Misused terms vent

Passanie · May 2011

I keep hearing people say the phrase "hot mess." Um, you do realize something has to be both hot and a mess to qualify, right? So your pile of dirty laundry? Sorry, not a hot mess. Just a mess.

What misused terms drive you bonkers?

hannikan · May 2011

I don't think that's true actually. It's a slang term so the meaning may change over time anyway but usually a hot mess has to be a person. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hot%20mess

Passanie · May 2011

I agree, it's typically in reference to a person. But there has to be some iota of "hot" in there, or it's just a mess. A pile of garbage is not a hot mess.

hannikan · May 2011

I think generally the only reference to hot is if the woman would be hot if she was not a mess. But it's one of those terms that people use indiscriminately and doesn't have an exact meaning. It's one of those that's overused like a lot of slang terms.

Roni.Cedra · May 2011

I agree with Passanie, although it is a phrase I NEVER hear. Except, you had better believe my laundry is a HOT MESS, it is SEXY and not at all not hot ;-)

I have always taken it to be that she (or he) is hot... you know one night stand material, but dude she is a MESS... either trashy mess or just baggage central.

Rock-n-Voll · May 2011

I don't think of "hot mess" with such a literal interpretation. My understanding is that it's just a slang way of saying something is disorganized. Sort of like how I'll say "I'm crazy busy," but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm crazy (though DH might beg to differ ).

As for my misused term pet peeve, I've mentioned it before: I can't stand when people say, "I could care less" when it's supposed to be "I couldn't care less." Also, would of/could of/should of instead of would've/could've/should've (or really "have" is what's actually correct but the abbreviation would be better than "of").

I'm sure there are a lot more, but those are the first two to come to mind.

Signed,
Anal Retentive English Major

LoLoPanda · May 2011

"In a perfect world" or "In my perfect world" - it's not a/your perfect world, so deal with the cards you've been dealt.

"Reinventing the wheel" - MIL uses this all the time. It's like nails on a chalkboard for me.

secretkeeper321 · May 2011

Hahahahaha....I'm laughing because as soon as I read the words "hot mess" I had a visual of Amy Winehouse and Linsay Lohan. I think I need to back away from E! lol

Couldn't care less bugs the poop out of me, I whole-heartedly agree.

Not so much misused as an overused vent - I had a boss that said "it is a moving target" about EVERYTHING...oh, and "flip side." Seriously bugged.

smbsantacruz · May 2011

The correct phrase is "champing at the bit," not "chomping at the bit."

Champing=to betray impatience

Chomping=chewing loudly

hannikan · May 2011

Rock-n-Voll:
Also, would of/could of/should of instead of would've/could've/should've (or really "have" is what's actually correct but the abbreviation would be better than "of").

Yes, this one bothers me, too! It's been bugging me when DH pronounces realtor, re-la-tor. It's real-tor!

angelabbf · May 2011

smbsantacruz:
The correct phrase is "champing at the bit," not "chomping at the bit."
Champing=to betray impatience
Chomping=chewing loudly

You learn something new ever day... I had no idea! I'll be sure to use "champing" from now on. And think of you when I do.

StumpyG · May 2011

smbsantacruz:
The correct phrase is "champing at the bit," not "chomping at the bit."
Champing=to betray impatience
Chomping=chewing loudly

Woa, no way. I have been schooled.

hannikan · May 2011

I didn't know what about champing at the bit either. I thought it was chomping because I thought the bit was what a horse has in it's mouth attached to the bridle. So I thought it was an analogy using the horse impatiently chomping on its bit.

CarFar · May 2011

B, I'm not quite sure I follow your logic on hot mess, as I always just considered it to mean (as in this definition from urban dictionary)

Someone or Something that is such a mess... the level of it, is off of the charts. It's past pathetic, past pitiful. It's to the point you almost have to walk away to keep from bustin a gut. Hot messes can exist in levels.

or

a derogatory term describing a situation, behavior, appearance, etc. that is disastrously bad.

