The word becomes number one on a list of conversation annoyances.
Press Release Service – Wired PR News – The word “whatever” has ran its course in coolness in the minds of many Americans. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the expression, which has gained popularity as an all-purpose response, has been named the most annoying term in a Marist College poll.
Michael Adams, Indiana University associate English professor and author of “Slang: The People’s Poetry,” is quoted by the AP as stating of the word’s top position in the poll results, “It doesn’t surprise me because ‘whatever’ is in a special class, probably… It’s a word that — and it depends how a speaker uses it — can suggest dismissiveness.”
Some suggest the negative connotation associated with “whatever” may be a major factor for why some have now taken issue with it.
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