Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[jean]

It's been around since 1960, apparently, though I'd never come across it before.

surveil, v.

Pronunciation: /səˈveɪl/
Forms: Also surveille.
Etymology: Back-formation < surveillance n.

trans. To exercise surveillance over (someone), subject (someone) to surveillance. Also with a place or area as obj., and absol.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks. Hopefully it will cease to jar from now on

[jean]

Russell Brand won the 2014 Foot in Mouth Award yesterday evening from the Plain English Campaign for examples of incoherent prose like this from his book Revolution:

''This attitude of churlish indifference seems like nerdish deference contrasted with the belligerent antipathy of the indigenous farm folk, who regard the hippie-dippie interlopers, the denizens of the shimmering tit temples, as one fey step away from transvestites,'' – Russell Brand, Revolution

Did he deserve it?

[amateur51]

Russell Brand won the 2014 Foot in Mouth Award yesterday evening from the Plain English Campaign for examples of incoherent prose like this from his book Revolution:

''This attitude of churlish indifference seems like nerdish deference contrasted with the belligerent antipathy of the indigenous farm folk, who regard the hippie-dippie interlopers, the denizens of the shimmering tit temples, as one fey step away from transvestites,'' – Russell Brand, Revolution

Did he deserve it?

This is an award made by The Plain English Campaign.

As such, Mr Brand certainly deserves it.

[Serial_Apologist]

the denizens of the shimmering tit temples[/i][/url]

Did he deserve it?

One would need to know if there is worse with which to compare.

[teamsaint]

Verticals

into which the company I work for,is being re disorganised.

Apparently.

[Jonathan]

Eh? Somewhat puzzling term methinks

[teamsaint]

Eh? Somewhat puzzling term methinks

well quite.

not vertical integration, as per good old fashioned A level economics, but organising the business into strands, ( for different kinds of books that we publish), so that it provides a more direct route from concept to reader.

which is fine till you get back to the real world......

[Nick Armstrong]

Dystopian

I used to think it was quite a cool word, even before I knew what it meant (cf. 'words you love' thread)... but it seems to me it's become a lazy critic's word for any sort of imaginative creation that isn't 'happy'.

If I hear the phrase "dystopian vision" (often from one of those annoyingly earnest R3 evening critics like Philip Dodd ), I'm afraid I now just say 'oh please' and turn off (assuming no one else is listening of course - I'm not a total savage)

[Don Petter]

Dystopian

If I hear the phrase "dystopian vision" (often from one of those annoyingly earnest R3 evening critics like Philip Dodd ), I'm afraid I now just say 'oh please' and turn off (assuming no one else is listening of course - I'm not a total savage)

I have exactly the same reaction (and action) as soon as I hear the word 'essentially' - usually from someone hailing from the New World.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Level playing field, especially when Ruth Archer says it.

[Beef Oven!]

Continuum. Tendency. Two words that set my teeth on edge, these days

When I was a Marxist, back in the day, if we couldn't prove a causal relationship between two things, we placed them on a 'continuum' instead!

When things could not be predicted with simple empiricism, we just said there was a 'tendency' instead! All useful Pravda nomenclature!

[teamsaint]

tablet, as in hand held computing device.

device, as in Tablet.

Across , whenever used by a BBC presenter.

KPI.

[edashtav]

tablet, as in hand held computing device.

device, as in Tablet.

Across , whenever used by a BBC presenter.

KPI.

Yes, "across" makes me cross, too!

[Don Petter]

tablet, as in hand held computing device.

device, as in Tablet.

You are worthy of Longfellow! ('A banner with the strange device')