Getting Beyond Whatever

In December 2011, the annual Marist Poll revealed that “whatever” had for the third consecutive year been judged as the most annoying conversational word or phrase in the English language.  Indeed, nearly four in ten adults in the United States found this word obnoxious.

What is it about the word “whatever” that gets people so worked up?  Its continual usage is certainly a contributing factor.  Whenever people don’t want to commit to a particular opinion, choice or course of action this word gets trotted out.   The excessive use of the word, however, is only part of the problem because the attitude that accompanies it is, arguably, what really gets people hot under the collar.  Think about it.  Whenever someone says the word “whatever” they generally roll their eyes, curl their lip and apathetically shrug their shoulders.   These gestures aren’t exactly pretty and this is because they convey an air of contempt along with a “count me out” stance.