- "Whatever" was voted the most annoying word or phrase used in casual conversation.
- Other options included "literally," "you know what I mean," and "fake news."
- Older people found "whatever" more annoying than younger people.
For the ninth consecutive year, "whatever" has been voted the most annoying word or phrase used in casual conversation, according to a Marist College poll released on Monday.
"Whatever" was considered the most annoying by 33% of respondents, the poll found. The second-place finisher was "fake news" at 23%, closely followed by "no offense, but" with 20%.
Rounding out the top five were "literally" and "you know what I mean," at 11% and 10%, respectively.
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Despite the apparent consensus around "whatever," the word actually seems to be gaining acceptability among English speakers. According to Marist, only 28% of respondents under the age of 45 voted for "whatever," while it was the choice of 40% of respondents over 45.
Clueless,"
And the stranglehold of "whatever" may be loosening. Its margin of victory was smaller than last year's, when 38% of people chose it as the most annoying phrase over options like "Ya know, right," "I can't even," and "huge."