Anyway, at the End of the Day, "Whatever" Is What it Is

According to a study funded by bespectacled high school teachers conducted by the Marist poll, the word "whatever" was voted by study participants as the most irritating word in the English language. The runners-up included "it is what it is," "you know," "anyway," and "at the end of the day."

First, I don't think it's fair to pit one word against a phrase, although CBS doesn't seem to know the difference. And at least "whatever" actually connotes a feeling, albeit a dismissive one. It takes the phrase "it is what it is," five whole words to say absolutely nothing. This phrase is used a lot around my office, and it makes me grimace, because it usually means "we kind of fucked this up and now you have to deal with it," but since no one wants to take blame, it is a nice way to distance themselves from the train wreck, act as if either evolution or God made the train wreck, and then make someone else clean up the train wreck.

And I'm surprised "like" didn't make the list. Being a Californian from birth, I can say that this word often makes up 25% of conversations, especially those that take place south of Monterey.

This whole study is literally a waste of time.