Yesterday I wore my brand new (to me) sweater, which I had identified as a lovely orchid pink.
After running chores we stopped by a friend's and she and I sat and drank coffee while the kids did kid mayhem outside. And that's when the day got ugly.
"Look at you wearing bright color," my friend says.
"That's what grownups do, wear color, you know," I say.
"Well. Some grownups. You're not screwing around with THAT color. Go Puce or go home," she says.
I say, "This is not puce. Not even close. Puce is a color close to vomit. This is like a stormy sunrise (thank YOU very much)."
"It's puce. That's the word for THAT color."
"No. I'm sorry, it's not."
"It is."
"It's not."
So we asked the oracle (aka Google) and I discovered something that has ruined my life.
Puce is EXACTLY the color of my new sweater. Puce is also the most disgusting word I've ever heard. And, not coincidentally, it has an equally disturbing etymology.
"Puce is the French word for flea. The color is said to be the color of the bloodstains remaining on linen or bedsheets, even after being laundered, from a flea's droppings or after a flea has been killed.
Bedbugs leave the same stains from their droppings as part of their nightly wanderings on the surfaces of bedsheets, pillowcases and blankets. These colored stains on one's bedding after laundering are a bedbug alert."
Yuck, gross, ick. Who in the H.-E.-double-hockey-sticks wants a house that's puce colored, or a puce colored silk dress?
Not. Me.
Anyway, not that I've soured your ears, let me make up for it with a question: What word(s) make you cringe?
Confession: I am procrastinating so hard right now. I have spent 26 minutes researching "puce", not counting this post. Don't. Tell. Anyone.
This is a fun article:
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/68872/why-does...
ETA:
Holey cow folks! Thank you for brightening my very grey afternoon. I have laughed so hard reading your responses.
Daisey, you reminded me of another of MY least favorite words: Boobies! Blech. Funny because tit doesn't bother me. If you put me and you in a room, do you think our aversions would be neutralized or exasperated? :-)
MzKitty, I promise it was all in good fun - we both had big grins on our faces and were being playful!
I hope you will continue to add your responses! Have a great afternoon/evening!
That's hilarious!
Now I'm about to offend at least half of MMP users. I apologize in advance.
HUBBY.
Bleck. Spit. I HATE the word HUBBY!
;(
Preggers....Seriously?!
It makes pregnancy sound like an illness, like I've caught something deadly and contagious.
well that's pretty gross. can you ever wear the sweater again, is my question!
i have always hated that word...i thought it was like pea green forever lol. i don't know why, it just made me think of pea green. it sounds like a "pea green" kind of word.
Fixin to is a pet peeve of mine. i also HATE HATE HATE "warsh".
as in, "fixin to put the clothes in the warsh."
AARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!
I think "puce" sounds like "puke". Not all that fond of that word either.
Other words that bother me....
"cunt"
"N-word"
"hubby or wifey"
"lover" (as in..."hey lover, will you grab me that plate? ewww My parents do that and I puke a little in my mouth every time) LOL...just read B.B.'s response!! HAHAHA!
"Oh my God" (when I hear little kids say that I CRINGE! And I am not even that religious. I just find it cringe worthy)
"pussy" (ick..)
I am sure there are more..but those were the first that popped into my head~
L.
I know people get teased for it, but I really dislike hearing the word "irony/ironic" these days, because most people use it incorrectly. (and yes, Alanis Morrisette, I will not forgive you for this ;) )
"Irregardless" is another one. There is No Such Word, regardless of how often it's used.
Diva (no, you aren't Aretha Franklin, you're just being a pain...)
Totes (sorry, is your life too busy to say the word "totally"?)
My Bad (yes, and so is your grammar)
Juicy Couture (I know it's a phrase, but it's neither juicy nor is it truly couture)
anything "-alicious" ---everything described like this sounds 'quintessentially frozen' and on a stick
Of course, there are also the derogatory terms/slurs which I don't care to hear, but I think Manda covered those for me. Thx, Manda! I'm sure there are more I could think of.... but the above are my favorite offenders.
When men refer to their wife as "The Wife".
My step-dad used the term all the time and it made me crazy! He'd be talking to someone and say things like "I better check with The Wife".
Oh, and I can't stand the term "baby mama"!!!
I know this sounds silly, but I don't like the word "armoire" and it's only b/c I can never ever say it correctly!!!
Honey or Dear.
Our relationship is so meaningful you made up a special nickname? Just for me?
