News:

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on what errors you encountered at https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=33904.0
Corrected several already and appreciate your patience as we work through the rest.

Main Menu

Phrases that are not needed

Started by roadman65, May 10, 2022, 02:40:54 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

SSOWorld

#75
Quote from: Rothman on May 14, 2022, 02:02:43 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on May 14, 2022, 05:18:17 AM
Quote from: Rothman on May 13, 2022, 10:46:20 PM


Quote from: SSOWorld on May 13, 2022, 09:42:26 PM

____ operations - a favorite government saying - Mowing operations, Paving operations, etc.  drop the unnecessary word PLEASE AF!

NEVER.

Heck, in each NYSDOT Region, there is an Operations Engineer.  Never just calling it mowing. :D
It's word fluff.  Why tack it on?
Grammar operations.
Guess we have fucking operations going on here. ;)

Excuse me, I have to conduct pissing operations, be right back. :P
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.


Big John


SSOWorld

Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

hbelkins

Quote from: SSOWorld on May 13, 2022, 09:42:26 PM
____ and other _____

as in "Alcohol and other drugs" - what's so important about Alcohol that you have to explicitly call it out????

Kwik Trip's overhead tobbaco shelf has a sign on it that says "Tobacco, beer and alcohol - we ID all three"  --What's the third????

____ operations - a favorite government saying - Mowing operations, Paving operations, etc.  drop the unnecessary word PLEASE AF!

1.) Alcohol is legal. Other drugs, for the most part, aren't.

2.) Many states give separate licenses for the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages (liquor).

3.) I encounter this one just about every day in other district PIOs' press releases. I try to avoid using the term. It's infuriating to me as a former newspaper editor who tries to use AP style whenever possible. "Cross drain operations scheduled for KY 7373." Uh, no. How about "cross drain replacement" or "cross drain repairs?" Describe the work to be done. And even then, the fact that "operations" are scheduled isn't the most important part of the release. "KY 7373 to be closed for cross drain replacement" is more appropriate. It tells the drivers what they need to know in case they plan to use KY 7373 the date of the operations.  :-D

Quote from: Rothman on May 13, 2022, 10:46:20 PM


Quote from: SSOWorld on May 13, 2022, 09:42:26 PM

____ operations - a favorite government saying - Mowing operations, Paving operations, etc.  drop the unnecessary word PLEASE AF!

NEVER.

Heck, in each NYSDOT Region, there is an Operations Engineer.  Never just calling it mowing. :D

When I first started, there was an Operations Branch in each district. In this case, "operations" meant "maintenance" and everything related to the actual crews that work on the road was lumped into that branch except signs and signals, which were considered "Traffic."

There's been a reorganization and we no longer have "operations" or "pre-construction" or "construction." We have "Project Delivery and Preservation," which is both maintenance and construction inspection folded into one branch. PD&P is itself a bit wordy and not very self-explanatory. "Pre-construction" is now "Project Development," which actually makes more sense from a literary standpoint. And then there is "Engineering Support" which includes equipment, permits, roadside development (agronomy) signs, and signals.

But yes, I hate the term "operations" as a substitute for "maintenance" or "repairs."


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

kkt

Quote from: SSOWorld on May 14, 2022, 03:03:55 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 14, 2022, 02:02:43 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on May 14, 2022, 05:18:17 AM
Quote from: Rothman on May 13, 2022, 10:46:20 PM


Quote from: SSOWorld on May 13, 2022, 09:42:26 PM

____ operations - a favorite government saying - Mowing operations, Paving operations, etc.  drop the unnecessary word PLEASE AF!

NEVER.

Heck, in each NYSDOT Region, there is an Operations Engineer.  Never just calling it mowing. :D
It's word fluff.  Why tack it on?
Grammar operations.
Guess we have fucking operations going on here. ;)

Excuse me, I have to conduct pissing operations, be right back. :P

:cheers:

-- US 175 --

"Going forward" was a *very* overused phrase/crutch spoken in recent years by mainly business types, both in interviews and press releases, to transition to a description of what they and/or their business are about to do in the near future or a long-term scenario.  From what I can tell, it looks like many who were stuck to that phrase may have started to find other ways to express themselves.  I don't hear the phrase near as often now, thankfully.

1995hoo

A phrase that has been used in this thread that is not needed: "per say" (the correct words are "per se").




