Phrases that annoy you the most
Discussion
LR90 said:
Using the word ‘lump’ or ‘unit’ when referring to a car’s engine.
The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
Never heard someone describe an engine as a "unit" outside of F1 (Power Unit/PU), but I do quite like to describe people/animals as "an absolute unit" when referencing their size. The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
OEM+ when used to describe modifications to a car. I can understand the intended purpose of this term, cringy though it is, which I take to be doing anything to a car that is entirely in keeping with how it could have left the factory or maybe integrating some modern tech into the car without it looking in any way out of place. But increasingly, it seems that youtubers or people selling cars use it to describe whatever tasteless mess they have cobbled together.
captain_cynic said:
LR90 said:
Using the word ‘lump’ or ‘unit’ when referring to a car’s engine.
The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
Wait until you hear someone refer to one as a "donk". The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
snuffy said:
I would read OEM+ as meaning the manufacturer has uprated/modified a part which they now fit to newer cars, and as such, you have replaced the OEM part (fitted at the time) with the now standard uprated OEM part.
But that might not be what is means of course?
Whatever it was meant to mean it seems to be a total free for all now. But that might not be what is means of course?
Strangely Brown said:
A friend of mine, a car dealer from Yorkshire, used to talk about the “donkey” under the bonnet. Also the exhaust was the “chimney” which still makes me chuckle. “Full Service Mystery” was another classic.captain_cynic said:
LR90 said:
Using the word ‘lump’ or ‘unit’ when referring to a car’s engine.
The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
Wait until you hear someone refer to one as a "donk". The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
Nethybridge said:
Quite common in car reviews,
" the new Sparrow has the same 8 speed 123hp unit you will find in the Albatross " .
I do wonder if the average PHer knows anything about cars.
Yup, one of the many journalistic cliches that makes me irrationally angry." the new Sparrow has the same 8 speed 123hp unit you will find in the Albatross " .
I do wonder if the average PHer knows anything about cars.
See also:
“The interior is a nice place to be”
“Everything falls easily to hand”
“Drop a cog”
“Teutonic reliability”
“Pedalling”
I could go on, but I’m not sure anyone really wants that.
LR90 said:
Using the word ‘lump’ or ‘unit’ when referring to a car’s engine.
The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
In years past many motorcycle reviews used to refer to the engine as the 'mill' which I also found quite annoying.The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor.
A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
Having lived in a francophone environment for the past 25 years, I find I can similarly get annoyed by stupid phrases/words in French too. I work in the audiovisual sector, and one of our salespeople here constantly refers to a camera lens as a 'caillou' which literally means 'natural stone' and is often translated into English as 'pebble.' And then the customer starts saying it as well, especially younger/inexperienced ones as they think it makes them sound cool that they know the business slang.
Almost as irritating as when I worked in the UK in the 1990s and salesmen used to refer to a tripod as 'sticks', as in "You'll be wanting some sticks with that camera, yeah?" Aaaaaaaaaargh...
Michael_B said:
LR90 said:
Using the word ‘lump’ or ‘unit’ when referring to a car’s engine. The first is just irritating, the second is so non-specific it’s entirely useless as a descriptor. A unit of what? Currency? Measurement?
In years past many motorcycle reviews used to refer to the engine as the 'mill' which I also found quite annoying.Having lived in a francophone environment for the past 25 years, I find I can similarly get annoyed by stupid phrases/words in French too. I work in the audiovisual sector, and one of our salespeople here constantly refers to a camera lens as a 'caillou' which literally means 'natural stone' and is often translated into English as 'pebble.' And then the customer starts saying it as well, especially younger/inexperienced ones as they think it makes them sound cool that they know the business slang.
Almost as irritating as when I worked in the UK in the 1990s and salesmen used to refer to a tripod as 'sticks', as in "You'll be wanting some sticks with that camera, yeah?" Aaaaaaaaaargh...
LR90 said:
Yup, one of the many journalistic cliches that makes me irrationally angry.
See also:
“The interior is a nice place to be”
“Everything falls easily to hand”
“Drop a cog”
“Teutonic reliability”
“Pedalling”
I could go on, but I’m not sure anyone really wants that.
The trouble is that as a "muttering rotter" as was used to be said I have been present when many such comments were written in articles. The trouble is that none of it happened. This was written in a senior magazine.about his "driving" the prototype 1952 D-type.See also:
“The interior is a nice place to be”
“Everything falls easily to hand”
“Drop a cog”
“Teutonic reliability”
“Pedalling”
I could go on, but I’m not sure anyone really wants that.
"I'm jolted out of it as I traverse my only significant bump at speed. The torsion bars do The Twist, the dampers go soggy and the lumbering rear axle comes alive. The D-type darts left than right - or was it right and left? before realigning itself. Hmm, add another 50 mph and 23 hours and 40 minutes...But winning in it there was no gimme, as 1954 proved". And so it continues.
The only problem with this is that I was present, I drove the tow car for the photographer because the journalists had not the right to the keys so we had to attach a tow rope and we never exceeded 30 mph around the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans. The only time I can proudly say that over three laps a D-type did not manage to overtake in my Toyota Previa at Le Mans.They airbrushed out the tow rope of course.
I've other examples and they are all the same. I have stopped writing for magazines now because the pay - if any - is dreadful and my articles are not a work of fiction. They pay better. My last one was 10 pages long disclosing the loss of over £50 million at Jaguar Classic and all I got a nice pat on the back.
Edited by lowdrag on Saturday 17th February 04:37
LR90 said:
"Timesed by".
As in "five, timesed by seven, is thirty-five".
It should be "five times seven", or "five multiplied by seven". Timesed is not a verb.
Rachel Riley on Countdown is guilty of this. You think she'd know better.
/rant
Next time Rachel is offering it to me on a plate, I'll say no and point out the error of her ways As in "five, timesed by seven, is thirty-five".
It should be "five times seven", or "five multiplied by seven". Timesed is not a verb.
Rachel Riley on Countdown is guilty of this. You think she'd know better.
/rant
LR90 said:
"Timesed by".
As in "five, timesed by seven, is thirty-five".
It should be "five times seven", or "five multiplied by seven". Timesed is not a verb.
Rachel Riley on Countdown is guilty of this. You think she'd know better.
/rant
I think we said that at school over 45 years ago !As in "five, timesed by seven, is thirty-five".
It should be "five times seven", or "five multiplied by seven". Timesed is not a verb.
Rachel Riley on Countdown is guilty of this. You think she'd know better.
/rant
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