Things that people say that make them sound too pretentious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Do you know who I am?"

Winner! This one will be hard to beat...

Yes, the nice one about this one is that it is so open for a take down.

[Anonymous]

that word does not mean what you think it means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have these metal file cabinet/shelf things in our office and some guy insists on calling them "credenzas."

Maybe he insists on calling them credenzas because they are credenzas? The definition of "credenza" is "those desk-height office-furniture things that you put stuff in and that go along a wall".

NP. Interesting. I didn't know that usage. All my life, I've heard it used to describe those wide, heavy dining room cabinets that are about waist or chest high. No one seems to have them anymore.

I've always tended to use words that people find pretentious simply because they're not core vocabulary. They're not ten-dollar words, they're just a little more specific or subtle in meaning than the most broad and commonly used terms. I was always reading old books as a kid, and lived inside my head a lot. I was mocked enough that I learned to censor myself. I don't censor my vocabulary around my kids, so they've absorbed a lot. They don't read much, though.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/17542991/list/Buffet--Sideboard--Server--Credenza--What-s-the-Difference-?m_refid=us-ptr-mpl-ir-5454-372747-402804&irgwc=1

My mother referred to our original dining set as having a credenza. When she refurnished the dining room, she began calling the corresponding piece of furniture a sideboard. According to this article, her change in nomenclature was precise and accurate. I had no idea.

[Anonymous]

Lol I actually had a ex's mother tell me "You just can't find good help nowadays" while she apologized for (horrors) serving dinner to her family by herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have these metal file cabinet/shelf things in our office and some guy insists on calling them "credenzas."

Maybe he insists on calling them credenzas because they are credenzas? The definition of "credenza" is "those desk-height office-furniture things that you put stuff in and that go along a wall".

NP. Interesting. I didn't know that usage. All my life, I've heard it used to describe those wide, heavy dining room cabinets that are about waist or chest high. No one seems to have them anymore.

I've always tended to use words that people find pretentious simply because they're not core vocabulary. They're not ten-dollar words, they're just a little more specific or subtle in meaning than the most broad and commonly used terms. I was always reading old books as a kid, and lived inside my head a lot. I was mocked enough that I learned to censor myself. I don't censor my vocabulary around my kids, so they've absorbed a lot. They don't read much, though.

So because you don't know the meaning of a word, your office mate is pretentious?

Try again. NP stands for new poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol I actually had a ex's mother tell me "You just can't find good help nowadays" while she apologized for (horrors) serving dinner to her family by herself.

My jaw was on the floor watching Devil Wears Prada because Miranda is my mother and my mother is Miranda in terms of how they treat people working for them. "The details of your incompetence do not interest me." Spot on. I was totally used to coming home from school to be greeted by a new housekeeper in the same uniform as the one who'd been there that morning.

Me: What happened to .... Lucinda?
New Lady: I'm Yessica
Me: Ugh, I *just* learned Lucinda's name!

I wouldn't even ask my nannies their names unless they'd been there for a month because my mother fired them so often. I used to mark it on my calendar.

My mother would say "Isn't it so nice when we all dress up for dinner?" She meant changing out of the dress I wore to school and changing into a different outfit for dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were at home and DH was looking for something. I said "I think we left it at the condo," and I noticed our nanny smirk. #fired

Just kidding. I guess it sounded pretentious.

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neesh instead of ni ch

Guilty as charged. I'm European. The other day I heard someone saing "nich" and had to take a moment to figure out what they meant. Or, I heard someone talking about the composer Bach, saying it Bak, and it made me cringe. So if you hear me pronouncing French, German and Russian names right, do forgive me - that's how I've always heard people pronouncing them and it doesn't occur to me that you've got to americanize them in order to not sound snobbish.

[Anonymous]

Someone asked me this weekend, "Do you always drink the Sumatra?"


It's just coffee!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol I actually had a ex's mother tell me "You just can't find good help nowadays" while she apologized for (horrors) serving dinner to her family by herself.

My jaw was on the floor watching Devil Wears Prada because Miranda is my mother and my mother is Miranda in terms of how they treat people working for them. "The details of your incompetence do not interest me." Spot on. I was totally used to coming home from school to be greeted by a new housekeeper in the same uniform as the one who'd been there that morning.

Me: What happened to .... Lucinda?
New Lady: I'm Yessica
Me: Ugh, I *just* learned Lucinda's name!

I wouldn't even ask my nannies their names unless they'd been there for a month because my mother fired them so often. I used to mark it on my calendar.

My mother would say "Isn't it so nice when we all dress up for dinner?" She meant changing out of the dress I wore to school and changing into a different outfit for dinner.

Have you watched Gilmore Girls?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neesh instead of ni ch

Guilty as charged. I'm European. The other day I heard someone saing "nich" and had to take a moment to figure out what they meant. Or, I heard someone talking about the composer Bach, saying it Bak, and it made me cringe. So if you hear me pronouncing French, German and Russian names right, do forgive me - that's how I've always heard people pronouncing them and it doesn't occur to me that you've got to americanize them in order to not sound snobbish.

I think it's also regional. There is a lot of variation that might have nothing to do with people being snobs, and a lot to do with where they grew up.

[Anonymous]

Do the credenza people work at the SEC? I've noticed that...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neesh instead of ni ch

Guilty as charged. I'm European. The other day I heard someone saing "nich" and had to take a moment to figure out what they meant. Or, I heard someone talking about the composer Bach, saying it Bak, and it made me cringe. So if you hear me pronouncing French, German and Russian names right, do forgive me - that's how I've always heard people pronouncing them and it doesn't occur to me that you've got to americanize them in order to not sound snobbish.

100% agree. The details of peoples discomfort with my word choices don't interest me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have these metal file cabinet/shelf things in our office and some guy insists on calling them "credenzas."

Maybe he insists on calling them credenzas because they are credenzas? The definition of "credenza" is "those desk-height office-furniture things that you put stuff in and that go along a wall".

NP. Interesting. I didn't know that usage. All my life, I've heard it used to describe those wide, heavy dining room cabinets that are about waist or chest high. No one seems to have them anymore.

I've always tended to use words that people find pretentious simply because they're not core vocabulary. They're not ten-dollar words, they're just a little more specific or subtle in meaning than the most broad and commonly used terms. I was always reading old books as a kid, and lived inside my head a lot. I was mocked enough that I learned to censor myself. I don't censor my vocabulary around my kids, so they've absorbed a lot. They don't read much, though.

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/17542991/list/Buffet--Sideboard--Server--Credenza--What-s-the-Difference-?m_refid=us-ptr-mpl-ir-5454-372747-402804&irgwc=1

My mother referred to our original dining set as having a credenza. When she refurnished the dining room, she began calling the corresponding piece of furniture a sideboard. According to this article, her change in nomenclature was precise and accurate. I had no idea.

When I had to buy several of this type of furniture piece I learned I had to search credenza/sideboard/buffet/console separately. It's also a good craigslist or ebay tip. People call things by many names.

[Anonymous]

I have never heard anyone call it anything other than a credenza. The facilities people where I work call it a credenza. There is nothing pretentious about it.