A natural part of getting older is getting increasingly annoyed by the slang young people use.
If you're over 20, you're probably totes annoyed by the string of YOLOs and BAEs you hear in everyday conversations.
But it's not just the kids today who are guilty of using really annoying language.
Plenty of adults are still using these 13 phrases that we can't stand.
1. My bad
Yes, it is your bad, and you should probably apologize for it.
This catch-all apology would be less annoying if people actually apologized, but instead a quick my bad seems to cover any slight, no matter how serious.
"Mrs. Jenkins, I'm sorry about your cat Snowball. That was my bad, but I swear I didn't see him in my rear view mirror."
2. Think outside the box
Oops, my mistake, I've been thinking inside the box this whole time. Let me fix that.
Not-so-savvy problem solvers love this cliche, which urges you to do...something, but not what you were already doing. Very helpful.
"Not making enough money to keep the lights on at home? Have you tried thinking outside the box? I feel smarter just saying it!"
3. No worries
Consider no problem to be in the same annoying group.
This "chill" catchphrase wouldn't be so insufferable, except it's almost always delivered at the exact time you should be worrying.
"Keep calm" is at least practical advice when you get a flat tire on the way to a job interview.
"No worries" sounds like someone is insisting the flat tire is actually no big deal. How is that supposed to calm me down?!
4. It is what it is
Oh, brilliant observation!
I'm glad that it is what it is, otherwise it would be something else, and then what a mess we would be in!
Like no worries, this phrase shows up when everything is going wrong, and someone is resigned to take things as they are.
Except it doesn't actually explain anything about accepting the situation you're in and moving on.
It just smugly reminds you this is this, and people expect you to think that's profound.
5. Thanks in advance
The hallmark of an important but annoying last-minute request.
The person thanking you - in advance, no less - is trying to sound polite and thoughtful.
Really, it comes across as pushy and passive-aggressive.
"Pursuant to my last email, if you don't pay your outstanding late fees by tomorrow we're repossessing your truck. But thanks in advance for responding so quickly!"
6. Literally
Except it's not literally, most of the time.
More and more people are begrudgingly accepting literally to mean figuratively, and young people are literally over the moon hearing the good news.
Linguists even argue that this is a longstanding trend, but I can say for sure it was not in my home growing up.
The rest of us will just have to keep grinding our teeth every time we hear that you, "spent literally a week waiting in line at the corner store."
7. I could care less
This one is especially annoying because it's so tricky, but language lovers and sticklers everywhere have all picked a side in the could versus couldn't debate.
Normally you would tell someone that you couldn't care less about their baby photos, because you simply could not care even less.
But a growing number of people insist they could care less about how you met your husband.
It's not a mistake, they argue, because they're being ironic.
Whichever way you slice it - and I'm on the couldn't side for life - I could care less about people who use this lazy cliche.
8. Everything happens for a reason
No, it doesn't.
I know you're just trying to make me feel better about my wretched life, but did you really think that would do the trick?
No one honestly believes I'm going to meet the love of my life at the impound lot after my car gets towed?
I'm only going to meet a grouchy clerk who insists I need two pieces of photo ID before I can get my car back.
Why? Because everything doesn't happen for a reason.
9. Just sayin'
I must have missed the class where people learned that you can be as rude as you like if you end a sentence with "just sayin'."
I remember my parents telling me that when you were rude, you were rude, whether you were just sayin' or not.
In a professional setting you might meet this phrase's ugly sibling, with all due respect.
That version at least pretends to be polite, but it's on thin ice too. Just sayin'.
10. I'm sorry you feel that way
Yes, you should, because you were wrong in the first place!
This is the ultimate non-apology, and it's tragically common these days.
If you hurt someone's feelings, your words were probably untrue, or needlessly cruel, whether you meant them to be or not.
So imagine what a slap in the face it is to tell the upset person the problem is their feelings!
11. I can't even
Can't even what? Finish a sentence?
If you haven't encountered this annoying expression yet, it's a trendy way of saying, "I'm speechless."
Except it doesn't even say that.
If you were unfamiliar with this phrase and someone told you they, "Can't even right now," what would you make of it?
You might guess they were having some kind of bad reaction and needed a doctor. In fact, they just need a dictionary.
12. At the end of the day
At the end of the day, you have nothing to say.
Your interesting thoughts have all flown away.
In a business meeting, your ideas were fleeting.
So you brought out this tired old cliche.
13. Like
Like, 'nuff said.
Here are some funny articles to take your mind off lazy language:
