HELP ME WIPE OUT THE DIRTY DOZEN!

HELP ME WIPE OUT THE DIRTY DOZEN!

Not so long ago, I adopted a policy of trying to speak in my day-to-day business life the same way all of us at DDCC try to write: tight, crisp and concise. I vowed to embrace the silent pauses in my own prose, instead of trying to fill them with unnecessary, redundant or contrary words or phrases. It’s a journey, not a destination, though I’d like to think I’m making progress.

Along the way, those “fill in” phrases uttered by random people around me became even more obvious. It’s kind of like purchasing a new car and then noticing so many more of those exact cars on the road. It just happens.

In the same way I would resist giving the thumbs up to all those drivers in our common new vehicles, I’m now trying very hard to resist correcting those unnecessary (and oftentimes opposite-meaning) phrases among my friends, family and associates.

Maybe if I share them all with you, I won’t need to resist correcting anyone at all. Here then are “the dirty dozen” phrases I’m bound and determined to avoid saying and to “try” not correcting when I hear them. I’ve also included their real meanings; all of which I’m clear are quite different than the actual words or phrases themselves. Hope you enjoy!

    • 1. To be honest (Hmmm…how about everything else you said?)
    • 2. Just sayin’ (This will offend you but I’ve decided to say it anyway.)
    • 3. With all due respect (I’m about to say something disrespectful.)
    • 4. It’s neither here nor there (Then why did you say it?)
    • 5. I don’t mean to offend you, but…(I will offend you for sure.)
    • 6. Just so you know (You probably won’t like this and I don’t care.)
    • 7. I’m sorry you feel that way (I’m not sorry at all.)
    • 8. To keep it simple (It’s already much too complicated.)
    • 9. To make a long story short (Just this phrase made it even longer.)
    • 10. Needless to say (Then why say it?)
    • 11. That being said (We know; we just heard it.)
    12. I don’t mean to interrupt you, but… (That’s exactly what you meant to do.)

Please feel free to comment or add to the list. My commitment to remove these—and more—is a bandwagon with plenty of seats for us all! Oh, and to be honest, you can count on their absence in your DDCC meetings or in the stories we write. Just sayin’.

Please check out Ruth Drizen-Dohs’ website at speechcoachingbyrdd.com

Posted by ddccweb

7

7

comments

    Jun 06
    2017

    Howard

    Great piece, Ruth! Really funny and so well written.

    How about:
    I must admit (no one is twisting arm)
    In light of the fact
    Here’s the thing (a personal favorite)
    That said (in consideration of time constraints, “being” has been removed)
    I was wondering (if I am saying it now, then I must still be wondering)

    Carry on!

    Reply
      Jun 06
      2017

      Howard

      no one is twisting “my” arm!

      Reply
    Jun 07
    2017

    Nina Voss

    Love this, so true!!!! Thank you for posting and reminding us to be concise in both our written and spoken words!

    Reply
    Jun 07
    2017

    Karen Lotridge

    Oh this is good! Really good!

    Reply
      Jun 07
      2017

      jan grossman

      love it!
      hate these!
      my bad, ( means nothing)
      the fact of the matter, ( why say it if you are giving me the facts of the topic you are speaking of anyways )

      Ruth,
      love you and your letters. Keep them coming!
      xoxo
      Jan Grossman

      Reply
    Jun 07
    2017

    Tracie Gipson

    #4 had me laughing! Love you!

    Reply
    Jun 09
    2017

    Ruth Drizen-Dohs

    Keep your additions coming! Love them all!

    Reply

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