What is it?
Oh. That sounds more like you just forgot my name....
Words that I've heard used by 'educated' people recently that drive me nuts:
umm - this was something that I was taught should never be used in any fashion
irregardless - not a word & I don't care how many people claim that in the US it is applicable to use it
supposably - again not a word supposedly however is and works quite well
Scrotum....go ahead, say that word out loud, isn't it awful????
btw, I had never heard of puce, but yes it doesn sound icky.
Puce is one, just an ick kind of word.
I just want to say misapplied google can be wrong.
I hate the word cunt and not for the obvious reasons. I defy anyone to find an uglier word. It is an ugly word with an ugly meaning and frankly should be removed from everyone's conscious....and of course the dictionary!
So mine is technically 2 words,"Man Cave". I cringe and roll my eyes every time I hear that term. I think it's a lame term that is overly used, it sounds dated and it's not clever.
Sooooo many.....
"Prolly" (Probably)
"Lil" (as in: "my lil guy")
"Apposed to" (Supposed to)
Retard
N-word
Irregardless......ugh
"I know, right?!"
Ummm the word beaver or snatch when referring to women's genitalia...URGH!!! How complimentary to women to be compared to a buck toothed animal...HOW did that come about? I don't really want to know
I also HATE irregardless. There is a very sweet lady in my office that uses it...and I just can't bring myself to NICELY tell her that is NOT a word!!
I also hate any word that people add extra sounds into...the previously mentioned WARSH instead of wash being the prime example.
There are sooo many hated words! LOL!
Panties. Especially when a guy says it. Bleh!!!!!
I'm with Sunshine. The word "moist" makes me want to "puce".
Hm... I'm realizing that my bridesmaids wore "puce" at our wedding (yes, I Googled it). Thanks for sharing this awful word- it will forever be attached to my wedding pictures now! Oh- and impressive that your friend pulled out that word, but I'm not sure why you thought it was "orchid pink".
OK... wikipedia search yields a different answer... apparently in the US "puce" is pink, but in other countries it's a shade of green. Now I get the "orchid" connection and am relieved to know that in the US my bridesmaids were wearing green!
Literally!
I freaking hate that word and it seems everyone uses it constantly now! I literally want to punch someone when they say that word around me!
;)
Ugh, I do not understand why anyone would have used Puce to name a color. Makes me think of puke. Lately, the word I hate the most is YOLO. My son says this ALL, and I meaen ALL, the time. It stands for you only live once. Great thought but I have seriously heard it enough. Now please STOP.
There are other words as well that are just either ridiculous or totally.....huh?
Oh, irregardless makes me cringe. Last week I heard "unregarded". Is that a word?
Moist
I hate that word.
I cringe when I hear it.
I cringed when I typed it.
Edit to Add:
Oh to funny Sunshine ! I typed this at the time you must have typed yours!!!
I hate the f-bomb. And to think some even go worse and attach Mother in front of it.
That is SO disrespectful to women and mothers.
Good luck to you and yours.
"fart" and "booger" - especially when grown adults use it! Really, you can't come up with a more refined way of talking about these things? And stupid abbreviations like "hubs" for husband or "wifee" for wife. I guess I don't like baby talk from adults!
Yikes. I had a similar experience with "puce," believing for years it was a dismal greenish/yellow tone. I was shocked and horrified when a friend called a bunch of roses puce. I had to look it up, of course, and yes, it ruined my day.
I can't stand men calling their anatomically-correct bits their "junk." My daughter referred to her son's "junk" once, and I just about turned inside out with revulsion(now THAT would be gross!). And scrotum is also funny and awful – I heard a comedian once note that no woman has every told a man he has a beautiful scrotum. So I couldn't resist complimenting my husb at the next opportunity, but once was more than enough.
Can I offer a phrase? "The thing is, is that…" is being used everywhere lately, even by educated people. The extra "is" in that phrase is extraneous. "The thing is that…" is quite sufficient.
Funny post, Ephie, and I hope lots of people respond!
The c word...just ask the marine who called me that one time...he got a bloody nose (many years ago).
Most of mine are words mispronounced...
Hate, hate, hate when people say "idear" instead of "idea".
My daughter at about two always put an "o" at the end of words..."guitaro, drawero"...Not sure why it was the hardest thing to break her of.
She now has be son pronouncing bracelet and Brace clet. UH!
Alls. As in "Alls you have to do is ......"
