"scoreless tie," "personally," and others

**Glenn** · 19-09-04, 17:01

I was recently thinking about a few words and phrases in English that we use strangely or just wrongly. For instance, we often say, "I personally don't care." Then how do you care, as a group? Obviously it's personal, because you're stating your opinion. I think that there may be some uses that are valid, though. For instance, "I'm worried about his marijuana use on a bussiness level, but personally I don't care if he uses it." Even that sounds a bit odd to me, though, because of the use of it as a sort of marker to show who the one with the opinion is, even though it's explicitly stated in the sentence.

Here is one from sports that's a bit redundant: "scoreless tie." Well if it's scoreless, then it's obviously a tie. There is no possible way that in a game with no score it won't be tied. Another bit of sports-speak that bothers me is the use of gerunds as the subject when no one actually speaks that way. I'm talking specifically about this type of sentence: "Running down the ball is Williams." What's wrong with "Williams runs down the ball."?

Here's one that I thought about right after I said it: "overexaggerate." That's a bit redundant. First of all, "exaggerate" means to overstate or overemphasize. For something to be "overexaggerated" it must really be something, like saying that you could get frostbite during winter on the equator. Or maybe that's just counterfactual.

Anyone else have any oddball sayings or usages that they care to contribute?

**Satori** · 20-09-04, 10:06

I don't know about the other phrases you mention, but with respect to the use of "personally ...", I have always used it when I'm not making a completely objective statement, meaning there is more of an emotional aspect to it. It's more personal to me than something I view in an objective way.

One of the phrases that we used to get a kick out of in the legal field was "unduly vague."

But that's about all I can think of for now ...

**jovial_jon** · 20-09-04, 19:01

It bugs me slightly when people say: "It's always in the last place you look."...well, of course it is - why would you carry on looking for something once you've found it?

**Glenn** · 20-09-04, 19:36

Originally Posted by Satori

I don't know about the other phrases you mention, but with respect to the use of "personally ...", I have always used it when I'm not making a completely objective statement, meaning there is more of an emotional aspect to it. It's more personal to me than something I view in an objective way.

Yeah, actually, that's one that the more I thought about it the more it made sense. So, never mind about that one.

Originally Posted by jovial_jon

It bugs me slightly when people say: "It's always in the last place you look."...well, of course it is - why would you carry on looking for something once you've found it?

LOL. Yeah, I think they mean to say that it's the last place that you would think to look for it.

**Satori** · 20-09-04, 23:32

Originally Posted by jovial_jon

It bugs me slightly when people say: "It's always in the last place you look."...well, of course it is - why would you carry on looking for something once you've found it?

_________________

**Elizabeth** · 21-09-04, 00:18

Originally Posted by jovial_jon

It bugs me slightly when people say: "It's always in the last place you look."...well, of course it is - why would you carry on looking for something once you've found it?

Is that the British version ? Here in the states we say "The last place you would think (have thought) to look." Or it could be one branch in the proud tradition of ironic idioms like "I could care less" or "I miss not seeing you" among others.

**TwistedMac** · 21-09-04, 00:25

I heard an American female police officer say "I felt with every breath of my soul" on teevee.. not that's a very used phrase, it's just idiotic.

It seems the American police will often try to use long and advanced words on teevee that they don't know or even understand just to seem educated. Always failing miserably.

as opposed to swedish cops that are like deer in headlights when a camera is in their face and just mumble about irrelevant stuff and sound like idiots.

**CC1** · 21-09-04, 01:41

Originally Posted by jovial_jon

It bugs me slightly when people say: "It's always in the last place you look."...well, of course it is - why would you carry on looking for something once you've found it?

LOL I actually love it when people say stupid things like that to me...I love it when they say something like..."Where did you lose it?" I always say something like..."it's under the sofa, but I'm waiting to look there last...I just want to tear the house up first!"

**No-name** · 21-09-04, 20:25

There are a few useless words I'd like to add:
At this point in time
personnally, for me
honestly,
very
societal

**Glenn** · 21-09-04, 20:52

How about the "not so much" or "so" when they modify a nongraded (sorry, can't think of a better term right now) word? For instance, "are you going out tonight?" "Not so much." Or, "I am so going to the beach tomorrow." And here I was thinking that either you were going or you weren't. I never knew there were different degrees of "going."

**No-name** · 27-09-04, 05:00

"Ongoing" The onging process is going on. Our investigation is ongoing.

**TwistedMac** · 27-09-04, 05:13

Originally Posted by sabro

Our investigation is ongoing.

can't say I agree with this one. it's a legit phrase IMO. ongoing just means it's currently happening (and it sort of implies that it might be happening for an undetermined period of time, no set date for the end.)

Originally Posted by sabro

"Ongoing" The onging process is going on.

this one however I agree with

ofcourse the ongoing process is going on.. it's what ongoing processes do.. they go on!

here's one I sorta have a thing for:
"I love you"
"me too"
what? you love yourself too?

**No-name** · 28-09-04, 21:48

The debate is still ongoing.

**Duo** · 29-09-04, 02:05

Wats up with u need sm help, but a person can't help u at all and u say

"thanks anyway", why thanks, whyyy ? They did nothing to help ya, well thx maybe for the effort, but this still will be a puzzle for me

**Glenn** · 29-09-04, 02:09

It's thanks for your consideration, or your acknowledgement of someone's problem and willingness to help.

**Duo** · 29-09-04, 02:23

Yes, i gather that but still, I'm going to invent something new, not sayint ur useless explicitly, but something like next time be useful so maybe i could try

ok cya or smth

**Glenn** · 29-09-04, 02:28

How about, "alright, then. I guess I'll find someone more capable."

By the way, why have you converted to the shorthand? Are you in a hurry or something?

**Duo** · 29-09-04, 02:41

Shorthand?

What's that ?

**Glenn** · 29-09-04, 02:43

I guess it isn't strictly shorthand (as in the official alphabet), but I meant stuff like using "u" for "you" and "ur" for "your" etc.

And just in case you're interested in the definition:

Main Entry: short�hand
Pronunciation: -"hand
Function: noun
1 : a method of writing rapidly by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols for letters, sounds, words, or phrases : STENOGRAPHY
2 : a system or instance of rapid or abbreviated communication or representation

[Edit] I was pretty sure that there was an official shorthand "alphabet," but that appears to not be the case. I also found this from Omniglot.

**Duo** · 29-09-04, 02:49

oh i get it, sorry is just a force of habit from msn when i chat with my friends.

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