I find it interesting which words set normally sensible people’s teeth on edge. I have a colleague who comes over all unnecessary if you use the word “supper”, while a former colleague used to go peculiar if you uttered the word “trousers” within his earshot.
They are not alone in their pet aversions. A survey by Brother UK, the “print technology and solutions provider”, questioned more than 1,000 Britons to uncover the most irritating phrases used in the office. And top of the pops is the word “holibobs” (holiday, for those of you fortunate enough not to have come across it). Oh, I couldn’t agree more. What a vile coinage.
Also on the list were “teamwork makes the dream work”, “happy hump day”, “happy Fri-Yay”, “nice to e-meet you” and that hardy annual, “think outside the box”. I do hope that none of your colleagues is so inconsiderate as to wield these stinkers.
I am grateful to correspondent Frances Carey for the following: “In an ongoing dispute with OVO Energy, I emailed my fourth letter to customer complaints to the CEO, as recommended by a consumer programme on Radio 4. A reply within 24 hours assures me that an ‘advanced resolution specialist’ will shortly be on my case. I can hardly wait.”
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the joy of regional words, in particular “furtle”. Richard Hawkins adds another gem: “My wife uses the word ‘fuddle’, as in, to go for a shop fuddle, which means shopping with no specific item in mind.”
Thank you for that. And to Shirley Jones, who asks: “Have you come across the word ‘dimpsey’? It means that time of the evening when the light is beginning to fade and darkness is not far off. I grew up in Devon and as far as I know it’s a word from there.”
Indeed I haven’t, but many thanks for adding it to my vocabulary.
Email jonathan.bouquet@observer.co.uk
• Jonathan Bouquet is an Observer columnist