Quote from: Ned Weasel on May 11, 2022, 07:25:50 AM
"Each and every."  "Each" and "every" mean the same thing.

....

Amen to that. I once saw a set of discovery requests in which an attorney threw in a definition that said " 'each' means 'each and every' " and " 'any' means 'any and all,' " I guess because he was afraid attorneys are so used to the unnecessary redundant versions that they might think he somehow meant something other than what they're used to.




Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 10, 2022, 06:58:48 PM
For a long time I would answer the phone with "go"  or "go ahead."   Most people just aren't prepared to just drop right into what they need to say, they want to dance around it for awhile.  I prefer just getting to the point, much to the annoyance of people I worked with and my wife (the latter is why I toned it down).

For several years in the era before caller ID, my father used to answer his direct work phone by saying simply "uh-huh." He felt he didn't need to say more because only immediate colleagues and immediate family had that number. One day, however, I called and he said his name. I asked what happened and he asked what I meant; I replied, "For years you've always just said 'uh-huh' when you answer."

Turned out some lady called the wrong number and when he answered like that, there was a long pause before she said, "Uh-HUH!!!!" and hung up. If you recall the Diet Pepsi ads with Ray Charles singing, "You've got the right one, baby, uh-HUH!," that's how he made it sound like she said it.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

oscar

Quote from: 1995hoo on May 15, 2022, 05:57:50 PM
Amen to that. I once saw a set of discovery requests in which an attorney threw in a definition that said " 'each' means 'each and every' " and " 'any' means 'any and all,' " I guess because he was afraid attorneys are so used to the unnecessary redundant versions that they might think he somehow meant something other than what they're used to.

Which might be related to other redundant legal phrases (like "cease and desist"), originating in the old English courts which were bilingual in the years following the Norman Conquest.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

SSOWorld

When you talk about roads and traffic - using "eastbound and westbound" and "northbound and southbound" - from the department of redundancy department (another one)

also - instead of low-to-mid you have "mid-to-low."  Da hell is this accent.
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

webny99

"What's up?"

Sort of like "how are you?" but much worse IMO. It was a greeting I hated growing up because I never really knew how to respond to it in a way that didn't sound tacky. I still dislike it, but now I'll usually just respond with "hey, how's it going?" or something. That way both parties have asked a question and not gotten an answer, so we're at least on level playing field.  :D

Big John


Scott5114

Quote from: SSOWorld on May 20, 2022, 10:11:13 PM
When you talk about roads and traffic - using "eastbound and westbound" and "northbound and southbound" - from the department of redundancy department (another one)

Depending on the context, that can be clarifying. "There's a traffic jam on eastbound and westbound I-40 at Council Road" indicates that it affects both carriageways–"there's a traffic jam on I-40 at Council Road" could mean that it's eastbound only, or westbound only, or both.

Quote from: webny99 on May 21, 2022, 03:19:43 PM
"What's up?"

Sort of like "how are you?" but much worse IMO. It was a greeting I hated growing up because I never really knew how to respond to it in a way that didn't sound tacky.

"Not much, what's up with you?"

It's not a substitute for "how are you", it's a condensing of "what have you been up to?" If you like, you can respond with a short summary of what you are/have been doing rather than skipping past it with "not much".
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

skluth

What's up?

The moon, beautiful
The sun, even more beautiful
Oh yeah!

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

webny99

Quote from: Scott5114 on May 21, 2022, 06:22:11 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 21, 2022, 03:19:43 PM
"What's up?"

Sort of like "how are you?" but much worse IMO. It was a greeting I hated growing up because I never really knew how to respond to it in a way that didn't sound tacky.

"Not much, what's up with you?"

It's not a substitute for "how are you", it's a condensing of "what have you been up to?" If you like, you can respond with a short summary of what you are/have been doing rather than skipping past it with "not much".

In my experience it often is used as a substitute for "how are you" even if that's not how it's meant to be used.

And yeah, I'll respond that way now, but when I was younger I lacked the confidence to turn it back on the other person. (That sounds really silly when I say it like that, but it's true nonetheless!)

