re: Pet peeves

[Joanne Wittenbrook <jwittenbrook -at- ameritech -dot- net>]

I have never used either phrase in writing. It has nothing to do with the origin, it has to do with trying to avoid jargon or slang of any kind. Phrases or slang terms do not translate into other languages and do not necessarily have a common meaning.
   
  Technical communicators should be able to communicate to a very broad audience. That includes people who learn English as a second language. I avoid "hit the hay" or "cut your nose off to spite your face" and anything else along those lines. 
   
  I also avoid words that become overly used. Watch the news and you see the phenomenon daily. Around 9/11 the "day of infamy" phrase was resurrected and repeated over and over. Recently "quagmire" has become the word or the day. I find it interesting to check a thesaurus for synonyms words that become popular.
   
  Joanne
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