Why do people use phrases they don't understand?

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Saint Nick

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
BoomerD said:
heh-heh...my dad (first step dad) served in the Korean War. He always said, "When the kimchee hits the fan." I grew up thinking kimchee was the Korean word for shit...imagine my surprise later when I found out what it really was...:p
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Shit...CABBAGE EVERYWHERE
 
Lean L

Lean L

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2009
3,685
0
0
Cerb said:
How do people use per se wrongly? I have not encountered this, and it seems like ti would be difficult to judge, even if it happened.
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per se means by itself.

"I don't know how to eat per se." < WTF would that mean?
 
Lean L

Lean L

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2009
3,685
0
0
sao123 said:
This!
Apparently OP doesnt even know the phrase...




The phrase is INTENTS AND PURPOSES.




MOOT
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Wow... fail... I know tones don't translate to text but quotations and single quotes sure as hell do.
 
purbeast0

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,637
6,521
126
people need to stop using the word "racism/racist" when shit isn't racist, as seen in the racism thread currently on first page.
 
dullard

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
26,033
4,676
126
The phrase "per se" just grates on me. 95% of the time it isn't needed and people just say it to hear their own voice.

It isn't the phrase "per se" per se that is annoying. It is the fact that your sentence would be just as good and just as understandable without it.
 
Lean L

Lean L

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2009
3,685
0
0
dullard said:
The phrase "per se" just grates on me. 95% of the time it isn't needed and people just say it to hear their own voice.

It isn't the phrase "per se" per se that is annoying. It is the fact that your sentence would be just as good and just as understandable without it.
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Exactly.... If it's used for emphasis where the subject matter would normally be in a group or a part of a set, then it's used properly. Most other cases it either does not make sense or is just excess.
 
SearchMaster

SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
7,791
114
106
dullard said:
The phrase "per se" just grates on me. 95% of the time it isn't needed and people just say it to hear their own voice.

It isn't the phrase "per se" per se that is annoying. It is the fact that your sentence would be just as good and just as understandable without it.
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I used to work with a guy who (literally?) ended every other sentence with "per se". It was pretty obvious he was trying to make himself sound smarter but...it didn't work.
 
Josh123

Josh123

Diamond Member
Aug 4, 2002
3,030
2
76
When in Rome.


anchorman18.jpg
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Larry Dennit, Jr.: "Early word out of NASCAR is your little obscene gesture's gonna cost you 100 points. Do you know how much that costs us in sponsorship dollars?"

Ricky: "Well, with all due respect, Mr. Dennit, I had no idea you'd gotten experimental surgery to have your balls removed."

Larry Dennit, Jr: "What did you-- What did you say? What was that?"

Ricky: "Well, what? I said 'With all due respect.'"

Larry Dennit, Jr: "That doesn't mean you get to say whatever you want to say to me."

Ricky: "I sure as heck does."

Larry Dennit, Jr: "No, no, it doesn't mean that."

Ricky: "It's in the Geneva Convention. Look it up."
 
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