room 101 of words – June's Jottings

I’m still suffering from Covid, so today’s blog is a little more light-hearted. I’m Day 2 now – apparently in three days time I can go outside again.

I’m sure every single person has words or phrases that they absolutely hate/loathe/despise. According to Jessica Kaplan, in an item published in January 2023, there is a new list for 2023 of words that should be banished to the Room 101 of words, some of which I use a lot (I mean, what’s wrong with ‘amazing’? And I’m often asking my tutees if something I have explained to them ‘makes sense’). In contrast, some of the words/phrases on the list I have never heard of before (I thought ‘goat’ was literally the animal and had no idea that it was a complimentary acronym. This Gen Xer can’t get with today’s lingo).

I thought I would compile my own Top 10 list of words and phrases which I cannot abide. Admittedly, some are modern lingo but the phrases I have picked just set my teeth on edge.

‘Muggy’: how on earth is stuffy, humid weather like a mug? The word even sounds clumsy.
‘the [something] experience’: urrrghhh. This annoys me so much, especially when used as ‘the student experience’. It’s one of my pet hates. Just call it ‘student life’. I have done several degrees and have only ever thought of them as ‘experiences’ in a negative sense. Like experiencing an all-nighter to reach a deadline and suffering the next day. Not something I would like to repeat.
‘Like’, like in a sentence filler/emphasiser. ‘Like’: This needs no explanation.
‘tuck in’ [as in eating]: You don’t tuck your food anywhere so this is a useless phrase.
‘I know, right?’: assert yourself. Don’t bother looking for validation straight afterwards.
‘lowkey [something]’: low key? Loki? Eh? What key?
‘unprecedented’: this seems to have been used in overdrive over the past three years and now I’ve grown fed up with it.
‘Nom, nom’: when did ‘yum yum’ get shifted for this weird noise?
‘Mucus’: just because it sounds as gross as it is. Partner this with ‘sputum’ for double the effect. Or phlegm for the treble. Ugh. Having worked in nursing, I get the whole graphic effect when I hear these words.
Vulgarities [any]/swearing/blaspheming: just because I don’t swear and think that the words people use for swear words sound so horrible and aggressive. Also, I find blaspheming distasteful and disrespectful. And, sadly, these types of words appear several times on every page of most modern books and on TV dramas. That’s why I prefer the oldies!