This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

I just wanted to rant a bit about how much this irritates me. It is just me blowing of steam and nothing more.

Last month I noticed this growing trend or maybe it has been around for some time and I never really noticed it. Now that I have, it really irks me, a lot. It's the over use of the word "lot" or worse the use of "alot" which, by the way, isn't a word in the first place.

I keep reading news articles which invariably, unfortunately inevitably will include the word "lot" somewhere. If I reread the offending sentence I find the word can be eliminated to reduce tiresome verbosity. Or, the sentence could have taken a different route altogether to come up with a more creative way of communicating rather than just defaulting to the same word over-and-over again.

This reminds me of the two reasons why I don't like it when people cuss. Mostly because I think people who cuss are lazy. For example, why would someone swear? Because something has irritated them most likely. I would think "Then if it bothers you so much then do something about it. Don't just complain about it". Also it also lacks creativity. It's much easier to repeat a cookie-cutter expletive than to come up with a more pointed description.

Getting back to a lot.

I'll read articles quoting professionals or scientists and they'll use this word. This reminded me of Mr.Carrol. Mr. Carrol was my high school English teacher who told us how he hated the use of the word etcetera (a la the king of Siam I assumed). He didn't want to hear "etcetera". He wanted to hear the alternative choices. This bugged him a lot.

It's not that hard for me not to swear. But I did find myself stumbling to avoid using the words "a lot" in conversation. Yes, it takes some more effort but I've found what comes out to be more interesting.

Overuse of this word just gets under my skin. Similarly, I had another teacher yell "He's not a kid! A kid is a baby goat! He's a child". With very little effort I stopped referring to anything other than a baby goat as a kid.

This has been on my mind for several weeks. Thanks for listing to me rant.

What annoys me are people who misuse the word sarcasm. Sometimes I find that they describe themselves as sarcastic and use the word as though it has positive connotations. It does not.

[color=blue]Webster[/color] wrote: 1: a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain; 2 a: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual

I believe that the description most people are actually looking for when they use the word sarcastic is "smart ass."

Facetious would be a better word but few people actually use it in daily conversation.

1: joking or jesting often inappropriately; 2: meant to be humorous or funny : not serious

NHE

i annoy myself......................alot.












sorry i could not help myself

had to tell you. i was sitting in the great room with my wife just a few minutes ago and telling her about this thread. i was telling her how you started this thread about the word "alot". no big deal except that i am guilty of using this word. well, i'm just telling her everything when i noticed she had turned her head back toward the television. that kinda pissed me off. so after telling her my story i say to her "you didn't hear a damn thing i said did you?" she turns her head back to me after hearing my tone and so gently says "alot".

i tell you we both busted out laughing, she is still giggling over it. i thought she was going to go into labor over it. thanks for the laugh!!

i am a big fan of deadpan. my roommate doesn't buy it any more, when i tell her dinner is going to be terrible and that she had better not have any.