Words I Hate
- Thread starter Liquid
- 1,242 comments
- 78,045 views
- 5,377
- The US of A
Clickbait.
Simply put, it just seems like everyone has their own definition of the word and no one can really settle on just one. It makes me hesitate to even use it outside of posts like this.
Simply put, it just seems like everyone has their own definition of the word and no one can really settle on just one. It makes me hesitate to even use it outside of posts like this.
- 15,118
- Melbourne
- ScottPuss20
- CheetahsMeow
Thicc
- 28,545
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
Thunderbolt
Now don't get me wrong. I actually love the word thunderbolt; it would be such a good name for a car and I'm surprised that a 100 unit, extremely limited-production of the 1964 Ford Fairlane is the only car I can find to carry that name. The word has such a magnificent presence and an audio satisfaction unlike almost no other. It's one of the very best words in phonaesthetics, euphonics or however you want to describe "words that just sound good".
But... it's lightningbolt. Thunderbolt isn't real. A thunderclap is. It's a bolt of lightning or a clap of thunder. But thunderclap doesn't come anywhere near thunderbolt for aural satisfaction and actually sounds like an extreme form of a sexually transmitted infection.
As a pedant it is extremely frustrating that the coolest word ever is a semantic inexactitude.
Now don't get me wrong. I actually love the word thunderbolt; it would be such a good name for a car and I'm surprised that a 100 unit, extremely limited-production of the 1964 Ford Fairlane is the only car I can find to carry that name. The word has such a magnificent presence and an audio satisfaction unlike almost no other. It's one of the very best words in phonaesthetics, euphonics or however you want to describe "words that just sound good".
But... it's lightningbolt. Thunderbolt isn't real. A thunderclap is. It's a bolt of lightning or a clap of thunder. But thunderclap doesn't come anywhere near thunderbolt for aural satisfaction and actually sounds like an extreme form of a sexually transmitted infection.
As a pedant it is extremely frustrating that the coolest word ever is a semantic inexactitude.
Last edited:
- 12,624
- United Kingdom
"As I've said before", "As I've been saying for months" and "I've said it before and I'll say it again".
All phrases which appear on live tickers of random people giving their opinions on sporting events as it happens. This phrase is usually said at the start of a big diatribe moaning about someone with an opinion they've just made up, especially as we've never heard them say that before. Stop trying to claim this new kneejerk reaction is something you've known for ages, because there's no evidence of it and it just means we can ignore your opinion.
All phrases which appear on live tickers of random people giving their opinions on sporting events as it happens. This phrase is usually said at the start of a big diatribe moaning about someone with an opinion they've just made up, especially as we've never heard them say that before. Stop trying to claim this new kneejerk reaction is something you've known for ages, because there's no evidence of it and it just means we can ignore your opinion.
- 3,717
- Null Island
"Sinister" only when used in the context of automotive journalism.
- 28,545
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
I need to say a gentle and 100% humourous 🤬 you to @TexRex.
Prior to your post a few months back, I'd honestly never heard somebody mispronounce height as heighth. Now I absolutely cannot unhear it; going back and relistening to a podcast series I like, the main presenter says it over and over and over again. I can't believe I never picked up on it during the preceding 7 years.
Ear cancer.
Prior to your post a few months back, I'd honestly never heard somebody mispronounce height as heighth. Now I absolutely cannot unhear it; going back and relistening to a podcast series I like, the main presenter says it over and over and over again. I can't believe I never picked up on it during the preceding 7 years.
Ear cancer.
- 4,453
- Vancouver, BC
- GTP_Grand_Prix
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
I took to looking into this a bit more and found esoterica. Apparently it refers to that terrible thing in the hand of Zeus!
Is it symbolism or is it real? Or is it both?
from wikipedia:
Zeus
King of the Gods
God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, justice
Zeus de Smyrne, discovered in Smyrna in 1680[1]
A Tibetan vajraEven more fun is had when adding an "s" onto the end. Here we find comic books, music bands, sports teams and more.
IMHO, there is a lot to love about the word Thunderbolt.
Last edited:
- 28,798
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
As a linguistic tic, it actually can be. It's also not explicitly incorrect and has been used for some 1200 years, or, for a fun comparison, about twice the length of time "hard" has been used in the same context as "difficult."It really irritates me when the word 'ask', is pronounced as 'aks'!It can't really be that hard to say can it!
- 1,309
- The Pool Of Life.
Having just looked into it a bit, and I mean a five minute look into it,
it seems it has been a thing for the time you specified as different ways to pronounce the word 'ask', though it seems for the most part the 'ask' pronunciation has become more widespread, though I have only heard 'aks' being used over the last 10 years or so. Apparently there is an ethnic aspect to who mostly uses the 'aks', or 'ax', which I was unaware of, because I think I have seen many different people in the UK using it, mainly younger people it has to be said. This article from the LA Times briefly cover it for anyone interested.
Doesn't stop it being jarring to my ears though.
