By IANS,
London : We all seem to know what’s the most dreaded four-letter word. But a dreaded four-word phrase?
The honour of being the most dreaded phrase in the English language goes to: “We need to talk.”
In a country where surveys are dime a dozen on any issues real or imagined, the latest is by the Right Guard Poll about phrases that strike terror in our hearts.
The winner even pipped “the boss wants to see you” in the top 10 most-feared phrases brought out by the poll.
What are the other worst things to hear? “You’re fired” – from the boss. “Last orders” – from the bar.
There are hundreds such, but here’s the remaining in the official top 10 list: “I’ve had a bit of an accident”; “Can I borrow your credit card?”; “There’s a leak (upstairs/in the bathroom etc)”; “Did you remember my birthday?”; “I’ve got something to tell you”; “You know that tenner/car/lawnmower etc that you lent me”; “You haven’t forgotten we’re going out tonight”; “Now I know it looks bad, but…”
Daily Mirror, which ran the survey, offers some phrases that its top writers dread.
Columnist Clemmie Moodie says: “These words strike fear into any self-respecting showbiz journalist: “The free bar is now over. First panic. Then horror. Finally, a desperate scrabbling around in my handbag as I contemplate paying – yes, paying! – for my £13 glass of fizz. No matter how hard I try, booze simply does not taste as good when it’s not free.”
Here’s a gem from writer Amber Morales: “So you’ve had your hair done, blown a month’s salary on a dress and gone all out on a mani and pedi. You feel a million dollars only for some idiot to utter the immortal words: You look well. Which, translated, basically means: “You look fat.” There must be a million ways to praise a woman. ‘Cute dress’, ‘nice hair’ or ‘cool shoes’. But you look well?”