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Phrases that make you Cringe

681
meversusyou

this bothers me, its not so much as a phrase, its that fucking guy two seats back, unhappy with his work, gives out a very audible sigh every two fucking minutes as if to let everyone else know that his life is miserable.

fuck you

Dec 15, 04 2:43 pm  · 
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similar: "oh, that's your aesthetics." like 'aesthetics' is something i've added because i'm an architect, but it's not essential to their project.

Dec 15, 04 2:46 pm  · 
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c.k.

it's already been said:

shoot me an email
touch base
jazz it up
youknowhatamean
myconceptis
what do you bring to the table

Dec 15, 04 3:03 pm  · 
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mm

When the VP of my office says "this project really needs to be green designed" and has no idea what that means. She just thinks it makes her sound progressive.

I place my vote for "think outside the box" as the use of such a cliche is in such conflict with the intention of the phrase.

Another least favorite is when a developer says "I like your concept but it's not the product I build." I take issue with thinking of buildings, houses, or environments as "products."

Dec 15, 04 3:37 pm  · 
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Jr.

nluken--my boss *constantly* uses the "this [insert element here] really wants to be...." and it drives me crazy. Last time I checked, doors and partition walls weren't sentient beings.

The other thing he constantly says is "Well, we'll just have to love on it a little bit." Damn, not me.

I also hate "I was just noodling and..."

Dec 15, 04 4:10 pm  · 
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Frit

Linoleum - No one actually means linoleum when they say this. They mean some cheap-ass vinyl flooring.

Stucco - You mean EIFS, i.e. Styrofoam.

Cement - You mean concrete. Cement is an ingrediant of concrete.

Plaster - Mud, or finishing compound if you want to be technical. When was the last time any of us actually designed a lathe and plaster wall?

I could forgive a client saying these, but not someone who works in the industry.

Dec 15, 04 5:19 pm  · 
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gustav

V A L U E E N G I N E E R

That simply means you are CHEAP. You know who you are.

Dec 15, 04 5:28 pm  · 
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gustav

The design isn't quite finished- "It needs massaging", ooooh a little lower, a little lower.

Dec 15, 04 5:29 pm  · 
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gustav

The site plan needs the most parking and footprint with the least amount of landscaping- "Max it out".

I have never worked on a site plan that wasn't maxed out. Why do I need to be told every time. "Oh, Min it out this time, just for grins".

Dec 15, 04 5:33 pm  · 
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Tim DeCoster

"I'm going to have to take your stapler"


*I love my limited edition red swingline*

Dec 15, 04 5:42 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?
this bothers me, its not so much as a phrase, its that fucking guy two seats back, unhappy with his work, gives out a very audible sigh every two fucking minutes as if to let everyone else know that his life is miserable.

fuck you

meversusyou, that's my boss !!
Dec 15, 04 5:54 pm  · 
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"I wanted to be an architect."
"I wanted to be an architect, but I can't draw."
"I wanted to be an architect, but I'm not good at math."
"I wanted to be an architect, but it looked like they worked too much."
"It must be a neat job to just draw things that look cool."
"I don't really need an architect. I can design it. I just need the stamp."

From a contractor: "I designed this house by myself." - about a standard house like what you've seen everywhere else.

Dec 15, 04 6:00 pm  · 
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momentum

"i like circles"

famous words for reasoning behind design parti.

"U2"

sorry guys, but every station is playing the same shit right now over and over again. sometimes back to back even. the headphones come on the minute i hear the first U2 in the morning, and they stay on unless someone is trying to tell me something.

Dec 15, 04 6:09 pm  · 
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momentum

"baby"

when said in relation to putting forth spawn with my wife. i want one later, not now.

Dec 15, 04 6:10 pm  · 
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spaghetti

Hey MGdesigner im in interiordesign too.. but there are some in my major that had no clue what they were doing there... hehe

i just thought they were funny

Dec 15, 04 6:15 pm  · 
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meversusyou

right on givemeastamp!!!

used to work for a landscape architecture firm in saint louis, asked all of the employees 'why landscape architecture?'

i shit you not,
"I wanted to be an architect, but I'm not good at math."
or
"I couldn't pass the math."
that said, i got the hell out of that environment ASAP, and found myself a real job, where the architect has the smarts to do landscaping too. (what was i thinking in the first place?)


thanks to steven ward for helping me remember that one.

