Everyone Really Hates the Word “Whatever”

filed under: language, Words
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by Jeva Lange

Never mind that the best quote of 2016 contains the dismissal “whatever”—the word is universally abhorred for the eighth year running, a new poll released by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion reveals.

Thirty-eight percent of Americans this year reported that “whatever” annoys them more than any other word or phrase commonly used in conversation, with 20 percent despising “no offense but,” 14 percent disliking “ya know, right?” and “I can’t even,” and eight percent saying they can’t take the word “huge.”

“Like” and “no worries,” which made the list last year, did not appear on 2016’s list. “Huge” saw a three percent increase in irking people—though why that is, of course, remains a mystery.

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December 23, 2016 – 7:00am

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