US News

Poll: ‘Whatever’ takes top honors as most grating word

Nearly 50 percent of Americans said “whatever” was the most annoying word or phrase they hear on a daily basis, according to a poll released today.

In a survey conducted by the Marist Institute, 47 percent said “whatever” is the most grating.

Other sayings frequently uttered by people weren’t quite so hated.

For instance, only 25 percent said they found “you know” — an expression commonly used by Caroline Kennedy during a series of interviews earlier this year — most annoying.

Only 11 percent said they can’t stand the phrase “it is what it is.”

The poll also found that 7 percent said they dislike the word “anyway,” while a paltry two percent claimed that they could do without hearing “at the end of the day” used in daily conversation.

Those in the Midwest disliked the word “whatever” more than any other region in the country with a whopping 55 percent saying they dislike the term.

Only 19 percent of them disapprove of “you know,” the poll found.

By comparison, 35 percent of those living in the Northeast, which includes New York, said “whatever” ticked them off the most, while 32 percent disliked “you know.”