8 Common, Pointless Phrases That
Make You Sound Horribly Unprofessional
We humans are weak.
We're horribly suggestible.
We see or hear someone else doing something and we do it
ourselves without thinking.
That's how some of our worst linguistic habits come about.
We hear certain phrases, we use them ourselves, we don't get
blowback, so we think they're de rigueur.
Perhaps, though, it just means the person you heard it from
speaks thoughtlessly too.
So please allow me to offer some phrases that happen to grate on
me.
In my heart, I hope they grate on you too. Even if you
occasionally use them.
Guilt is a good way to make behavioral change.
1. "It goes without saying."
So why are you saying it? I know
this response sounds glib, but I hope it's also true. This phrase literally
means: there's no need to say this. Think of all the time you'd
save, all the joys you could have if you never uttered these four words again.
2. "With all due respect."
Someone will try to explain to me
that this has a use. I'm happy to listen. But what this really means is: I
think you're an oafish dunderhead for whom I have no respect, but I don't want
to look bad by saying it. You can express it, though, just in your tone. Or
not at all. Every time I hear this, I fear it's just an expression of personal
superiority.
3. "Simply put."
I worry about this one before.
Here's how I read it: I'm smarter than you. I've tried to express
myself in an intelligent way. But I think you're stupid, so I use this phrase
to alert you that the stupid-person's version is coming right up. Is this
entirely necessary?
4. "To be honest."
I understand the temptation of
this. I really do. But doesn't it really mean: You and I both know we
lie a lot. I mean, a lot. So here I am trying to get you to pay attention to
something that I really, really want you to believe is true. And very
likely, it isn't.
5. "Invited guests."
Perhaps it's me, but every time I
hear this, I think it wants to mean: The people we've invited. But
phrasing it this way, it suggests: Look, as with every event there will
be one or two drunken gatecrashers. I just want to say right now that we didn't
invite them. I bet you did invite them. They're not gatecrashers at all,
are they?
6. "Unexpected surprise."
Please, I'm not innocent. I'm just as weak as you. I fear I've
said this myself. I want to believe this has a subtle meaning. I want to
believe it suggests that some surprises are setups and this one's genuine. To
be honest and simply put, I think I'm fooling myself.
7. "Foreign imports."
Is this one obvious? Or should I lie down? I hear politicians
talk about foreign imports all the time. But if they're imports, don't they
come from another country?
8. "PIN number."
I'm tending from pedantic to petty, I know. But a PIN is a
Personal Identification Number. So, well, you know. Oh, I know it doesn't
really matter. Unless your ultimate boss is petty and pedantic. It goes without
saying that so many of them are.
BY CHRIS MATYSZCZYK
http://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/8-common-pointless-phrases-that-make-you-sound-horribly-unprofessional.html?cid=em01016week38a
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