Four Phrases that I Don't Like

I'm not saying that I have not been known to use these phrases myself.  Sometimes they just roll off the tongue so naturally that we're not even conscious of it.  But as I think about what they really mean, I wish that I didn't ever use them.

1.  IT IS WHAT IT IS.  I'm not even sure what the best translation is for this one.  It seems to be something along the lines of "It's irritating but there's nothing I can do about it" or "I'm not willing to do anything about it."  I think I hear this one so much because you can use it in basically ANY situation.  Because it's true: it is what it is!

2.  I'M JUST SAYING.  It's kind of a punctuation point at the end of a given opinion, and it adds a sprinkle of "You might not want to hear it but…"  So when you want to say something contradictory, offensive, or ridiculous, if you close it out with this one you'll be fine.  Ignorant people use this one A LOT.  I'm just saying.

3.  I DON'T MEAN TO BE A (fill in the blank), BUT…  The translation of that phrase is fairly obvious and funny when you think about it.  If you fill in the blank with "an asshole" for example, you are stating that what follows WILL make you an asshole.  So it literally means that you ARE meaning to be whatever you say you don't mean to be.  

4.  AT LEAST I'M HONEST.  Ah, probably my favorite.  This is the cop-out phrase of the decade, or perhaps the century.  It means, "I'm an asshole and I know it, and I have no filter, or I'm too lazy to consider my words before I open my trap, but I'm saying what's on my mind, and I'm trying to convince myself and you that that makes it okay."  An "uppity" version of this phrase is this one: "I'm just saying what we're all thinking."  When I see an ugly baby, I don't tell the parents, "Your baby is ugly as shit."  But I guess I could, as long as I followed it with, "At least I'm honest."

Maybe I'll have to write a follow-on blog of the hottest and most irritating catch phrases that I hear floating around the military work place these days.  I'm sure you guys have some sayings that get under your skin too.  It's not just me is it?