Whatever

Anyway, it is what it is, at the end of the day, you know? Whatever.

Marist Poll has produced a table – I’ve no idea how to blog it so you’ll have to go and see for yourselves here – that shows by region, income, education, race, age and sex what category of American finds which of the above five expressions the most annoying.

Personally I hate them all – but not as much as I hate “I mean”. Like those examples above it’s a form of phatic communication and harmless enough, but I used to have to endure work meetings at which one participant said “I mean” in every clause of every sentence. Seven times in one sentence was the record.