1995hoo

The word "like"  when used as a filler. Our 16-year-old niece rode with us from Fort Myers to Broward County today and we discovered she has picked up the very annoying teenage girl habit of using "like"  every three words or so. She may have used it six times in one sentence at one point. Ugh. I'm not sure which is worse, "like"  or pro athletes who throw "you know"  in with roughly the same frequency.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Scott5114

Quote from: 1995hoo on May 23, 2022, 04:36:08 PM
The word "like"  when used as a filler. Our 16-year-old niece rode with us from Fort Myers to Broward County today and we discovered she has picked up the very annoying teenage girl habit of using "like"  every three words or so. She may have used it six times in one sentence at one point. Ugh. I'm not sure which is worse, "like"  or pro athletes who throw "you know"  in with roughly the same frequency.

Now if you got her into roadgeeking, her posts on this forum would look like this.


(yes I know that's not how it's pronounced)
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Scott5114 on May 23, 2022, 06:13:03 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on May 23, 2022, 04:36:08 PM
The word "like"  when used as a filler. Our 16-year-old niece rode with us from Fort Myers to Broward County today and we discovered she has picked up the very annoying teenage girl habit of using "like"  every three words or so. She may have used it six times in one sentence at one point. Ugh. I'm not sure which is worse, "like"  or pro athletes who throw "you know"  in with roughly the same frequency.

Now if you got her into roadgeeking, her posts on this forum would look like this.


(yes I know that's not how it's pronounced)

Probably says something about me that I just mentally envision the monster from the Zelda franchise that eats shields every time a picture or mention of "Likelike Highway"  comes up. 

Scott5114

I actually find what filler word people gravitate to a fascinating little personality quirk. Especially if they're more unusual ones beyond "like" and "um/uh". I had a supervisor who used "considering", which was notable considering how long it is. Arkansas gubernatorial candidate and former Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was mocked for her heavy use of "look", and most every Ronald Reagan impersonation includes "well" at the start of every third sentence or so.

Whenever I create a new fictional character, I always make it a point to establish what their filler word is, since it helps make their dialogue feel more consistent.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 23, 2022, 06:20:04 PM
Probably says something about me that I just mentally envision the monster from the Zelda franchise that eats shields every time a picture or mention of "Likelike Highway"  comes up. 

Hmmm...Is there any notable lack of HI-63 shields along the road? You may be onto something...
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Big John

Overuse of "like" dates back to the 1980s with Valley Girl.

abefroman329

Quote from: Scott5114 on May 23, 2022, 06:22:10 PMI actually find what filler word people gravitate to a fascinating little personality quirk. Especially if they're more unusual ones beyond "like" and "um/uh". I had a supervisor who used "considering", which was notable considering how long it is. Arkansas gubernatorial candidate and former Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was mocked for her heavy use of "look", and most every Ronald Reagan impersonation includes "well" at the start of every third sentence or so.
Sarah Palin had "also, too."  "Look" seems popular amongst politicians and politicos.

Takumi

Many Gen Z folks, within the past year or so, have started adding a superfluous "not"  at the beginning of sentences. An example I heard today was from a coworker, who said "not me throwing up in my boyfriend's car" .
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

Scott5114

Quote from: Takumi on May 23, 2022, 08:18:40 PM
Many Gen Z folks, within the past year or so, have started adding a superfluous "not"  at the beginning of sentences. An example I heard today was from a coworker, who said "not me throwing up in my boyfriend's car" .

I don't know that it's necessarily superfluous as it is a way of facetiously pretending they're not the subject of the sentence. The millennial equivalent is appending "asking for a friend" to an embarrassing question.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Takumi

Quote from: Scott5114 on May 23, 2022, 08:47:03 PM
Quote from: Takumi on May 23, 2022, 08:18:40 PM
Many Gen Z folks, within the past year or so, have started adding a superfluous "not"  at the beginning of sentences. An example I heard today was from a coworker, who said "not me throwing up in my boyfriend's car" .

I don't know that it's necessarily superfluous as it is a way of facetiously pretending they're not the subject of the sentence. The millennial equivalent is appending "asking for a friend" to an embarrassing question.

Eh, I might have phrased that poorly, because I've also heard it applied to other people who are just going about their day normally. Regardless, I find it an unneeded phrase. (Now if you'll excuse me, I see some clouds that need yelling at.)
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on May 23, 2022, 06:22:10 PM
I actually find what filler word people gravitate to a fascinating little personality quirk. Especially if they're more unusual ones beyond "like" and "um/uh".

The Mexican equivalent to 'umm' is 'este', which literally means (adjectival) 'this'.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.