Dec 15, 04 6:18 pm  · 
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Devil Dog

runnin' 'n gunnin'

the ball's in your court

Dec 15, 04 6:22 pm  · 
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whistler

I had a boss once who referred to

"the ultimate sacrifice"

as going and screwing some ugly rich woman to get a project from the foundation she ran. It was pretty funny as he had this eastern european accent and acted alot like Dan Ackroyd/ Steve Martin as the slick Playboys from from SNL. I know I'm old but I still laugh when I here the term.

I had an operations guy from the client group once refer to me as the

"the plan boy "

I swear I nearly puched him out except I knew his wife was having an affair with a local builder and just referred to him as "the dumb fuck who's wife was getting reamed out by ......" Needless to say it got really quite and the meeting ended very quickly.

Dec 15, 04 6:35 pm  · 
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sure2016

My boss just said 'fake column' again and I just started laughing. Im beyond cringing to laughing.

Dec 15, 04 6:36 pm  · 
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gustav

"Have you put that project to bed, yet?"
"No, I'm still man breast feeding it, changing its' diapers, and burping it. We could have bed this baby three days ago if you hadn't been reading your Playboys and buying cr@p off the internet all day everyday you're in the office. Does your wife know your little cutie pie downstairs is pregnant with your kid?"

Dec 15, 04 7:10 pm  · 
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meversusyou

responding to a question with, 'huh?'

Dec 15, 04 7:51 pm  · 
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THE SUPERMARKET

FYI
-n0010

Dec 15, 04 8:22 pm  · 
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Mason White

"you made a backup last night, right?"
"you have that on file, right?"

Dec 15, 04 9:12 pm  · 
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A

"put these in the computer"

as a partner hands me a roll of drawings right at 5pm.

Drawings from the 1930's on a historic renovation project we just got, paper crumbling in my hands.

Hmm, I'm seeing many flights to Philly in my near future.

Dec 15, 04 10:23 pm  · 
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Smoke Porterhouse

"school rankings"

Dec 15, 04 11:12 pm  · 
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plusminus

This is not a phrase, but when people give the "two thumbs up" gesture.... and make that grin with the mouth to the side...
it's so bad...

Dec 15, 04 11:20 pm  · 
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abracadabra

westside mom to three years old brat, who is tearing up the expensive cake and throwing on the sidewalk,
- madison don't do that sweety you'll attract birds who carry germs.
father,
-madison, i SECOND that.

arrrgh...this family unit must have an account with a therapist...

Dec 15, 04 11:53 pm  · 
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b3tadine[sutures]

screwed the pooch....

Dec 16, 04 12:16 am  · 
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archit84

it has been said but when your boss comes to your desk and says.
"you're not done yet. that should have taken 20 minutes TOPS.
shut the f up
you do it then

Dec 16, 04 12:28 am  · 
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sarah123

This really kills me:
coup de gras (pronounced without the "s" as in FAT)

Very annoying:
Vis a Vis (just say regarding)

Dec 16, 04 1:23 am  · 
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plusminus

well said archit84.. my boss used to do that.. and come and nag every five minutes... i told him once that if he only knew how to use computers he would know that shit doesn't get done that much faster...
oh.. and he has no clue about printing.... and wants something to plot in 2 minutes.. as he sits and watches you as you struggle.... bastard..

Dec 16, 04 1:26 am  · 
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xtbl

"so, what kind of architecture do you do/study?"

Dec 16, 04 1:31 am  · 
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o+

"..high five!!".....

Dec 16, 04 2:21 am  · 
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c

How are 'we' doing.... that is , when there is no we - bloody shrink talk , and assumed familiarity
but just to make you smile( i really mean me.) here;s some some phrases from the reading i'm doing:
stoical ataraxy
...i fall unawares into an Anacreontic mood...( i hate it when that happens...)
...justice-tartuffery of impotence...
mad props to anyone who knows what book ...

