Empty words

[Captain Maltese]

Some words and sentences have been so abused, knowingly or unknowingly, for so long that they automatically generate the response "Oh yeah right. Sure." in your mind. I have a few favorite ones myself and I would like to see what others have. Keep in mind that irony and understatement does NOT count. It has to be something someone would say - earnestly or lying straightfaced - while thinking you might believe it.

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"I am from the government and I am here to help."

[Oniya]

'I am calling from Microsoft.  Your computer has a virus.'

[Captain Maltese]

"Trust me."

That one fascinates me, because it has no perceived value while the corollary "Trust me on this." has absolute perceived value.

[William Blake]

"I'm so sorry" - in the context of sympathy, not apology.

[Captain Maltese]

"You won't get away with this!"

People who are able to deliver on their threats, rarely make them - they consider them unnecessary warnings and go straight for vengeance. While those that don't, say stuff like this all the time. But for whose ears? Clearly the perpetrator IS getting away with it, whatever it is. Worse, if the perpetrator actually considers the threat, the obvious first choice of action should be to eliminate the witness - the guy who is making the threat... Finally, the threat is worded in such a way that it does not obligate the threat maker himself to do anything.

[Captain Maltese]

"I am sorry. We apologize." Not when it come from one person to another, personally. I mean all the other times. When a politician or an official or company spokesman admits what they have already been caught doing and everyone already know they have done, because now is the time to do damage control. When a bad guy has been proved to have done this and that crime beyond all doubt, right before the court is to set their punishment, he and his lawyer will POUNCE forward to be oh so sorry, apologizing to the victim and the judge and the public that they are so soooorry.

Of course they are sorry. They are sorry that they were caught. They are sorry that now their reputation or stocks or political power is going to be harmed, so now they will cry in public so things will improve a little and the damage will be less. And if they HAVE to be the fall guy, they will make a deal to take on all the blame in exchange for a nice severance package or a less public but still powerful job.

I hate it when the state or CEOs are called upon to apologize. Exactly how much will those empty words help? It is not as if any of these guys will actually every BE sorry. Make them pay instead. Boycott their products, refuse to vote for them or their party, make them tumble and fall. Talk THEIR language.

[SeraphAzriel]

"I know."

Yes, because you know exactly the set of circumstances that the person opposite you is undergoing when you utter that phrase, usually a placeholder for an inevitable rebuttal.  You know because you've assumed, or think that your imagination can compare to the other person's reality.  You 'know' what it's like to have diabetes, you 'know' what it's like to be poor, you 'know' what it's like to lose someone, you 'know' what its like to look in the mirror and see all the extra weight you carry.  I hate it when people use the phrase because it's just so dismissive of your feelings and experiences.  If they had firsthand experience they wouldn't be such a arrogant meat head about it.

[Captain Maltese]

"Tremendous".

The word has been rendered meaningless for DECADES ahead.

[Mirrah]

"I love..."

[Belle33]

"Both sides share the blame."

I've had enough of people refusing to look at facts and call out wrongdoing. 

[Deamonbane]

[Callista]

love.... totally lost meaning

[Captain Maltese]

"I hate..." Hatred is of course a very real thing. But people will SAY they hate everyone and everything. A different culture group. Fish soup. Football teams. Gays and lesbians. McDonalds. IMF. ISIS. Taliban. Political parties. Some of these deserve to be hated. Others emphatically not. But when it comes down to it, hatred in general is pretty cheap. It's apparently very rarely hatred strong enough for anyone to actually act on. Sure, you can boycott a product - but with a hundred competing brands, what's your sacrifice? You can hate 'what those people are doing to those people' but if there was a street demonstration tonight on the other side of the city, would you be willing to change your plans and make the effort to go there? Are you willing to make any efforts for your hatred at all? Then you are not feeling hatred. Because hatred burns and causes you to act, rationally or not. All you feel is dislike. And if that is the case then say so. "I dislike." "I am opposed to." "I disagree with." Frankly, if you 'hate' fish soup then you should reconsider your emotions. What wrongs have fish soup ever caused anyone? 

[Remiel]

Friends. As in,

"Let's just stay friends." Or,

"Can we just be friends?"

No, no we can't.  I am calling you on your bullshit.  Friends, real friends, are always there to give you a ride to the airport when you need it or come and get you when you're too drunk to drive, day or night.  Friends will never make you feel like shit or that you're worthless, unattractive, or don't measure up.  A real friend will be honest with you, always be honest with you, even when the truth hurts, but will be there to help you pick up the pieces afterwards.  Friends don't vanish as soon as someone newer and more exciting enters their life.

I'd rather be an asshole than a "friend."

[Sumara]

"You're going to be okay."

Whether it's a small bruise or half your face is missing.

[Markus]

"Everything's gonna be alright."

[TheHighwayHitman]

How about "Literally"

As in, "If Danerys(sp) dies I am literally going to kill myself."

Or "Donald Trump is literally Hitler."

Literally now actually has the definition, "Metaphorically"

[Oniya]

"Everything's gonna be alright."

Or the ever-popular 'It's fine'.

[Captain Maltese]

Or the ever-popular 'It's fine'.

*grins* Back when I was still fairly new with using the English language and the first Internet chat rooms had barely been invented, I kept saying 'fine' all the time even when 'right' or 'good' or 'sure' would have been more appropriate. You could practically see the lightbulb over my head the day I finally realized that 'fine' was not always a positive term. And taste the chagrin.

[Oniya]

*grins* Back when I was still fairly new with using the English language and the first Internet chat rooms had barely been invented, I kept saying 'fine' all the time even when 'right' or 'good' or 'sure' would have been more appropriate. You could practically see the lightbulb over my head the day I finally realized that 'fine' was not always a positive term. And taste the chagrin.

It's more of the 'damning with faint praise' in the majority of cases, although there is the use of 'It's fine!' when 'it' is very much not fine.  A little harder to do in chats and similar venues, and more of a 'tone of voice' thing.

[TheHighwayHitman]

Another personal favorite of mine is this one. "You know what I mean." "You know what I mean man?" Those two and their cousin, "You know what I'm saying?"

No. No I don't actually. If I did, you wouldn't be trying to ask me if I did.

[HannibalBarca]

Fair and balanced.

[Remiel]

Fair and balanced.

Quoted for truth.

[Captain Maltese]

This one is kind of funny. "That's not fucking possible" slash "I can't believe that just happened". Well, clearly the statements are both meaningless. The event just happened... so it was clearly possible, and what's not to believe?