There are phrases in the English language that are used
quite often which make my skin crawl. Simple words that become red flags when used
in conversation.
For No Reason: This is the excuse of all excuses. It takes the blame away from the speaker,
tossing it out into the universe un-owned.
This thing happened, not because a bad decision was made, but it
happened for no reason…simply because the person is unlucky.
I’m a whatever: I
hear this constantly. In the South,
someone is usually telling you that they are a “good” Christian right before
they say or do something nasty, but it can be just about anything. It is my opinion that if you feel the need to
tell someone that you are something/anything, then you are trying to convince
yourself and everyone else that you are that thing. If you were that thing, why would you need to
advertise it? 
To Be Honest With You:
This is my favorite of all the irksome phrases. When someone throws in that phrase in
whatever they are trying to convey, I immediately stop listening. Why? I
am busy trying to figure out what they were not being honest about
previously. As an attention grabber, it’s
counter-productive. Those words do not
reinforce the message of the speaker.
They undermine it.
These red flag phrases are a few examples of my own pet
peeves. Can you think of anymore?