Dec 16, 04 3:53 am  · 
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a-f

I'm counting number of sentences my boss starts with "Basically..." while writing this. Translates as "I want to give you an impression of an underlying complex concept of this building, but there isn't any." Worst thing is that EVERYBODY is using this irritating prefix in the office, except me. Basically, basically, basically...

Dec 16, 04 5:17 am  · 
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graspin

"i don't love you anymore"...yeah, that one deff. made me cringe!

Dec 16, 04 7:34 am  · 
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jap

i am not kidding when i admit the worse line is from my client/developer that says two things that make my skin crawl...

"i need a big ass kitchen"
or
"the real estate agent said...we should..."

when did real estate agents know anything?

Dec 16, 04 9:19 am  · 
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alphanumericcha

jap - since they started commanding 6% fees

Dec 16, 04 9:28 am  · 
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weave

sarah,
'vis a vis' is definitely on my annoying list too...

here's one from some of my non-arch friends:

"oh, so you had a big final today? what was it, like a house?"

Dec 16, 04 10:44 am  · 
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form64

"McMansion" - Just say big bullshit 'architecture'. Wait, that's too long a term.

"Screwed the pooch" - Sounds like you fucked your dog. Gross.

"...was added for architectural interest" - You mean your design sucked before you add your bullshit decoration and now it still does.

"Curb appeal" - Just say it only looks good from the front. How about appeal from where it is experienced?

Dec 16, 04 11:08 am  · 
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abracadabra

people who pronounce 'croissant' like they took french in high school cringe me.
i prefer 'crescent' like it is pronounced in YUM-YUM DONUTS on pico blvd.

Dec 16, 04 2:10 pm  · 
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gustav

The same "vis-a-vis" people also use "peruse" and "banter".
It's as annoying as "Duuuuuude", "Whaaasuuuup", "My man's just chillin'".

Dec 16, 04 2:38 pm  · 
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meversusyou

ok, here is another not-so-much-as-a-phrase-but-all-the-more-annoying thing...

a co-worker, my co-worker, that seems to have had her tongue bitten off when she was a wee child. never talks, never utters a word. no good mornings, no good nights... no witty banter, nothing. disturbing.

is it just me or is there such a thing as office chemistry?

Dec 16, 04 2:56 pm  · 
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mad+dash

"I'm new to this website, what are the top five architecture schools?"

Dec 16, 04 4:22 pm  · 
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meversusyou

ok, alittle boy humor, the office where i work is small, basically a store front located in a residential neighborhood. this makes for an even smaller adjacency to the bathroom. everyone in the office is located very close to the shared bathroom.

here is the cringe part.

every day, same guy retires to the restroom, and proceeds to produce the loudest, most horrifying sounds (i'm keeping it PG for the kids' sake).

mind you, this happens at least two to three times daily, the other designer usually has her ipod blasting, so i have no outlet to go to, when i need a what the fuck moment.

*cringe*

Dec 16, 04 4:34 pm  · 
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dia

I hate the term "3-Beddy" - usually coming from an Estate Agent and referring to a 3 bedroom dwelling.

Non architectural: bric-a-brac, not sure if you have it in the states however. Refers to diverse crappy items usually at a garage sale.

And what is it with French words that people feel like they have to pronounce them correctly and with an accent. I dont see anybody trying to emulate Spanish, Indian, Russian or Cantonese phrasing and intonation.

Dec 16, 04 4:40 pm  · 
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Ms Beary

"plot this out" throws something at me. I plot one out, give it back. Oops, turns out, it was supposed to be at a different scale, with the topo layer off, needed a title block and a north arrow and on a different kind of paper. how was I supposed to get that from "plot this out"?

Dec 16, 04 4:43 pm  · 
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meversusyou

'pc load letter'

jpostd

Dec 16, 04 4:52 pm  · 
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FOG Lite

Anything that "harkens back" or "centers around."

I never understood that "out of pocket" phrase either. It sounds too much like paying an insurance deductible.

Dec 16, 04 5:02 pm  · 
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mimiz

"you should really take it to the next level"

Dec 16, 04 5:10 pm  · 
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