It bugs me when people say “the thing is is that” (if you listen for it, you’ll start hearing it… or maybe that’s something that people only do in my area.) (“What the thing is is that…” is fine. But “the thing is is that…” bugs me.)
Also, “just because <blank> doesn’t mean <blank>.” That sentence structure invites one to take “just because <blank>” as a noun phrase which my brain really doesn’t want to do. Just doesn’t seem right. But that sentence structure is very common.
And I’m not saying there’s anything objectively wrong with either of these. Language is weird and complex and beautiful. It’s just fascinating that some commonly-used linguistic constructions just hit some people wrong sometimes.
Edit: I thought of another one. “As best as I can.” “The best I can” is fine, “as well as I can” is good, and “as best I can” is even fine. But “as best as” hurts.
I hate the word “cleanse” because it means the same thing a “clean” but uses two extra letters. Fuck the word “cleanse.”
I’ve recently started hearing people say “It needs cleaned.” Meaning it needs cleaning or it needs to be cleaned, and it just shifts to the wrong gear.
I also hate the word “leverage” in the bullshit business lingo sense of the word. Just makes me think “Your business leverages solutions, and uses people.” Tell me, when did your brain die?
I think cleanse and clean are not quite interchangeable. Cleanse has a gravitas that clean lacks. For example, growing up, I heard a lot of things like “be cleansed of your sins”. “Be cleaned of your sins” makes me vaguely uncomfortable.
Hard agree on business lingo, though.
The only time I see “cleanse” used is either on women’s cosmetics or religious drivel as your example. So “cleanse” is 100% marketing bullshit.
“Cleansing” connotes inside and out. “Cleaning” is surface. Same as “impurity” vs. “dirt.”
See? Nothing but emotional bongwater.
But how do I justify my pay grade by leveraging lowly words like “use?”