‘Whatever’ once again tops most annoying word list

Possibilities abound, however, depending on who you ask

There is no denying that some words are more annoying than others. But ask five people what word annoys them most, and chances are, you’ll get five different answers.

However, Marist College recently announced their annual poll of most annoying words and phrases, and came up with a clear winner: “whatever.”

The word topped the list for the ninth straight year, the Associated Press reports, and was selected by one-third of poll respondents, who were given five choices.

“Fake news” came in second place, followed by “no offense,” “literally,” and “you know what I mean.”

Frankly, all five choices are pretty annoying, which would make it tough to narrow it down to just one option.

It would be interesting top? yumasun.com to see the results if the poll wasn’t multiple choice. Are there other phrases or words that would rise to the

We can think of handful of options that would qualify. “It is what it is,” for example, is very annoying, both for its sentiment and its overuse.

“With all due respect” is also rather annoying, because really, nothing kind is going to follow that statement. It’s a setup for a negative interaction.

“Sup” and “totes” both are shorthand words that can make people twitch in annoyance, and “sorry not sorry” really is simply rude.

Past Marist College polls included “like,” “no worries,” “huge” and “ya know, right.”

It’s fascinating how we adopt trendy words into our vocabularies, often without realizing it. Suddenly, these words become verbal filler, filling in spaces that might otherwise be silent.

The concept isn’t a modern one. Every generation likely has its own set of words that are especially annoying or over-used. But it is fascinating to see what makes people tick each year!

Of course, “no offense” to anyone who “totes” loves these phrases — “whatever!” We “literally” just need a little break from them, “you know what I mean?”

What words annoy you, Yuma? Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.