It is no secret that the English language keeps evolving but not everyone is appreciative of the change.
Grandparents, referred to nowadays as boomers find it hard to keep up with some of the phrases and words used by millennial’s. From starting a sentence with ‘so’ to using the work like way too frequently, millennials are confusing all the boomers with these terms that did not exist 20 years ago.
Taking to the internet to share their rage in a Gransnet thread, people have revealed exactly which words and phrases make them shudder – as well as sharing their grammatical qualms.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Babbel cultural expert Claire Larkin revealed exactly why we use these phrases and where they originate from.
Like
‘Like’ is considered to be the origin of the suffix ‘-ly’, which means that terms like ‘slowly’ and ‘saintly’ actually originated from the words ‘slow-like’ and ‘saint-like’.
The more modern usage of the term has been associated with the Beatniks in the 1950s, and today it’s used in many different contexts, acting more as a connecting word or emphasiser in sentences.
Starting a sentence with ‘so’
‘So’ is a conjunction word, like ‘therefore’ or ‘however’, which means it makes a big impact at the beginning of the sentence.
Linguists refer to ‘so’ as a discourse marker, which is used to describe words that connect ideas in conversation.
It can annoy some people if it’s used to start a sentence without context, as this means it isn’t connecting any ideas at all.
However, you’ve probably noticed that millennials use it that way frequently in informal, spoken settings. So that’s just the way it is.
I literally died
‘Literally’ comes from the latin word littera, which means letter. It’s supposed to mean that something is exactly the way that it’s described, but obviously no one using the expression these days has ‘literally’ died.
Instead, it’s used colloquially for emphasis or to express strong feelings about a situation.
Unfortunately, this is why it can be an irritating term for people who believe that the word should be used in its literal sense, as the modern use turns the word’s definition on its head.
Basically
The word ‘basically’ is typically used to refer to the main or most important aspect of something, and use of this term has been rising sharply since the 1950s.
However, it can sometimes ruffle feathers because it’s considered ‘improper’ in some circles to start a sentence with an adverb.
Basically, it’s a term to avoid throwing around in formal settings – especially if it’s your opening line.
It is what it is
The phrase ‘it is what it is’ can be traced back to a 1949 article in The Nebraska State Journal, where it was used to describe harsh conditions in the local area, but would later become a popular phrase in US sports broadcasting to discuss team losses.
In the UK, the phrase has recently been reinvigorated by the reality TV show, Love Island.
It was repeatedly invoked by contestants looking to secure the £50,000 (R972000) prize, who used the saying to show they were accepting a situation literally ‘as it is’ – whether they liked it or not.
Hubby
Shortened from ‘husband’, this is an informal term that younger women use to refer to their male spouses — or occasionally to a long term boyfriend that they’re likely to marry.
Interestingly, the first use of ‘hubby’ can actually be traced all the way back to the 1600s.
The word was associated with house ownership, which was a status symbol at the time, and thus made these men more attractive to their potential wives.
