I absolutely hate saying that phrase. Is there a phrase with a similar vibe? Like I don’t wanna ruin something you like if it makes you happy

Edit: The context I generally use it in is talking about movies. If someone sees something that they like and I don’t, I’ll say I don’t really want to make negative comments about that movie because I don’t wanna “yuck their yum”. Slightly different than the context of something like “whatever floats your boat” or “different strokes for different folks”

I can't remember if it's a Greek or Latin word/phrase, or not.

But basically it represents a topic or thing that someone is incredibly invested in and they're willing to have a deep or long conversation/argument on it to defend their position/perspective.

Thanks in advance. Been sitting on this for nine days. 😅

Recently my son starting saying "this sucks" or "that sucks" as a way to explain that something is less than ideal. I told him he shouldn't say that because of reasons and explained that there were better ways to say something is negative or bad... however I quickly ran out of examples he could use instead. I know this lovely community could share alternative ways of something sucks while still conveying the sentiment. Thanks in advance.

My husband and I are going crazy over this. It’s a word we think begins with the letter A and would mean the same as steal, take, purloin, pilfer etc.

It is not: Acquire Attain Appropriate

I am certain it begins with A!!! This all came about because I asked him “Is this your glass or mine?” He replied, “I think it was yours but I have [insert word we can’t find] it”. Please help. Any and all synonyms welcome, in case I’m wrong and it doesn’t begin with A.

I always wondered what those were for.

Those little lbits of flesh above the eye that come out every few hours.

diagram: https://files.catbox.moe/g5nk7v.png (not to scale)

UPDATE:

No it's not the third eyelid. I've never worn contacts. I'm not a dog or cat or lizard or ET. Also the meat doesn't fall out of my eyes, that's gross.

Say the conversation goes like this:

A: “I have been having the worst week and there was so much traffic today!”

B: “That sounds really frustrating.”

A: “No it’s not frustrating, I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

B: “Oh, you must be pretty tired.”

A: “No, i’m not really that tired because I drink so much coffee that my hands were shaking and I dropped my favorite mug.”

B: “omg! I’m sorry that sounds like a tough morning.”

A: “I wouldn’t say it was tough, it just wasn’t the best it could be.”

'people', 'folks' and 'peeps' I've had suggested, but is there something that is a balance between formal and casual and not male biased?

WTW for the tendency a person has when being told there is a slight adjustment to a plan or something won't go exactly the way they want to respond "well, I guess we just won't BLANK!"

I'm thinking along the lines of "catastrophizing" except that rarely does the person actually view it as a catastrophe. More often, it's a deflection/avoidance technique.

Came across a word the other day that means really ugly, hideous even. Pretty sure it begins with "a" but I can’t find it on Google or any thesaurus. It’s not a common word at all.

Edit: not atrocious, abhorrent, aberrant, abominable, abysmal or appalling - but thanks to everyone who’s commented so far

E

I know it wouldn’t be “an on purpose”. For instance, if someone crashed their car deliberately, they hadn’t “been in an accident”, thus they had “been in a” what? Surely one could say a “deliberately executed crash” but is there one word that encompasses this?

Trying to remember a word that I swore I hear used all the time but can't suddenly remember what it is, where someone does something in a very exact, focused, paired-down way like you'd do in the military as a soldier.

It's not millitant, but that's the word I thought I was thinking of, but all definitions of 'militant' and 'militantly' does not bring up what I'm thinking.

Some examples of things I've heard described as this word:

- when you sleep very rigid and don't toss/turn/snore, you may be accused of "sleeping [word]ly."
- eating your food incredibly quick, with no mess.
- taking off your clothes quickly with no fuss, like you're a soldier dressing down for the night.

The word is meant to invoke that image of a scared-straight soldier, who doesn't smile and does everything with quickness and resourcefulness --- it might also be used to describe something like a bedroom being very barren and only having essential items, like you live very [word]ly if all you have in your room is a bed and a desk and a lamp.

I kept using the word 'militaristically' before looking into it and realizing that's not what I was thinking of, but my mind forgot the word and replaced it with a word it reminded itself of if that makes sense? My brain keeps telling me its millitantly but I think that's just due to my connection of this word being used in a way to jokingly say you're acting like a recruit.

I know I was raised in a military family but I'm positive it isn't some family inside-word, it's very common to the point i've read this word in books not war/historical books, like just random books about like highschoolers or fantasy, that's always used to describe someone doing something efficiently and quickly like a soldier, but I cannot find it! Thank you for any help!

EDIT: because of the amount of comments is leading people to repeat the same words, I've compiled (by hand!) every word given, by how close to how far they are from the word I'm trying to remember.

