To sound intelligent and avoid coming off as pretentious, hospital leaders may consider avoiding certain phrases, according to a July 5 CNBC report.
Grammar experts Kathy and Ross Petras asked managers what phrases they found the most annoying when talking with their colleagues.
Here are the 10 most common phrases they said to avoid:
1. "3 a.m. in the morning"
A.m. is short for ante meridiem, meaning before noon. The full phrase would mean, "3 before noon in the morning." Just saying "3 a.m." is sufficient.
2. "Absolutely essential"
The word essential already implies something is absolutely necessary. The modifier isn't essential, and saying "necessary" or "essential" is enough.
3. "At this point in time"
The phrase means "now," so saying that is both shorter and less obnoxious to employees.
4. "Eliminate completely" or "eliminate entirely"
To eliminate something means to completely remove it. It's not necessary to specify how much you're eliminating.
5. "Combine together" or "join together"
To combine something means to join them together. The word "together" is already implied.
6. "End result" or "final outcome"
A result is at the end of something, and there is no such thing as a beginning or middle result. An outcome or result means finality is implied.
7. "Estimate at about"
An estimate is a rough calculation. There is no need to say it's approximate twice.
8. "Feel badly"
Some people think that adding the "ly" makes a word sound better, but it's grammatically incorrect. If you wouldn't say, "I feel greatly," there is no reason to use the word badly.
9. "In my opinion"
If you are sharing your perspective, it's assumed that it's your opinion. If you want to clarify it's an opinion, instead say "I think."
10. "The reason being" or "the reason why"
These are an overly long way of saying "because." Using the latter can reduce the risk of sounding pretentious.