My hubby, who is an extremely successful businessman, says this. I think it's a southern thing, because I've heard other people say it since we moved to TX. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me. I don't correct hubby, but my kids better beware if they say it!!
Moist. That word absolutely skeeves me out.
Ps. I learned something new today! I always thought puce to be a sickly green color. :)
I refuse to believe puce is pinkybrown.
Puce "is" mountain dew mixed with split pea soup. Bile colored. I declare it to be so. So it is. Ha.
Poo-say (sounds awfully close to pussy, or maybe it's a french kitty), has potential, however.
Your dress is officially Stormy Sunrise, Bloodorange, Worldly Rose Colored Glass, French Kitty... pick a sexy phrase.
_______
Loathe-List
- Up my butt
- Babydaddy/Babymama
- Get off my lawn you kids
- ANY "sneered" word.
Tit.......I hate that word ...it makes me cringe. I do not mind boob or boobie. I just hate tit.
I recently told my cousin he had a boogie that we all could see. I felt it was my duty. He in turn said he hated the word boogie...umm ok. You have a snot hanging. I thought boogie was better. lol
When people say flustrated instead of frustrated--Hate that, I know it is actually a word in the dictionary, but just because people started making up a word and using it doesn't make it right.
I hated expressions that people still think are funny or cool and sound so dated and lame. "I threw up a little bit in my mouth" is one of them. Agreed about "mancave". Get some creativity people.
Moist. Need I say more?
I hate the word "tween" - it tries to make puberty sound glamorous!
"Pussycat" .... minus the "cat" is my most hated word.
Puce - awful definition! I had no idea it was a pink. But I do remember on the movie Monsters Inc, big hairy guy says "Oh.... so that's puce!" cause he didn't know what it was either.
@Manda - where I went to school, the common greeting all over campus is "Howdy!" The shirts even say "HOWDY" in big letters on them.
@others - I write "Hubs" and "Hubby" here on MMP all the time! SORRY for bugging you! Don't mean to! If you knew my hubs, you'd know he's not the "Dear Husband/DH" kinda guy. And he would never want me using his real name on here.
My number one word that I hate is "peeps" .
People are not "peeps" . People are people.
"Peeps" are little animal shaped marshmallows coated in colored sugar.
Peeps
closely followed by
"cunt" , "pussy" and "junk" ( when used as a name for a man's genitals)
ooo
ETA: Tween
and Foodie..... it's not even a real word.
Puce is interesting! It's one of those words where we react viscerally to the sound, so much so that no one is even interested in the meaning.
Reminds me of "pulchritude" and "abattoir." (In the latter, the last syllable rhymes with "noir.")
Anyone wanna guess what they mean? (no fair googling!)
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Okay, "pulchritude" means beauty. "Abattoir" means slaughterhouse. I say the the two of them, along with "puce," make the world a more interesting place. Go ahead and enjoy your shirt. There's something fantastically punk-rock and in-your-face about "puce."
I like the color puce but not word. I too thought it was pukey brown. Live and learn. I would still wear the color as it is a lovely shade but I would stick to your description - orchid pink. It sounds so much better. I kid my husband about a sofa in our house. It is really salmon colored but I call it pink since it resides in our master bedroom. Hehehe...it's amusing to get a rise out of him over it. He glares at me every time I mention the pink sofa.
I despise the word -unt. Such a horrid sounding word with such an ugly, ugly meaning. There are others but that one is one of my top three for sure. Your question made me think of Bill Cosby’s rant on the word ‘obey.’
LOL! It probably sounds better when the French say it.
But seriously, the N word. Don't understand how anyone, especially people of color, can say it!
F bomb, which thanks to movies so becoming so prevalent, is a close second.
Ya know what, Ephie? If you like your sweater, wear it with pride! Forget about the puce. Forget about your young friend. I will bet your sweater looks lovely on you. No one else will be thinking about puke when they see you in that sweater.
I'd rather see what I think is orchid pink than a whole lot of other colors I don't like!
As to what makes my ears cringe, the mother "f" word, especially multiple times in multiple sentences, the word 'cougar' as applied to women who are dating a man younger than themselves, and rap stars calling women ho's and b*tches. That's all just nasty.
Some words are supposed to be for the bedroom only and used not for denigration purposes, but for fun between two equal partners. Some words just shouldn't be used at all.
You wear that sweater, Ephie! It's orchid pink!!!
Dawn
I detest the c -word and the n-word. I also don't like retard, shut-up, pustule (ewww), boobies (as spoken by adults), although I like "boob" if it's referring to a person; as in "That guy is a real boob."
