I’ve been told I spend a bit too much time on Twitter. To illustrate this point, I once tweeted my most hated word in the English language: slacks. It’s just an awful, harsh-sounding word. Since then, fellow twitterers and technical communicators @afox98, @billswallow and @seanb_us (and some of the best people I’ve never met) have referenced The Word a few times.
Most recently, I threatened to create an account tweeting my least favorite words. Instead, I’ll list a few here, and see how this works out. Feel free to add your least favorite words in the comments!
- Slacks
- Monday
- Sharepoint
- Revisionist history
- Activist judges
- Dubya
- Wiki
Ha! So you didn’t have an issue with the others I’d tweeted. 😉
Yummy.
Mama.
Webinar.
Any blend that contains the word “mom” (ie, mompreneur, momversation). I wrote a whole blog post about it. 🙂
webinar. yes, i freaking hate that word! thanks for reminding me. that one will go in blog post 2.0 😉
Productize.
Fab. (but I like “fabulous”)
Toot.
Acrylic.
I’d add “infographic” to the list. Come on, people. It’s a chart.
I disagree with you on “wiki,” by the way. It’s acceptable only as an onomatopoeia when describing the sound of a DJ “scratching.”
I considered Budweiser, but it’s not really a word I hate. Plus, it would be a disservice to Budvar. Drinking crappy beer, yes, now that I *hate*.
Why SharePoint?
I agree with wiki. And I’ll add:
leverage
tentacle
Tweet – tho I like the Twitter tool itself… I hate the word “tweet” (I was tweeting last night?)… feels especially weird, to say the least, when mentioned in a boardroom full of folk in suits.
I’m sure I’ll think of more on a particularly cantankerous day. Happy Friday!! 🙂
Synergies
Nucular (not real, but since you mentioned Dubya, it’s in my head)
succulent
fancy/fanciful
mull (esp. when used in a headline, i.e. Board mulls proposal)
Any word that is not really a word but used as one, like “KPIs” or “CRM”
Any new word created by adding a prefix or suffix that refers to another event, “contragate” “interngate” “wiki-anything”
panties
Meal. The word just sounds wet, like openmouth chewing.
I have to agree with Berna. The word leverage makes me break out in hives.
Ed, I found you at Fordeville Diaries, but when I arrived here, I realized I already know you. I’m a fellow tech writer in New York. I did an article for the STC newsletter back in March about the release of my novel. Hope all is well.
Yup, I know. Small world, eh? So when are you writing another story for me? 😉
I can’t write another story for you until I write another story for me. 😉