The Worst Words Ever
“What word do you hate and why?”
That was the question posed to poets this year at the Ledbury Poetry Festival. Answers ranged from chillax (ugh) to redact (yuck) to appall. And Phillip Wells’ explanation of hatred for the word “pulchritude” was just outstanding:
“(I)t violates all the magical impulses of balanced onomatopoeic language – it of course means “beautiful”, but its meaning is nothing of the sort, being stuffed to the brim with a brutally latinate cudgel of barbaric consonants.”
I hate the word utilize, which I know makes me sound like grammar school teacher circa 1984. But I don’t only hate it because it’s unnecessary and pretentious. It’s also that the z looks like it doesn’t belong, with all those pointy, tall letters around it. And it’s impossible to smile when you you hear someone say it.
July 12th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I hate the word “supper:. I don’t know why – I feel like dinner is more than sufficient and supper just sounds icky to me. Not like the way I would want a meal to sound.
July 12th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
“Within.” (Should only be used to distinguish itself from “in,” not as a fanciful substitute for “in,” yet near-ubiquitous.) “Garner.” (Fury-causing, ugly.) “Tome.” (There aren’t enough words for “book,” so if you are a writer, you get pushed into the corner of “tome,” even if you’re just talking about a regular-sized book. Doesn’t make sense but is technically correct and therefore doesn’t ping the British copy editor’s radar.) “Blurb.” Also, “natural” and “hipster” because they are definitionless and as such are pretty much only used to lie, sell things, or insult someone. Most of all, “P.C.” (This is a term invented by the right wing in order to keep people away from their desires for accuracy and equality. If you use it, you’re playing that game.)
July 12th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
“Pulchritude” is an excellent word. Say it. Notice all the things your face does when you say it. You have to spit, kiss, and bite just to get it out of your mouth. It’s only bad if you say it with a french accent and then something ugly happens when “tude” becomes a duosyllable rattling down a well.
July 12th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Webinar. I hate the way it sounds. It’s the aural equivalent of a loud outfit with clashing colors. I want to make the people who use it sit through a thousand timeshare presentations.
July 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Facilitate–ugh. It’s right up there with “utilize” in the pantheon of “words people use to make themselves seem more important.” And I’m with Zak on pulchritude–that’s an awesome word. I think people ought to use nary more often as well.
July 12th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I haven’t met a word I didn’t love once I’d spent some time with it. But I do sometimes hate to hear the words I love in other people’s mouths (and I have been guilty of ruining a few good words myself).
July 12th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Libations. Yuck. Does not facilitate good feelings. While think libidos are wonderful, and though libation and libido do not in fact share any etymological commonality, the word “libation” leaves a sleazy taste in my mouth. Also, it is a turgid, pretentious and and/or generally bombastic term that should not be utilized within the conversational sphere.
Ditto loving pulchritude. Also, love prosaic. And bubble.
Hate hate hate supper! I’m glad someone is with me on this.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:43 am
It’s hard not to focus exclusively on ridiculous neologisms like “webinar.” In that same vein, I hate “staycation,” which has already made its way into Merriam-Webster’s, and “unputdownable,” as in “I finished this book in one sitting. It was unputdownable.” I find it difficult to accept the literary recommendation of someone who would use the word unputdownable.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I immediately change the channel whenever I hear a media type person use the “C-word” (C-O-O-L). It has been entirely corrupted and is now used primarily in vain attempts by middle-aged idiots to seem acceptable to their children.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I remember somebody in the Guardian UK also ranting about the word “unputdownable.” To paraphrase, it was something like “who created this freak of a book? Does it latch onto your hands with metal claws? Do they use glue? If it’s unputdownable, it’s probably safer not to pick it up in the first place.”
September 30th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Frontenac. Ugh!
October 5th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Moist. *shudder*
May 14th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Rather amusing, considering “pulchritude” was my favorite word for most of my life–for no good reason.
May 24th, 2010 at 11:46 am
moist, creamy, foliage, caucus & fescue just to name a few
May 17th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Moist, suculant, tender, and supper.
April 1st, 2012 at 7:32 pm
My worst words: rural and prowess
June 9th, 2012 at 7:27 am
My reasons for hating words do not relate to their uselessness, but just to the gross ways they make me feel.
notion
nuptial
spleen
aloof
cronies
blase (I also hate this one because most people who use it don’t know what it means)
apropos (ditto)
opprobrium (I also hate this one because I get it mixed up with “appropriate” and its derivatives)
I also hate any onomatopoeic terms that relate to grossness (squelch, squish, slurp, sploosh, etc.)
August 11th, 2012 at 8:10 am
I hate a lot of words just because they sound disgusting and pretentious to me. Almost as if by using them, people are trying to inform others how important they are and what a wide vocabulary they have. some of my least favorites are:
-moist (just disgusting; should not even be used to describe cake or a towellet.)
-cake (just the way some people say the ‘k’ drives me up the wall.)
-bake (ditto)
-supper (again, this word just makes it seem like people are trying to impress upon others how smart and wise they are for not using the modern word, ‘dinner’. Besides, it’s just gross.)
-sup (to me it sounds like sucking the life out of someone.)
-soft (just sounds gross unless describing a bed or pillow)
-luscious/lush (it just sounds like the person is salivating, which i find disgusting. I know it’s a natural thing but please, keep it to yourself and never use those words again.)
-s-t-i-n-k-y (this one i can’t even type for fear of saying it in my head. I have this weird thing where i think if someone says this word, it automatically impresses back upon them, and therefore, that’s what they are. I have no idea why this is, the word is just gross.)
-that word for the smallest finger on your hand. (it sounds like someone is trying desperately to be cute. And just like above, it simply sounds disgusting.)
November 17th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Sarah: YES. I have many of the same hated words. “Supper” is so obnoxious and unappetizing. And “stinky”… So gross, but NOTHING compared to “smelly”. There is no word in the English language I find more disgusting and offensive than that.
February 15th, 2013 at 8:15 am
Delux, value, utilize/utilization, tinker