Other Matters: Language

For your repertoire of annoying phrases used by reporters, consider, in reference to Martin Luther King, his purported "santa clausification."

I believe Cornell West is responsible for utilizing the name, as a verb, constructed as a noun again, to denounce how white people need to make MLK friendly and loving, and not, as the FBI called him, "The most dangerous
man in America."

The American people -- whatever was wrong with "Americans"?

"Funky" is much over-used. It meant originally, I've just learned, foul body-related odors.

Incredible/incredibly -- all purpose superlatives.

Lie vs. lay: the former when there is a direct object.

here's a couple more--

fabulous (unless used regarding a fable)

I feel your pain

At this moment in time.

"You know what I mean." (With a glottal stop between the "what" and "I;" this coming from the UK, sounds like 'Wha'a mean.'

And definately "24/7." I like to say "24/5",because I don't work weekends.

is that, used parenthetically after "is"
the bottom line
at the end of the day
from the get go (or git go)
meterologist
hopefully
nucular

So is there any rational reason to dislike or avoid these words & phrases, or is it just "because I said so"?

actually - Actually becomes annoying.
experience (as a verb) - "Experience a Florida vacation."

Going forward

Diva, on this planet, and Breaking News

On one hand .... on the other hand

Good read

impact (as a verb)

traction

robust

Throw (someone) under the bus.

Here are a couple of my pet 'hates'.

24/7

No brainer

At the end of the day

Absolutely.

"I mean..." used to mean something like "let me clarify that", but more and more I hear people START a response with it, and drop it in at random.

As we're in jazz mode, may I nominate paradigm, which I've encountered twice in the space of two pages of a jazz biography, prefixed first by "interpretive" then suffixed by "shift". In my opinion:

To abuse the word paradigm
Should be treated as a crime
To abuse the same word twice
Doesn't fall that far from vice.

But there's more! The same author writes "Danceability has a long history of underemphasis in studies of western music."

And I've only just started reading it (Once I'd put it down I could not pick it up again).

A newspaper editor once told me to never use the phrase "after all" again. "Op-Ed writers have ruined 'after all,'" he said. "Death to 'after all.'"

I detest any sentence (and those uttering same) that starts with, "Let me share with you..."

My family still laughs about a boxer we heard interviewed many years ago who said the immortal, "You know, I don't know, you know."