Some of the phrases in common use today

[starone]

don't seem to mean anything. Like 'in this day and age' - why not just 'these days'? or 'horses for courses' or 'at this moment in time' . 'To tell the truth' - does that mean they don't always, so don't trust them to actually tell the truth?

[boxtops]

or "I'm sorry, but"... no,you're not, you just disagree with my perspective on that thing, why should you be sorry about that?
"This day and age" can be made even more brief - "now".

[237SJ]

I hear "horses for courses" quite a bit. What does it mean exactly? I`m not sure about "it`s all swings and roundabouts" although I think that means "It`s all the same" so I don`t see why people can`t just say that.

[4getmenot]

cant use 'i wasnt born last century you know!' erm yes you were

[evedawn]

"relatively speaking" ....well if what you're saying isn't relevant ...then why say it?!

[factor-fiction]

Eve- relative and relevant mean different things don't they?

[flump1]

Ah well do you see, I use these annoying phrases, and wish I didn't ! One that annoys me greatly is " at the end of the day " it's bedtime....and ............??? I agree with all of the above quotes .Daft aren't they ?

[factor-fiction]

Absolutely, flump1- at the end of the day, when all is said and done, we're both singing from the same hymnsheet.

When anyone says "with respect..." I always feel he/she means the opposite

[boxtops]

"Horses for courses" means "each to their own" or "one size doesn't suit all". Some race-horses run better on some courses than others!

"Swings and roundabouts" is slightly different, I think it originates that one goes up and down and one goes round and round but you always come back to the same place.

[horseshoes]

When you listen to some footballers and their managers commenting on a match, their conversation is littered with "at the end of the day" and other phrases, not to mention their silly expressions such as "it was a game of two halves"..

The most annoying thing I find, is the habit of ending a sentence on a raised note as though it were a question, like Australians; and sayng "like" and "sort of" and sometimes even "sort of like"; and then there's talking like a Caribbean person (when you're obviously not) - hasn't quite reached North Wales just yet - thank goodnes. Sorry I wandered a bit there, but you see once I'm riled.........

[boxtops]

you could be said to be "off on one", horsehoes....! - or the one round here which annoys me "to throw your toys out of the pram"...

[DTCwordfan]

"Have a nice day" is one invading from the States....

My (now aged with dementia) mother went across to visit my sister's place near Fort Lauderdale several years ago, the first time in the USA. Her mental map was probably a mix of "Dysentery "and "Dallas", blended with a good soupconne of "The Waltons."

She headed to a supermarket and had steeled herself for "Have a nice day." When she said "Bye" to the supermarket check-out girl, she got "I am missing you already" - that threw her.

The one Americanism, however, that I rile at is the command, "Enjoy" when being served food.

[horseshoes]

I'm sort of like off on one Boxy.

[McMouse]

The politicians favorite....... "lessons will be learnt"

[boxtops]

I'm guilty of "don't get me started on...." - or the other one my friend uses - "it does my head in".

[factor-fiction]

"I'm not racist but..."