[Insert Cliché Here]

Language is an extremely easy tool to misuse. We use it so often that we often dilute how potent it can really be. When I talk, and when I listen to other people talk, I come across a lot of filler. Sometimes the filler is sort of necessary. It can get you from point A to point B in a conversation. But a lot of times the filler is just for our own comfort, and quite often has no meaning at all. Or is actually just plain incorrect to use.

It drives me insane when I find myself wrapping up intelligent conversations with a completely unintelligent canned closing remark.

"Ohh well...can't win 'em all!'

...Can you really not win them all? Plenty of teams have had undefeated seasons...haven't they won them all?

"It is what it is."

Why wouldn't it be what it is? Otherwise it would be something else. And then it wouldn't be it at all.

"...But what can ya do?"

If no one can do anything about this then why the hell did we just talk about it for 20 minutes?


I also cringe at myself when I'm ending a phone call and I say, "alrightyy..."


Why do I say that?? Did I get that from Ace Ventura? That's just awful. I feel better about myself when I say "Okie Dokie." Not by much...but at least a little bit better. At least I'm not absent-mindedly quoting Jim Carrey with that one.

One of my biggest pet peeves for years has been when people use the phrase "No offense..." as if it is some sort of free pass to say something really offensive.

"No offense but you're a total bitch."

Wow, I would totally be pissed about that BUT you told me you didn't mean it offensively. So that's ok...I guess?

Honestly, if you're on the giving-end of a "no offense but..." statement, just save yourself some time and skip those two words. Because you really do mean to offend the other person. If you didn't, you wouldn't be calling them a bitch even with the wimpy pre-cursor.

It's really difficult to avoid all of these filler phrases once you've picked up the habit. I know because I've been trying to distance myself from "alrighty" for quite some time now, to no avail.


Alrighty, time to wrap this up!




"Einhorn is Finkle! Finkle is Einhorn! Einhorn is a man! ...OH MY GOD!! Einhorn is a Man!"
-Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey), Ace Ventura Pet Detective