Over used unnessary phrases

ooops should be too keen not to keen as this is Pedants' Corner *sorreeeee!"

crimson you are nearly right! I used to actually keep a tally of the "withits" by putting lines on whichever page of the paper I was reading when she rang, then striking through at every fifth one. But she is a true friend, and phones me almost every day when Mr P is away, makes out it is just for a natter, but I know that she is really checking on how I am, as she knows that the "black dog" sometimes gets to me. She also is pretty good at completely mangling some words and phrases, bless her, but I'm so thankful to have her as a friend.

I tell you what, sometimes I feel as if I will scream if I hear another plump faced old Etonian boy using the word reform reforms reforming government and so on. A euphemism for tinker, rehash, dismantle, make a total mess of and sometimes cut e.g. welfare reform

I wonder what I say that's totally repetitive and irritating [the S.O. is too kind to say anything to me]? I know I'm always saying 'I remember' on here, but can never think of an alternative to it . And I'm always talking about lavatories and cephalopods. But I'm digressing...

Yes, indeed Greatnan, being kind is my default mode. It's so important in life don't you agree?

The post about exclamations marks was a while ago but I've only just got here and I thought it was interesting to point out that in the days when journalists phoned in, dictating their copy from a public hone box, exclamation marks were called screamers. When I started out as a journalist, the rule was, the fewer screamers you used, the more effective they were.

I'm sure that's true of headlines, absent, but on a forum it doesn't seem quite so bad. Like Jess, I find I just can't help myself...is there any cure?

Yes, Sel, you are quite right.

And when doing proper writing I am so restrained. I think I might have allowed myself one in the whole of a long book!!!!!!!

Y'gotta let rip sometimes, Jess [hand hovers over exclamation mark but, wow, look at the self control....]

....!!! [Dr Strangelove moment]

`We are learning lessons' especially when said by politicians.Grrr.

I agree with Ana, it's mainly just a joke and it isn't surprising everybody picks up phrases that become very prominent. And sometimes it appears no-one understands what they mean. Or gets them wrong. Or mixes them up. But sometimes a cascade of verbal junk is used to conceal or avoid meaning. 'Lessons have been learned' usually means 'we got it wrong but we aren't going to say so'. And we all know what 'your call is important to us' means.

I am irritated by the unnecessary use of 'set' in headlines...

"Police set to question Fred Smith" - surely "Police to question..." covers it?

"Papers set to ban use of 'set' in headlines" I could live with...

Oh, and one that has me yelling in incoherent rage at the screen:

"It went down like a lead balloon" - the exact opposite of what is meant!

The phrase was, and is, "It went OVER like a ..." After all, a balloon made of lead (and I know the Mythbusters did make one that flew) would be expected to go down extremely well - in fact it would plummet.

Personally, speaking for myself, like, [sic] I would use "It went over like a pregnant pole-vaulter", but that's me for you.

Exclamation marks are also called 'bangs', or in less polite society 'dogscocks'.

Careful, feetlebaum, you will have the pregnancy and pole-vaulting 'communities' after your blood!
If you really enjoy waffle, you should have listened to Maria Miller trying to explain why Cameron (that well known friend of newspaper folk) is dismissing the main Leveson recommendations. If only he had the guts to face interviewers himself, especially John Humphreys.

feetlebaum If you're talking tabloid headlines, surely it would be "Cops set to question…"? I think this constitues the only time when the word "cops" is used in this country.

No, they wouldn't say 'set to question'; they would say 'set to quiz...' thus setting my remaining teeth doubly on edge.

annodomini Yes. Snubs is another word you only see in tabloid speak. David Cameron snubs French ambassador/Angela Merkel/President of…

Have you noticed how many customers in cafes etc say "Can I get a ham sandwich?" or "Can I get a coffee?" or, at the station"Can I get a ticket to Bath?" Is it a regional expression?

I think it's another Americanism, Grandissimo. I'd be tempted to reply "No, that's my job."

ana ????/

Yes, Nonu?

Taking the American theme further - why do we now have cupcakes instead of fairy cakes?