My top 12 un-favorite words list 

Ever notice when people use words that somehow cause you to cringe, or otherwise make you uncomfortable? Sometimes you may not even notice your reactions. The words below invoke such strong reactions in me because they do not work. Like trying to nail Jello to a wall they are too non descriptive. They have no place in any communication involved precise and concise action.

1. Standard: What exactly is that? Speaker and listener would have to be in absolute agreement what the mutual assumptions and expectation are describing a standard product, service, ore condition.
2. Should: Really? That is nothing but a firm maybe.
3. Usually: That is rarely usual
4. Normally: Nothing is ever normal
5. Typically: Nothing is ever typical
6. Probably: Duck, because usually that means you are in trouble.
7. “All you need to do is…”: Yeah, right. As spoken by someone who is not doing anything.
8. On average: What is ever average?
9. Routinely: That is probably applicable to machines but not people
10. But (or the subtle “however”): Use “and” instead
11. We: That is usually me
12. Never: Never use never. Nothing is ever impossible, or improbable.

I apologize if I should have now managed to put a thorn into your mind. Next time you hear someone (or perhaps you) use any word listed above you will hopefully start feeling just as irked as I am. Why use these at all in the first place? Use them only in communication when you are in exploration and interpretation mode.

Ralf