#dailyprompt2769 — Public Fediverse posts

Fazed by phrases!

Even as a writer of little standing (five foot, four inches in my stocking soles) I’ve found myself becoming increasingly ‘up myself’ and ‘precious’ when it comes to witnessing the application of our English language.

One thing I’ve learned from my blogging and writing books, is to be self critical. I know I’ll never be 100% correct in the manner by which I express myself, but I have discovered many words and phrases I was so very guilty of overusing.

Reading back on what nonsense I write, it’s easy to spot duplication / multiplication of words. I fully appreciate the vast majority of the world’s population would never feel the need to physically review their wording. and are therefore unaware of their verbal repetition / misquotes.

However, people in the public eye should know better. They have no excuse. Every day they are quoted in the press and magazines. They are interviewed on television, and create their own social media content.

Surely to goodness they can spot what have become bad habits?

Sports people, in particular football (soccer) players and television commentators in the UK are perhaps the worst. For example:

You’ll notice above, I mentioned I’ll never be 100% correct in my communication. Yeah, 100%. Not 110%. Or 200%.

Interviewer: “You were up against it in the second half, but the defense held fast.”

Player: “110% – we knew they’d come out all guns blazing, but we’d prepared for that during training this week.”

Me: “Aaaargh!”

Another sports related phrase that’s become increasingly irksome in recent times, is the commentator’s description of something that almost didn’t happen. But did. I think. I find it difficult to understand what the heck they are meaning.

Commentator: “He just about managed to keep the ball in play …”

Me: “He did keep the chuffin’ ball in play! For crying out loud, man. There’s no ‘just about’ it at all. Fact. Give me strength!”

But here’s the doozy! This really, really rips my knitting! I hear it all the time these days … people asking and then answering their own questions!

TV / radio sports pundit: “Is he a great player? Yes. Has he scored twenty-five goals this season? Yes. Is he a fans’ favourite? Yes. But does he do enough work off the ball? No.”

Me: “I can’t take it anymore! Please! Make it stop! Where’s the mute button on this TV / radio remote …?”

😉😂

#author #DailyBlog #Dailyprompt2769 #footballCommentators #footballPlayers #humor #humour #radioInterview #televisionInterview #WhatSAWordOrPhraseThatAnnoysYou #Writing

“See You Later” — A Promise That Isn’t Always One

“Some goodbyes are not endings.
They are quiet promises wrapped in a wave,
a soft pause between chapters,
a little ‘see you later’ drifting down the road like sunlight on moving glass.” 🌤️🚗

There is a phrase I have never quite learned to trust: “See you later.”

On the surface, it sounds warm, friendly, almost comforting. It carries the gentle promise of continuation, as if the conversation we are having now will stretch forward into another moment, another meeting, another shared space. It suggests that this is not an ending, only a pause.

But often, it isn’t true.

I remember noticing this for the first time in a small, ordinary moment. A colleague waved goodbye at the door and said, “See you later!” The words lingered in the air long after they had gone. I believed them. I expected them. For the rest of the day, a part of me was alert—waiting, almost subconsciously, for their return.

They never came back that day.

That was when I realized that “See you later” is not always about seeing someone again. Sometimes, it is just a softer way of saying goodbye.

From then on, I began to hear the phrase differently. I noticed how easily people used it—at the end of phone calls, at office doors, in passing conversations. It appeared everywhere, light and effortless, spoken without much thought. And yet, to me, it felt heavy. Every time I heard it, I wondered: Do they mean it? Will I really see them later?

There is something curious about language—how words can mean one thing and carry another. “See you later” is a perfect example. Literally, it suggests a future meeting. Emotionally, however, it often functions as a polite closing, a social habit rather than a genuine statement.

It creates a small, quiet dissonance—the gap between expectation and reality.

For someone like me, that gap matters.

When people say “see you later,” I don’t just hear a polite exit. I imagine a continuation. I picture another interaction, another exchange. I hold onto the idea that our paths will cross again soon. And when that doesn’t happen, it leaves behind a subtle disappointment—not strong enough to hurt deeply, but persistent enough to feel.

It’s not that anyone intends to mislead. Most people don’t even think about it. The phrase has become automatic, almost invisible in its overuse. It belongs to a category of expressions we rely on to make interactions smoother: “take care,” “let’s catch up,” “we should do this again.” They are social glue—phrases that keep communication flowing without requiring commitment.

But “see you later” feels different because it sounds so specific. It implies time. It implies certainty. It implies that “later” actually exists.

And that’s what makes it so quietly frustrating.

Over time, I’ve tried to adjust my expectations. I’ve learned to reinterpret the phrase as others do—a simple, friendly goodbye with no promise attached. I remind myself that language is often less literal than it seems. Still, part of me resists that adjustment. Part of me wants words to mean exactly what they say.

Maybe that is the real issue—not the phrase itself, but the kind of person I am when I hear it.

I am someone who listens carefully. Someone who notices details. Someone who takes words seriously. So when someone says, “see you later,” I instinctively treat it as something more than habit. I treat it as intention.

And perhaps that is both a strength and a burden.

Now, when I hear the phrase, I respond the same way: I smile, nod, and say goodbye. But inside, there’s a quiet awareness—a small voice reminding me not to take it too literally.

Because “later” doesn’t always come.

And yet, despite everything, there is a part of me that still likes the phrase. Maybe because of what it could mean. Maybe because, in a world full of abrupt endings, it offers the illusion of continuity. It suggests that connections don’t simply stop—that they pause, waiting to resume.

Even if that isn’t always true, it is still a comforting thought.

So I live with the contradiction.

I am annoyed by “see you later,” but I also understand it. I question it, but I still hope, just a little, that sometimes—just sometimes—it will be real.

💖💖💖

#blog #dailyprompt #dailyprompt2769 #life #mentalHealth #mindfulness #motivation #selfCare #writing

Guardians of the Golden Hour

Guardians of the Golden Hour is a poignant tribute dedicated to the unsung heroism of first aiders. The poem captures the transition from sudden chaos to calm stability, highlighting the steady hands, quiet bravery, and critical intervention these individuals provide in life's most fragile moments. It serves as a deep expression of gratitude for those who run toward crisis to hold the line until help arrives. When the world fractures in a sudden second,And panic screams where safety used to […]

https://fedhajnrblog.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/guardians-of-the-golden-hour/