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About This Quiz
When a guy describes your shoes as "delicious," does a shudder run down your spine? If your mom calls something "cray," do you feel embarrassed on her behalf? Or are you "totes amazed" that anybody would object to such phrases?
In this quiz, we want to know which words make you groan. Everybody hates at least a few common words, either because they refer to things that are gross in real life, such as "mucus" or "phlegm," or because they have a childish ring to them, like "hubby" or "preggers." Some people despise clever millennial slang terms like "AF," while others can't stand words that strike them as pretentious, like "curated" and "artisanal."
Interestingly enough, the type of words you detest may depend largely upon your age. Older people are often repulsed by "buzzy" business slang and millennial internet talk, while younger people are confused about why you'd ever say "parental units." Teenagers may be disgusted by out-of-date slang, while people in their twenties feel more tolerant of abbreviations than other groups. But do you hate the same words as other people your age, or were you born in the wrong generation? The only way to find out is to take this quiz!
After lunch, your friend Claire claims to be "preggers" with a "food baby." How do you respond?
You LOL. Claire is hilarious!
You smirk. Claire's kind of funny but sometimes tries too hard.
You nod and change the subject. You don't like it when Claire uses cutesy words.
You gag. Claire sounds like an idiot. You tell her, "Please just say you're full."
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If a guy uses the word "methinks" around you, it makes you think that he's ... ?
Possibly a creepy "milady" type
A weirdo
A cool guy
A big Shakespeare fan
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What do you think of the word "moist"?
Unless you're talking about a cake, don't use it!
It's not the most pleasant word.
"Moist" doesn't always sound gross. It depends on who is saying it.
It's a normal word. I don't get why it bothers people.
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Is it "cray" to think that the continuous popularity of "cray" is "cray cray"?
No one should ever say "cray" or "cray cray" again.
Isn't "cray" a grandma word?
I reserve the right to refer to slightly odd things as "cray"!
I just learned about calling things "cray," so I don't think it's fair to say it's out of fashion.
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Which business-jargon term is more annoying: "synergy" or "vertical"?
Neither is annoying, because verticals create synergy.
What? I don't know what these words mean.
"Synergy" is tired; "vertical" is wired.
Both are horrible words made up by managers with too much time on their hands.
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Have you ever commented "nom nom" on a picture of food? Why?
Yes. Frankly, it was because I wanted to nom it.
If I see a cute animal on Instagram, sometimes I comment "nom." It's not a crime!
I did once. But in general, I don't think baby talk is cute.
Ugh, this is a thing that people actually say?
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Does the word "panties" make you feel comfortable or uncomfortable?
It's not my favorite word.
It makes me feel wildly uncomfortable.
"Panties" has kind of a fun, naughty vibe.
Good grief, can we just call women's underwear "underwear"?
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If a woman refers to her partner as her "hubby," it makes you think that she is ... ?
Fond of her husband
A naive suburban mom
Endearingly dorky
Ruining our culture with her foolish slang
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Is it kosher to say "bling" in 2019?
It makes you sound behind the times.
No. Nope. No way.
It's mildly funny.
I didn't like it 2004, and I do not like it now.
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When your waiter starts talking to you about "mouthfeel," what kind of thoughts run through your head?
I can't help but picture a giant tongue.
I wonder whose bad idea it was to put those two words next to each other.
Obviously, I take his question seriously and carefully consider the mouthfeel of my food.
I question why a stranger is asking me how my mouth feels!
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Do you like it when Twitter users casually refer to their "tweeps"?
Aw, I think that's adorable.
No. It makes me wonder why I'm following my grandmother.
I don't care, but I don't think it makes them sound current.
Does that stand for "Twitter peeps"? How dumb.
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The word "mucus" is ... ?
Loathsome
So offensive
Yucky, but a part of life
Not a word I like to hear spoken aloud
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On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being "not very annoying" and 10 being "supremely annoying," how annoying is the word "bruh"?
1. I like it when bruhs call each other "bruh."
3. It's useful for when I want to call my friends to their senses.
5. It's fairly irritating but not the end of the world.
9. The only thing more annoying than saying "bruh" is being a lacrosse player.
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Is "AF" over?
It's almost over.
Put a fork in it: it's dead.
It's still funny!
I'm still not clear on what "AF" means?
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Calling your partner your "lover" is ... ?
Gross except if you're joking
The most icky thing a person can say
Kind of sweet
A no-no in the '70s and a no-no now
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Do you feel "meh" about the adjective "meh"?
It's actually an amazingly descriptive word, if you think about it.
Meh ... it has its place.
I don't think you should use it in professional contexts, but it's fine to use casually.
