"It's friggin ROBUST!" Topic

Over the past year or so I've developed a somewhat irrational hatred of the word 'robust'…
It's gone from a seldom heard term that I associate with topics of health and biology… to some corporate jingle… to peppering the speech of every pretentious nitwit I come across.
Now, the second it slips from the lips/fingers of anyone I convulsively conclude that the person is trying on some wannabe vocabulary… most likely some chai sipping philosophy/business major who spends his free time sitting in a coffee house somewhere extolling the virtues of Ayn Rand.

I first noticed it while talking with a maniacally self-involved corporate lawyer I know. After that I just got more and more sensitive to it until… well, now I just kind of go ape-squat on anyone who uses it.
Earlier today I read some guy going on about a 'robust set of rules' and I came close to posting a reply that would have got me a time-out.

Lots of other corporate/marketing trend-speak annoys me but this one word in particular really pushes my buttons… to the point that I had a hard time just typing it within the space of this rant…

Anyone else got words that drive them to (almost) kill?

Mine is a phrase…

"life is what you make it." So improperly applied and poorly worded for the intended meaning that someone using it in conversation pushes my temper button immediately.

That and…
"you need to take ownership…" great…i'm a freakin peon who is only to do what I'm told and you want me to take ownership of the project or decisions, knowing that if I do you're just gonna ream me for that instead…

(darkly muttered expletives impugning genetic kinships of sea monkeys)

'robust set of rules'

Was it the binding? Heavier paper? Kevlar?

Awesome!

That's the word I'm tired of hearing

"Research shows…" when used in the context of anything in education. The last time my principal used it, he looked a bit surprised when I flinched. I was trying not to throw something at him.

'Evidence based' is the alternate phrase around here, Neo, it drives my wife nuts (Community College teacher).

"Robust" is best used when describing wine or skeletal structures (as opposed to "gracile").

My personal pet peeve phrase lately is "It is what it is!".

*facepalm*

What a piece of jingoistic nonsense.

Corporate bobblehead:

"We have the same view from different perspectives."
(While demonstrating with her hands different positions around a central object.)

My thought:

What the heck!?!?!? Really? You cracked the space/time continuim? Wow, now I'm impressed.

Hey, what's wrong with Life's What You Make It:

YouTube link

Awesome song by Talk Talk.

David S.

I describe my dog as being robust because she's small but is pure muscle like a pit bull. Her normal stride (walking or running) is like a Mac truck at a demolition derby. I can't think of any word that better describes her than robust. You can see Crumpet on my member profile.

Some software used to be referred to as "a powerful tool".
I got yer tool !

The term "Think outside the box" really annoys me.
It usually means that I have to consider some lame-brain's version of reality when a practical solution to a problem isn't immediately available.

But the worst is "The graying of the hobby".
Shut up and give it a rest!

According to RD, the ten most irritating phrases in English are:

At the end of the day

Fairly unique

I personally

At this moment in time

With all due respect

Absolutely

It's a nightmare

Shouldn't of

24-7

It's not rocket science

(I am guilty of three, plus using various others already mentioned in moments of weakness)

As for "robust", well, hearing it just puts women like Dolly Parton in my mind….

"Powerful" as mentioned before…sounds so arrogant.

"At the end of the day…" You mean we can cut this debate short because it will last all frikkin' day?

"It is what it is" That's like saying, I know who is going to win the Stanley cup this year. It will either be the Penguins or the Red Wings!

"Emerging Technologies" Where were they? Where are they emerging from?

One thing that will stop a buzz word from being said is a play on that very buzzword.

"Leading Edge" was one of those that was meant to be the same as "Cutting Edge." During the Dot-Com years, the word "Bleeding Edge" took care of that one.

Now, if you could circulate a play on the word "Robust" I believe you could crush the use once and for all!

Nycjadie,
I've been a Crumpet fan for a while now, I sent a friend a link to her picture 'cause I wanted to know what sort of dog she was… and you're right, that word is correctly used with her.

For me it's "synergy". Whenever I hear that word in corporate pep-talks, I experience an involuntary gagging reflex.

Wellness.

Supposedly it means the same as welfare or well-being.

But welfare suggests poor people and well-being -- I don't know why this one gets the chop.

Wellness. It's not a freakin' word.

"Empowered" annoys me.

This thread annoys me a lot. Not because I am particularly angry at anyone person here but because you are using all of those buzz words!

Woohoo, I just got a Buzzword Bingo win!

These words are all useful in meetings!

Simply organise a group of your colleagues who hate them and play buzzword bingo in meetings.

Loser has to buy the beers at lunch.

See, USEFUL!

As for what most of them actually mean, bolloxed if I know!

"Buzzword" annoys me too….

Better buzzed than buzz words.

You lot are complaining about actual words, properly spelled. Well, mostly. Your sensitivity seems misplaced, when at best a third of this forum's posters can actually construct a proper sentence with all the words spelled correctly. If you're going to get upset about something, start with the basics.

Allen