It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

"Having said that..." or "That said..." is a weak and overused expression these days. People precede what they really mean to say with a list of disclaimers and qualifiers.

"He's entertaining and has a big following. Having said that, Rush Limbaugh is a drug-addled hypocrite and probably a closeted gay man filled with self-loathing." Seems to me that the stronger and less pretentious word choice is "however."

I'm tired of people asking questions of themselves. I can't decide whether it's a place-holder that gives the speaker more time to think through what he means to say, like "Ummm," or if it's merely pretentious. Donald Rumsfeld uses this construct a lot, but he uses it to ask himself the questions he really wants to answer while avoiding the actual questions reporters ask.

"Do I understand why people ask themselves questions? Not entirely. Do I think that such people could be more direct? Definitely. Do I find it annoying? Without a doubt."

Just when you think the weather is getting better, there's always someone around to tell you about the Perfect Storm. The phrase comes from the story of the sailors lost at sea, the story from which we got the movie with George Clooney. You remember. Lately, people use "the perfect storm" to describe any collection of causes that lead to one effect which may or may not be stormlike. Howard Dean's campaign in Iowa used it to describe how the mood of the electorate, the superior statewide organization, high-profile endorsements and a fat bankroll would combine to win the caucuses for him. Of course, that storm turned out to be less than perfect. I've also heard it used to describe the deficit, better than expected GNP increases, and environmental crises. Look for the "perfect storm" to be on this years' Banished Words List.

Am I being a little picky here? I don't think so, but I'm sure someone disagrees with me. Is clarity and directness too much to ask from speakers of English? Apparently. Having said that, these three expressions have created a Perfect Storm of linguistic peevishness for me.


And I'm not sure there's anything I can do about it.