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[SSOWorld]

____ 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.

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.

[Big John]

Doing pooing operations.

[SSOWorld]

Doing pooing operations.

Because Pooing operations are cool.

[hbelkins]

____ 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. 

____ 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.

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."

[kkt]

____ 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.

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.

 

[-- 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").

"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.

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.

[oscar]

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.

[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.

[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. 

[Big John]

^^ "The sky"

[Scott5114]

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.

"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".

[skluth]

What's up?

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

[kphoger]

"What's up?"

Me —    Stuff.

[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.

"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.

[Scott5114]

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)

[Max Rockatansky]

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.

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...

[Big John]

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

[abefroman329]

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.

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”.

[Scott5114]

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.

[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”.

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.)

[kphoger]

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'.