Not architecture related... but here we go anyway...

"I think you are a nice guy."

you forgot the next line of that phrase,

"i think we should just be friends."

nope...that never follows. probably because my gagging reflex kicks in and I turn to the side looking for a trash can to puke in.

"Run it up the flagpole."

My boss says this before every presentation to a client. Sounding like a 1950's era Madison Ave. advertising exec has never been cool.

i've designed a few not so desirable spaces within an overall scheme that, in the terms of my boss, i've created a bunch of dead cat space.

what if i wanted dead cat space in my design, ever think of that?

"think outside the box"

so overused nowadays, and most often in defense of what turn out to be utterly conventional ideas...

"Yeah, but at the end of the day ..."

"I think this <some thing> really *wants to be* <some way> ...

I know the Kahn reference, I know, I know, but ... he wasn't asking about how many parking spaces a lot *wanted* to have, or what color fabric a sofa *wanted* to be.

"so on and so forth..."

my "boss" says this at the end of all sentences, even if there is no 'so on' or 'so forth'.

"it's/i'm all about..."

just stop it. leave room for it to be about something else.

"if I was you, which I'm not, but if I was...I would"

in a review i sat on yesterday, a student referred to some subjective design moments as "flare!"

that word makes me cringe.........

meversusyou......did your boss attend the university of florida?

office space quote,

'you want to express yourself, dont you?'

no, cornell

you see, bad architectural phrases have no boundaries, its a worldwide phenomena

flare?! That student must have learned to design from Queer eye for the straight guy.

sustainability

whimsical
HGTV
Myriad
Compendium

oh yeah, how could i forget:

"new urbanism"

not so bad when used in an intelligent way....really bad when a developer uses it as a catch phrase to turn a buck on a cheap piece of land. or whenever my boss uses it to describe "the latest trend". one time he actually said, "we need to get some of that 'new urbanism' on this project...you know, make it look town-y"

good topic, kakacabeza

"celebrate the space"

not what i would have done, but okayyyyyy

If it ain't the hottest thing since sliced bread, then I don't want to see it.
says the boss

Well that's neat and all, but this is what we're going to do...
again, says the boss

"Don't over think it"

- - - then after completion per instructions:

"So, what do you think?"

"Let's not let the tail wag the dog"

"Now that your husband is an architect, you can start raising a family"

design element-

usually used in reference to something designed in a half-assed fashion and inappropriately added onto the building in order to hide the fact that the rest wasn't really designed at all; said element also habitually blows 60-75% of the budget to the barest minimum of effect/impact

also:

blade wall
option 3B
master plan
"this is what you do..."
rhythm
"send the files to my home e-mail address so I can work on them this weekend"

BTW, it's flair, not flare.

The cretins in my office (the designers who actually design the buildings) frequently put themselves in the position of having to "break up the facade." I'm greeted with blank stares when I suggest that making statement should be a warning that there is something wrong with the design prima facie.

and..."fageddaboutit"

we had a design interoffice design session last weekend and the phrase

"architectural intervention"

was said at least 300 times

hmmm....

design interoffice design session....

*cringe*

Blow and Go.
(Hurry up, the client hasn't paid me in 6 months)

Again, .............
(Again used at the beginning of nearly every sentence to make everyone appear dense)

Architect: The CDs specifically called for a 1/4" gap, you made it 1".
Contractor: That's alright, we'll just fill it with a shitpot full of pooky.

You're pulling that out of your ass.
(When the boss doesn't understand what you're saying)

I'm going to chew out his ass.
(when the boss made a mistake and the contractor found it and called the client)

It's the Golden Rule, a$$h@le.
(the boss recieves the checks from the client, so he thinks he can treat people in the office like his own redheaded stepchild)

There's more....

Blow and Go.
(Hurry up, the client hasn't paid me in 6 months)

Again, .............
(Again used at the beginning of nearly every sentence to make everyone appear dense)

Architect: The CDs specifically called for a 1/4" gap, you made it 1".
Contractor: That's alright, we'll just fill it with a shitpot full of pooky.

You're pulling that out of your ass.
(When the boss doesn't understand what you're saying)

I'm going to chew out his ass.
(when the boss made a mistake and the contractor found it and called the client)

It's the Golden Rule, a$$h@le.
(the boss recieves the checks from the client, so he thinks he can treat people in the office like his own redheaded stepchild)

There's more....

Sorry for the dupe.

"Diagonal entry lends to added sense of space."

Midcentury Modern

War on Terror

Jeb Bush '08

"shoot me an email" or "i'll just shoot you an email" I really hate that for some reason.. it seems older people say it a lot.

"we'll just photoshop that out"

"that should only take about 20 mins"

and to go along with nluken's "this wants to be.." which is so true it's sad..

"this feels like it should be _______" insert whatever material, formal decision, plan condition, etc.

"This begs the question..."
"I've been tasked with..."

'Would you like fries with that?'

discussing something and the guy i'm talking to begins every sentence with "yes, but ..."

"where is it at?"

"where are you at?"

"where did you go to?"

my current favorite:

"yeah, no it's great." (do you mean 'yes it is great' or 'no it is not great.' ???)

"keep your grubby hands off my daughter"

man, I HATE that

"that looks sassy"

" mission accomplished "

" play with that facade "

" facade "

" an architect can draw us some plans " EVERYBODY instead of thinking that an architect designs ?

hash it out

touch base

hi how are you?

fine thank you, and you?

fine, and you?

"the design is horrible"

followed by:

"i should kill you for that"

"...please not on the face!!!!

-David Cross
comedy CD

"fake column"

Added by interior designer because the space needed it.

Oooh, good topic.

"It's, uhh... organic forms." I was in a digital media studio this past semester and every halfbrained classmate of mine decided that their arbitrary blob was a representation of something organic.

"Basically..." Used to start out a presentation of any sort. No matter how informal. Because, basically, you're an idiot.

"Okay, here's what you need to do." Followed by grabbing my pen and sketchbook and hashing out a halfbrained design change. Thanks, professor/guest critic. That really advanced my education.

put a hat on it

the code says

i like "modern", but will that sell

just push that over a little it'll fit

the checks in the mail

let's think outside the box here

push the envelope

cement wall

that should work

i can't work this weekend on your project sir, i have to help my mother buy a computer...plus you know i don't do deadlines very well

i told the engineer that

<anything> is public enemy number one

point of diminishing returns

attractive nuisance

insurance is a business pal <said whilst fucking me in the ass with a nice smile as to raising premiums again 30%>

"stress the horizontals"

"my concept is foliage. i am putting leaves everywhere" --a friend in my major (interior design)

Another one was happiness, as in colorful bubbles everywhere, and when asked to further explain and elaborate, she says "its just like...sooo happy!"

ahh, i love my major.