It's horrible. Find a more specific way to express yourself!
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You're at a hip restaurant. The menu makes frequent references to their "curated blend of spices," "well-curated wine list" and "farmer-curated vegetable medley." All these uses of the word "curated" make you think that this restaurant is ... ?
Incredibly pretentious
Too expensive for me
Cool and cutting-edge
Likely to serve small portions
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An internet acquaintance calls you a "sheeple." Are you impressed?
Not really. What are they, an anarchist?
No. That's such a '90s word.
A little bit. I didn't realize I was turning into a conformist!
"Sheeple"? What does that mean? "Sheep person"?
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In a business meeting, your colleague won't stop using the word "irregardless." It makes you feel ... ?
Embarrassed for him
Proud (that he knows such a fancy word)
Slightly amused (I'll pull him aside and correct him after the meeting.)
Freaked out. How could he not know that he's violating the laws of grammar?
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Are you "totes" excited that "totes" can be used to abbreviate "totally"?
Totes yes!
Totes no!
"Totes" isn't a great word because it can make you sound dumber than you actually are. I try to discourage other women from using it.
Does saying "totally" really take up so much of your time?
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Adding "imo" or "imho" to the end of texts or internet comments is ... ?
Imho (in my humble opinion), it's a good way to qualify strong statements.
Imo (in my opinion), it makes you sound like you're using AIM in 2004.
I ... don't have an opinion, except that sometimes these internet acronyms can be confusing.
I don't know what it means, and I wish people would stop writing it!
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Reading the word "cyst" makes you feel ... ?
Somewhat anxious. The word "cyst" isn't associated with pleasant memories for me.
Really anxious. It conjures up all kinds of grotesque medical imagery!
Nothing. It's just a word.
Sad. It reminds me of a medical issue that one of my friends recently dealt with.
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On your first date with a girl, she won't stop saying that things give her "the feels." Dogs, cats, babies, fashionable shoes ... A wide variety of things seem give her "all the feels." How does her vocabulary make you feel about her?
It makes me "catch feelings" for her.
It makes me think she spends too much time on the internet.
It makes me question whether she's sophisticated, but it's not a deal-breaker.
It makes me want to end the date immediately, as I'm not interested in dating someone so childish.
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If bread, soap or soda is labeled as "artisanal," does that make you more or less likely to buy it?
More likely. It sounds fancy!
Less likely. "Artisanal" is often a synonym for "overpriced."
I love everything artisanal. What's wrong with supporting local crafters while treating myself at the same time?
I was ready for the "artisanal" trend to be over ten years ago, yet on and on it goes ...
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True or false: It's fine to say "whilst" in the course of casual conversation.
Girl, no.
Why would you ever say that?
I kind of like "whilst"; it sounds so poetic!
No. It's weird and unnecessary.
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When people unironically talk about "manscaping," they sound ... ?
Attractive. I like guys who take care of their body hair.
A little bit silly. Men's hair removal doesn't need its own word.
Undignified. I can understand why men would want to wax their shoulders, but if they're doing anything more elaborate, I don't want to hear about it.
Calling hair removal "landscaping" is tacky; turning "male landscaping" into its own word is tackiness squared.
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A blogger won't stop calling their partner "the boy." Is this adorable? Annoying? A hate crime?
It's sweet. Can't wait to get a boyfriend so I can talk about "the boy" on my own Tumblr.
It's twee. The kind of people who do this are not very cool.
Who cares? I don't have time to police other people's relationship talk. If they're happy, that's nice.
Hello, 911? I'm calling to report an abuse of the English language.
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What does "proactive" mean to you? Is it a pimple cleanser, call to arms, dumb business term or ... ?
I love to get proactive about my goals!
I love to put Proactiv on my face!
I don't care whether people say "proactive" or not!
I think "proactive" is the dumbest business term ever!
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When people call parents "'rents" or "parentals," it is ... ?
Slightly cringe-inducing. Usually people only say it when they're trying to seem young.
Odd. Is that Gen X slang or something?
Sort of cute. I remember when calling parents "parental units" was a thing.
Funny. Like the Fresh Prince said, parents just don't understand.
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Have "influencers" helped our culture? Or have they only contributed the dubious word "influencer"?
I love influencers! They're essential to any marketing effort.
I follow some influencers on Instagram. In my opinion, the only actually annoying thing they've ever done is Fyre Festival.
It's natural that social media would lead to influencer culture. They're obnoxious, but so is a lot of celebrity culture.
I hate influencers! Since when does having a Pomeranian or interesting make-up tips entitle you to thousands of dollars in endorsements?
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