"Going forward..."

"So" is the one which really annoys me.

At meetings with our boss we used to have fun counting his cliches- best one was " they have us in a cleft stick over a barrel"!

Decompress...would that be to a decompression chamber? Maybe he's an astronaut or deep sea diver Though probably not.

Like others on this thread, I'm interested in the way our use of language changes. I heard a well informed discussion on R4 a while ago, where amongst other things, starting a sentence with 'So' was explained as an important 'heads up' to listeners. Just interesting.

Our grandparents wouldn't recognise half these phrases, would they?

When ordering food in a restaurant they say "Can I get. .." and this morning I was informed my son in law is going away for a short holiday to decompress

Had a phone call from an estate agent yesterday who informed me he'd 'sent an e mail to yourself' nearly dropped the phone laughing.

Teetime, I think you've spelt B***cks wrongly?

Why do people, when asked a question feel the need to repeat the question while answering it. E.g..'why did I vote for him? I'll tell you why'. I want to scream.

Ooh Skweek. I watch escape to the country just to laugh at the ridiculous language. How many times must they 'tick all the boxes'? But, please please can someone tell me why a house is now always known as a property? What is wrong with 'house' ?

Almost Exactly - must be one or the other cant be both

I don't have any problems only issues!!

When did 'with' get replaced with 'of'?? As in "I'm fed up 'of' my meighbour, rather than 'with' my neighbour! etc etc

missdeke, also hate "pushing the envelope," utter nonsense! Thank goodness for retirement so not subjected to the corporate jargon anymore. I am forever shouting at the TV when myself and yourself used incorrectly

The thumb on index finger to make a point drives me crazy - it's so affected and fake

And the 'Yeah, no'

I agree all these terms are irritating at times, but not half as irritating as text speak/grammar/spelling...so I welcome these "corporate" phrases.

You use reflexive pronouns to refer to the subject of a sentence again, later in a sentence. For instance, 'I have seen it myself'. You only need to use 'myself' where 'me' won't fit.

The use of 'push the envelope' irritates me, why would anyone say anything so ridiculous!

Yes dracool! I've noticed that too. Even well educated, otherwise eloquent people being interviewed on Radio 4 in the morning begin their sentence with "So....". I don't understand why?

"Sat" and "stood" when it should be "sitting" and "standing". "Absolutely" now means "yes" apparently.

Let's draw a line under that at this moment in time. We played the corporate lingo lotto too. And what about that ghastly "Escape to the Country" where my family plays the same game - "quirky" house, with spacious kitchen-diner, dining space, family bathroom and en-suite etc

I would love to know why every sentence now has to start with the word so.

with passion

This is a ,"journey" in which we must all "participate".

It would appear that the use of reflexive pronouns in the place of personal pronouns is considered to be more formal by many. It is used commonly in the US, hence, I am afraid, the spread of it. It is incorrect, but sadly, very much in use

I hate it too. When I was at work some senior managers thought use of this corporate language made them better and clever than the rest of us in the Plain English camp so we used to play B***cks Bingo... everytime some on used one of these words or phrases during a meeting you scored a point.
My Boss was always wanting to 'touch base' - you want to see me? and to 'keep me in the loop', keep me informed. She spent her time charging about the place in a mini skirted business suit with a cup of Starbucks coffee in her hand yelling into her mobile- most of the time to her children so she could complain of not having any 'me time'. Aaarghhh.

Yes, I hate 'corporate lingo' but am interested in the ways in which language changes.

I noticed that the adding of 'self'seemed to me by people who spoke English as a second language and assumed it had now spread.

I also find it interesting that in our class-obsessed society we long ago (with some regional exceptions) abandoned the formal / informal 'you' which was kept by cultures / languages that appear much more democratic.