I've never heard it misused using this type of definition.

I also feel a bit dumb now, as I was totally with Hannikan on the "chomping" at the bit thing. Of course you're the first one to ever correct me, so I guess the majority of people are with me in dumb dumb land, so please don't judge too harshly on that one

Passanie · May 2011

CarFar:
B, I'm not quite sure I follow your logic on hot mess, as I always just considered it to mean (as in this definition from urban dictionary)
Someone or Something that is such a mess... the level of it, is off of the charts. It's past pathetic, past pitiful. It's to the point you almost have to walk away to keep from bustin a gut. Hot messes can exist in levels.

or

a derogatory term describing a situation, behavior, appearance, etc. that is disastrously bad.

I've never heard it misused using this type of definition.

I also feel a bit dumb now, as I was totally with Hannikan on the "chomping" at the bit thing. Of course you're the first one to ever correct me, so I guess the majority of people are with me in dumb dumb land, so please don't judge too harshly on that one

Look at the first three definitions on that page. All refer to some amount of attractiveness. Heh, we're citing Urban Dictionary like it's actually an authority (though it does have all those little thumbs ups and downs). It's most often used to refer to people like Lindsay Lohan. So what is the alternate definition of hot if it doesn't mean attractive in this sense? What does it mean? Why is it there?

CarFar · May 2011

I know, like urban dictionary is Webster's lol. I guess I just thought it meant like hot as in " widely noticed, bigger than normal. I never understood " hot" in hot mess to have to do with attractiveness.

hannikan · May 2011

Passanie:
Look at the first three definitions on that page. All refer to some amount of attractiveness. Heh, we're citing Urban Dictionary like it's actually an authority (though it does have all those little thumbs ups and downs). It's most often used to refer to people like Lindsay Lohan. So what is the alternate definition of hot if it doesn't mean attractive in this sense? What does it mean? Why is it there?

I don't think the regular dictionary has this expression yet. It's a relatively new slang expression and, therefore only in a slang dictionary like Urban Dictionary. I agree with CarFar that the hot part in a hot mess seems to be used like extreme or severe, not exactly a literal expression of temperature or the word hot's association with attractiveness.

smbsantacruz · May 2011

hannikan:
I didn't know what about champing at the bit either. I thought it was chomping because I thought the bit was what a horse has in it's mouth attached to the bridle. So I thought it was an analogy using the horse impatiently chomping on its bit.

This is where the confusion stems from. A horse actually does not chOmp at the bit, he chAmps at it.

?verb (used with object)

1.

to bite upon or grind, especially impatiently: The horses champed the oats.

2.

to crush with the teeth and chew vigorously or noisily; munch.

3.

to mash; crush.

?verb (used without object)

4.

to make vigorous chewing or biting movements with the jaws and teeth.

PinkHighlighter · May 2011

hannikan:
Passanie:

Look at the first three definitions on that page. All refer to some amount of attractiveness. Heh, we're citing Urban Dictionary like it's actually an authority (though it does have all those little thumbs ups and downs). It's most often used to refer to people like Lindsay Lohan. So what is the alternate definition of hot if it doesn't mean attractive in this sense? What does it mean? Why is it there?

I don't think the regular dictionary has this expression yet. It's a relatively new slang expression and, therefore only in a slang dictionary like Urban Dictionary. I agree with CarFar that the hot part in a hot mess seems to be used like extreme or severe, not exactly a literal expression of temperature or the word hot's association with attractiveness.

I'm with CarFar and hannikan on this one. At least, that's how I'd use it (if I'd ever use it).

Celyn · May 2011

I was going to say champing actually does mean to chew loudly, even though the idiom together (champing at the bit) means to be impatient to start. It's pretty literal in horse racing terms. You'd champ at a bit too if someone has pulling it back in your mouth making your head pull back

I'm with the people who are annoyed with irregardless and I could care less, but my biggest pet peeve is sentences peppered mid-sentence or repeatedly with know what I mean? I can't stand that one.

Misused terms vent

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