MISS BELLA HELL.

and actually it's anti-pseudo-intellectual, which is much needed and truly Good.

[Courtney]

Unsurprising from a Vassar girl.

HEY THERE. I didn't realize we were punching below the belt.

And it's not pseudo-intellectual to use (not utilize, heh) a specific word to convey its intended meaning. Sometimes "seminal" or "influential" or "zeitgeist" is just the most efficient, precise way of saying something. There's nothing wrong with that.

[TomAz]

The seminal utilization of these terms in modern music criticism was in early work published in Rolling Stone, capturing the quasi-intellectual zeitgeist of undergraduate students in the 60s. The usage was highly influential, however, as any modern reader of Pitchfork could attest. Smooches.

[TomAz]

"60s"
"attest"
"smooches"

[Courtney]

Ok ok ok.

[IceyHotshot]

"gnarly"

[Boourns]

"omnibus"

[getbetter]

"omnibus"

hahahahaha

[MissBellaHell]

THUS SPAKE MISS BELLA HELL.

and actually it's anti-pseudo-intellectual, which is much needed and truly Good.

Excuse me, but "proactive" and "paradigm"? Aren't these just buzzwords that dumb people use to sound important?


...I'm fired aren't I?

[jackstraw94086]

Excuse me, but "proactive" and "paradigm"? Aren't these just buzzwords that dumb people use to sound important?


...I'm fired aren't I?

fired.

The test of how douchey a word is would be how easy it is to replace it succintly with a more common word or succinct phrase.

"proactive" is pretty efficient, "paradigm" might depend on the context, but is also hard to replace.

[Riggins33]

What do you have against gnarly virgin??

[fikus222]

Good point, Jackstraw, but she was quoting the Simpsons.

[algunz]

"per our discussion"

[HowToDisappear]

I like the word gnarly. It's useful and appropriate sometimes.

[dekelou]

People saying "utilize" when the proper word is "use"

This has been happening a lot more often at work recently and it's really irritating me even though it's not necessarily a sign of a douchebag. They probably think it sounds smart but it is really making them sound dumb.

Utilize means to create a use for. To employ an object or thing in a task for which it wouidn't normally be used for.
If you want to employ some device or tool for what its original purpose is then you simply USE it.

You can't utilize a bottle opener to open a bottle, you USE a bottle opener
You might however utilize the edge of a table to open your bottle.

Hearing most people USE this word inappropriately is like nails on chalkboard at this point.

I prefer Mike Judge's use of "utilize" in Idiocracy.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

The seminal utilization of these terms in modern music criticism was in early work published in Rolling Stone, capturing the quasi-intellectual zeitgeist of undergraduate students in the 60s. The usage was highly influential, however, as any modern reader of Pitchfork could attest. Smooches.

You forgot to throw a "sonically" in there.

[TheWatcher]

Honestly....

Seems like whenever a person starts what they are saying with "honestly" the rest of what they are saying is completely worthless, often off-topic, usually irrelevant, and probably insulting.

[chairmenmeow47]

Honestly....

Seems like whenever a person starts what they are saying with "honestly" the rest of what they are saying is completely worthless, often off-topic, usually irrelevant, and probably insulting.

agreed.

[guedita]

The people who ask if they can ask you a question.

[chairmenmeow47]

"there's something i'm not supposed to tell you"

[guedita]

"So, I don't usually gossip, but"

[Gribbz]

"I'm not racist or homophobic, but..."

[guedita]

"THIS WON'T TAKE LONG,"

[OnlyNonStranger]

"tar sands"