This is a phrase but, I just don't get, " I know, right?" what does that MEAN???
Another one I can't stand is when someone says something "sucks."
This truly is a JFF! Thanks!
One man's puce is another man's mauve (or rose, or dusk, or plum or blush or etc)
Don't even get me started on lipstick name colors - there are a million and one names for different shades of pink.
I think the decorating color of the year is a shade of pink - I forget the exact name but it looks preCISEly like Pepto Bismal pink - I kid you not!
Not a color I want to wake up to on any morning!
It's like asking for 'white' at a paint store.
There are dozens of shades of white and they all have names - white, off white, ecru, egg shell, etc.
I can't think of any particular word I can't stand at the moment, but if I remember one, I'll be back.
I hate "whatever" and "duh"
LOL, puce and puke are not the same!
My least favorite word right now is "like." Used the Valley Girl way. My teen seems to use this word multiple times in a sentence, it's a terrible habit and I'm afraid it may have made a bad impression during college interviews. Ugh.
Oh, and I don't love the word "puke" either. I work in an elementary school. I'd prefer kids just tell me that they have to throw up.
I hate when my husband asks me if I am menstruating. I hate that word. Period is so much better.
LOL, I'm actually more hung up on your story with your friend. She sounds aweful, not really a friend at all. But I guess that wasn't the point of your question.
I don't know what words make me cringe really. I always thought puce was a ugly greenish color so I guess the saying, "learn something new every day" is a true statement. lol
" Any whoo"... Ugh! Also, any of the verbiage such as: LMAO, LOL, OMG, and such.. even though I've used lol a couple times. :)
Well thank YOU very much now "PUCE" is my least favorite word.... Lol. I think the one word other than puce now that really drives me? would be when someone yells at their child in anger and says "boy" 'liked come here boy" or something to that effect... for some reason it just seems so demeaning and degrading to me and makes me all fired up in ways that don't feel exactly human lol....
fun post tho thank you can't wait to read others responses lol
Kimmie
Had to edit this because i just heard another one that itches me the wrong way... DANDER! ewwwwwwww
Also just found out there is a "puce green" incase you're interested lol
Salary. Between celery and salad, it sounds like a vegetable.
OMG, said just like that.
Duh. It makes me want to slap someone.
Periphial or periphrial - It's peripheral, learn how to pronounce the word.
I agree with supposably, panties, and whatever, but only if it's used in an argument.
Okey dokey.....
Pisses me off each and every time I hear it!
Yuck! Yikes! I had no idea.
Gotta say I don't like the word puce at all even before I heard all this color of stains of sheets stuff.
When I was young I could've instantly given you a list of pet names that irked the hell out of me, but now it's not so much the same but I gotta say one term or saying I cannot stand and never could is, "good job" and on top of it, it's high pitched hetic tone used with it. It is so belittling to children and it's said all the time, constantly. Use some actual respective considerate words people, tell the children something original. And they don't need to hear it all the time either. They just need you to notice and be honest and positive in a individual kind of way and keep it simple.
Also, I can't stand when I hear married couples call each other "old man" and "old lady. Guess people don't do it as much as they use to but I still hear it now and then.
I hate the word "gusset: It just conjures up images of smelly, sweaty crotches.
I hate the word pube, actually there is no such word. But pubes is a word, strangely enough. You can't have just one pube apparently.
Also I know it's regional, but there is a "H" in Humor. You know H sounds like huh, for humor. There is no Y in it, it's not Youmor. Same goes for human, we are not youmans.
I hate passionately expecially.
I hate the word boo-boo, as in "Aw, did you get a boo-boo? Let mommy kiss it and make it better".
I cringe when I hear it, might as well say, "aw wittle baby did you get a wittle boo-boo, wet mommy kiss it and make it better" with a big pout on your face.
GAG
I prefer saying something like, "did you get hurt?" or even substituting owie is better than boo-boo, not much but if you have to use some cutesy word to describe an injury I'd rather hear that one.
Puce is pink?? How did we not know that??
Urban dictionary said:
a reddish brown color; ask a person what color they think "puce" is and it becomes a test: only classy females and classy feminine males get it right.
Kara: "what color is puce?"
Bob: "uh, pink?"
Kara: "yea, you're straight."
Guess I'm not classy.
least favorite word: pedantic. Try to make it sound nice. Just sounds insulting.
