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The No-No List

A list of 54 words by uselessness.

About

Words I absolutely will not say aloud to people unless I'm sure they know exactly what I'm talking about. Also words that require great diligence in pronunciation, so no one is offended by a slightly-wrong syllable. Often I'll intentionally say them wrong so people will get the point and just think I'm stupid. Maybe I'm overly self-conscious. I just hate to "trigger" people and distract them from the message I mean to convey.

Comments

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  • chained_bear commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Ha ha! Great idea for a list. Love it!

    I have trouble with several of these words, and also with diction.

    February 9, 2007

  • abraxaszugzwang commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Suggest never pairing the phrase "that's mighty white of you" with the word niggardly.

    February 9, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list the-no-no-list

    That would be a terrible combo. :-P

    I've added a variant of yours, chained_bear.

    February 9, 2007

  • chained_bear commented on the list the-no-no-list

    I find tit for tat to raise eyebrows when I say it. So I avoid saying it.

    February 11, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Another nice one (or not-so-nice?). I added it and another one in a similar vein.

    February 11, 2007

  • reesetee commented on the list the-no-no-list

    It's also difficult to discuss certain types of birds...say, a bushtit...in certain circles. Although I suppose it has nothing to do with pronunciation. ;-)

    February 13, 2007

  • chained_bear commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Firkin is one I came across at work (and reesetee reminded me). An old word, but boy, you gotta be careful... And then there's icehole.

    February 13, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list the-no-no-list

    I agree about bushtit! I'll add it. Firkin and icehole are brilliant!

    Story time: Years ago, on a scout campout, one of the kids was mesmerized by the smoke and embers around the campfire. He was oblivious to the scoutmaster bending over to tend the fire in front of him. And as one particularly large cinder fluttered past, he blurted "wow, that's a big ash!!" Scoutmaster turned beet red and that was the last happy moment that kid had on this trip. Probably one of those "you had to be there" moments.

    February 13, 2007

  • reesetee commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Great story, u! Reminds me of the time I was telling my mother about the directions for cleaning an article of clothing using a damp cloth. "A WHAT cloth??" says she.

    "Damp. DAMP! With a 'P'!"

    "Oh! I thought you were angry with the cloth for some reason."

    February 13, 2007

  • chained_bear commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Those are both great stories! You made me laugh out loud.

    I heard one recently that's probably too long to type here, but involves someone mistaking the shouted words "New-Rigged Ship!" for the slightly less lyrical "You Big Shit!"

    February 15, 2007

  • reesetee commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Classic! How many times do you think *that* phrase has been misinterpreted?

    February 15, 2007

  • chained_bear commented on the list the-no-no-list

    uselessness, do you find people staring at you when you speak of errata?

    February 16, 2007

  • reesetee commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Gee, c_b, isn't that a little personal?

    February 16, 2007

  • abraxaszugzwang commented on the list the-no-no-list

    masticate and titular?

    February 16, 2007

  • abraxaszugzwang commented on the list the-no-no-list

    My students (2nd language learners) always say shit for sheet.

    A student once told be I "have nice ass." I almost sheet. They tend to leave out articles and it took me some time to figure out she meant eyes.

    February 16, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list the-no-no-list

    I can't say that I've actually ever said errata aloud, but now that you mention it, erratic has been problematic more than once.

    Masticate and titular were made for this list.

    I'm not even going to go down the ESL mispronunciation path... that's a long, winding road paved with all kinds of faux pas and Engrish wonders. Which would make for a great list of its own, if I ever get around to starting it (or someone beats me to it).

    February 16, 2007

  • abraxaszugzwang commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Oh, I've thought about that list, but it could go on and on. I was chatting with a Japanese friend of mine the other day and she wrote, "it's an effect of grobal warming." I almost died.

    February 16, 2007

  • generationnext commented on the list the-no-no-list

    I asked some friends the other night if they wanted some nibbles (food) and they all thought I said "nipples".

    March 29, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Now that's a good one. I'm surprised I didn't think of it sooner!

    March 29, 2007

  • violaisokay commented on the list the-no-no-list

    don't forget caulk or caulking. i will wander the hardware store for days before asking for any assistance in finding this item.

    April 25, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Ooh, I bet that would be especially problematic when spoken with a British accent. Thanks for the recommendation!

    April 25, 2007

  • zeichensprache commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Without masticate, we'd never have been able to infuriate high school teachers and peers who were easily led to believe we were saying t'other.

    May 17, 2007

  • tankexmortis commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Wow, this list is so much better than mine. :(

    August 14, 2007

  • sera commented on the list the-no-no-list

    Consider self deprecating. One slip of tongue and...

    August 14, 2007

  • sera commented on the list the-no-no-list

    I like titular.

    :)

    August 14, 2007