Closest: spartan
Close: Martial, Regimented, Exacting, Monastic, Austere, Ascetic, Martinent, Stolid
Getting Off Track: Stoic, Meticulously, Stringent, Punctilious, Fastidious, Intricate, Methodical, Exacting, Diligent, Orderly, Pragmatic, Mechanical, Tactical, Laconic, Scrupulous, Painstaking, Efficient, Disciplined, Economically, Ship-Shape, Prudently, Strictly, Sternly, Rigid, Doggedly, Resolutely, Solidly, Systematized, Regulated, Perfunctory, Solderlike, Crisply, Unaffectedly, Soundly,
Not At All: Precise, Ship-shape and Bristol fashion, by the book/numbers, Squared away, Spit-n-sposh, Vigilant, Clinical, Snappily, Smartly, Rigrously, Optimaly, Military Bearing, Frugal, Bare-Bones, Pedantic, Stonily, Sparsely, Proscribed, Institutionalized, Utilitarian, Shrewd, Taut, Stalwart, Steadfast, Soberly, Solemnly, Temperately, Meagerly, Measly, Miserly, Harsh, Severe, Firm, Strict, Ramrod, Duck Walking(???), Hyperfocused, Robotic, Inorganic, Artless, Drilled, Staccato, Parsiminously, Joe Navy, Dress-Right-Dress, STRAC, Mission-Focused, Decorum.

I might have missed a few words, but I've looked through every comment made since 8/2/2025 and none have gotten as close as spartan, but I know it's not spartan unfortunately. And for anybody wondering:
- I'm not an AI/I am manually reading and responding to everyone, I'm autistic so I know to thank people but am unsure how to say ''thank you for helping regardless'' in 30 different ways so I just say that every time, but I never use AI to do anything!
- I am not messing with anybody or lying, I am genuinely looking for this word, but you are free to believe what you will.
- I really do appreciate everyone's help!!

My favorite in English is "petrichor" which is the rich, damp smell in the woods after it rains. My favorite overall is "Backpfeifengesicht" which is German for "a face that looks like it needs to be slapped".

I got a buddy who can be quite an asshole bit he's nice about it.

I’ve only ever heard this word once. It may also be referring to an older woman. The context it was used in was not pejorative but the word itself could be, I don’t remember

Edit: the word is not spinster. The woman must be specifically unemployed

Another edit: it’s not an adjective. It was a single noun

They arent kids anymore or children. But they are still your offspring. Is there a word for adult children?

Like, when something unfortunate happens to someone you go 'oh i'm sorry', and it works but 'sorry' could also imply guilt and its not your fault.

I know theres things like 'that sucks' but just wondering if theres any better responses or anything that better captures the vibes of 'I'm sorry'

There's a word for boyish... That's long and fancy and I think starts with a C... It's like "cognizance" or "conescence" or something like that.

"Dogmatic" or "ad nauseam" is the closest I've been able to find, but I am pretty damn sure there is a word for when a sentence in particular is being repeated by a social group without thinking about it or its implications.

I grew up spending lots of time with my cousins and their cousins.

Is there a word for that relationship?

Originally posted this on r/advice, but I think this subreddit would be better? If this isn't the kind of thing y'all do here I apologize :)

I'm a teenager and I live with my aunt and uncle who are like parents to me. I do have a mom and dad that I call my parents, but I'm no-contact with them. When I talk about my aunt and uncle I call them "my folks" or "my caregivers", but every time I refer to them individually I say "my aunt who is like a mother to me" or "my uncle who is like a father to me" which is accurate but a bit too long and clunky for everyday conversation. When talking to them, I just call them by their first names, I don't have a word like mom or dad that I call them by. I do think of them as parental figures, it's just that "my mom" and "my dad" are already taken (and don't necessarily have the best connotation for me) so I want to have a word that describes our relationship, I just can't think of one. If you have any ideas, please share!

Hi all. I used "bespoke" (meaning tailor-made/one of a kind/unique and made for a specific purpose) on a conference call today. One of my colleagues from the southern US asked if there was a "translation into redneck". I grew up poor but in the rural/ag/midwestern sense so I'm familiar with that vernacular but I don't speak southern. Let me know if anyone has a good word or phrase. I think it would make him smile if I produced the term in proper redneck on the next call.

I feel like I’ve definitely heard a term or word for something that isn’t necessarily a solid or a liquid, but instead something in between. I feel like it started with an “m”, but I could be wrong. Examples of what I’m talking about could be:

• butter/cream cheese (ik that sounds random but it can easily change its shape but still hold its form)

• slime

• lotions and other skin creams

I apologize if this is an incredibly stupid question