Which words make you cringe? 9 July 2009
Stint
Malarkey
Snack
I’ve got my hands over my ears.
Those are three words for which I have an irrational dislike. I know I’m brave to share, as there’s a risk of people testing my endurance by adding them to as many conversations as possible. After all, my mere mention of the quilt/duvet debate led to its revival via Twitter.
I recently heard about the Ledbury Festival’s request for poets to name and shame the words they hate. I’m glad I’m not the only with the tendency to cringe at the mere mention of certain collections of letters. Apparently pulchritude pops up and, unsurprisingly, chillax. It just goes to show it’s not only the meaning of spoken or written words that matters, but their sound and shape and the mood they create.
And I haven’t even got started on the perils of business jargon…Perhaps I should just chillax.
Which words do you love to hate – and why? Let me know.
Written by Camilla Zajac
Camilla Zajac is an award-winning copywriter dedicated to uncovering what’s exciting and unique about organisations and empowering them to communicate that with impact. Learn more about copywriting services from Green Light Copywriting.
