12/27: “Whatever” Still Viewed as Most Annoying Word or Phrase, Just Sayin’

For the fourth consecutive year, Americans consider “whatever” to be the most annoying word or phrase in conversation.  More than three in ten — 32% — have this view while “like” irritates 21% of residents nationally.  17% are most irked by “you know” while 10% would prefer to ban “just sayin’” from today’s lexicon.  “Twitterverse” annoys 9% of adults while 5% are ticked off by “gotcha.”  Five percent are unsure.

Click Here for Complete December 27, 2012 USA Marist Poll Release and Tables

In last year’s survey, 38% thought “whatever” to be the most obnoxious word in casual conversation while 20% said “like” was the most irritating.  19% despised hearing “you know” while “just sayin’” was the most bothersome to 11% of Americans.  “Seriously” made last year’s list with 7% reporting it was the most annoying word in conversation.  Five percent, at that time, were unsure.

Table: Most Annoying Conversational Word or Phrase

How the Survey was Conducted

Nature of the Sample