Am I the only one...

[Lilani]

...who is sick and tired of people chastising other people for saying "Am I the only one?"

Spoiler: And are you not lucky that the cliche'd comic that summarizes the criticism of this phrase comes from this very web site?

Yes, we get it. You're so clever--you've realized that with all the people on this green earth, it is virtually impossible for somebody to literally be "the only one" of anything. So what's your next astounding discovery in the realm of phrases and idioms going to be? Realizing it's virtually impossible for it to "rain cats and dogs?" That most people aren't physicians and aren't qualified to "have a taste of their own medicine?" That most places won't charge "an arm and a leg" for something? That a "dime" can't really buy a "dozen" of anything these days?

Seriously, this disease of pedantry and sheer arrogance has been floating around these boards ever since that stupid comic came out, and I am sick and tired of it. You are not clever, you're taking a figurative phrase and turning it literal just so you can find something to make fun of someone for.

Discussion: Why is it so acceptable on these boards to willfully misunderstand a phrase for the sole purpose of having a wank at how smart you think you are?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Yes, it is rather pedantic.

Doesn't stop 'Am I the only one?' from being one of the most annoying phrases on the internet, and perhaps the history of ever.

This is some meta shit going on right here

 

[Lionsfan]

People could probably say it nicer, but for the most part it's the only applicable answer. What else are they supposed to say?

 

[Relish in Chaos]

It's probably because it's usually some guy saying something like, "Am I the only one who doesn't like Call of Duty?", when there are clearly way more people than just the guys that he hangs out with that don't like, or even hate, Call of Duty.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

I always found younger people saying their age and saying how bad it is to be more annoying

We get it, you're young. Quality doesn't have an age blocker, so... NO ONE CARES

Plus, some people like being smug about it. Those cursed smug people...

 

[Euryalus]

Doesn't stop 'Am I the only one?' from being one of the most annoying phrases on the internet, and perhaps the history of ever.

At least it takes more thought than saying FIRST! :|

OT: I'm just glad the escapist is witty and charismatic when being obtuse/smug. I only really used to comment on CNN or Youtube before here. Dear God the stupidity! The escapist is pretty awesome most of the time, so at least this is the stupidity we have deal with (Drowning threads don't exist lalalalala). I do agree it's kind of annoying though.

Spoiler: Youtube Intelligence

 

[Hero in a half shell]

People could probably say it nicer, but for the most part it's the only applicable answer. What else are they supposed to say?

Well there's the Yoda version:

Spoiler

[HEADING=1]The only one am I?[/HEADING]

The Greek version:

Spoiler

And of course, my personal favourite: the Chesney Hawkes version:

 

[DugMachine]

Am I the only one who agrees with this?

 

[Fappy]

Yes, it is rather pedantic.

Doesn't stop 'Am I the only one?' from being one of the most annoying phrases on the internet, and perhaps the history of ever.

This is some meta shit going on right here

Is meta shit the kind of shit where you're taking a shit while narrating a story where you took a shit yesterday?

OT: I agree it can be rather obnoxious, but it is a very overused and annoying phrase. I can hardly blame people for getting irritated by constantly seeing it everywhere. Linking the comic is getting old though.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Yes, it is rather pedantic.

Doesn't stop 'Am I the only one?' from being one of the most annoying phrases on the internet, and perhaps the history of ever.

This is some meta shit going on right here

Is meta shit the kind of shit where you're taking a shit while narrating a story where you took a shit yesterday?

OT: I agree it can be rather obnoxious, but it is a very overused and annoying phrase. I can hardly blame people for getting irritated by constantly seeing it everywhere. Linking the comic is getting old though.

That's some pretty shit meta shit about shit right there.


At the time of writing this, 'am I the only one' is still a hell of a lot more annoying than the correcting of it. Until such a time this changes, people can knock themselves out

 

[TheIronRuler]

-snip-
Discussion: Why is it so acceptable on these boards to willfully misunderstand a phrase for the sole purpose of having a wank at how smart you think you are?

.
I thought I was the only one who got Switzerland and Sweden mixed up sometimes before I met you. Now I get your point - I'm never the only one!
...
The Internet is a great form of communication. With so many people online, there is never going to be an individual unique person there. A sad truth.

 

[sinsfire]

Really I am going to be the first for this. I think I was the only one who didn't know Melissa Ethridge was a lesbian

Spoiler

captcha = ecks why zee... oh I get it

 

[Smertnik]

"Willfully misunderstand"? Well, what do people mean when they ask that question then? Because I can't think of any figurative meaning. Or is it supposed to be rhetoric?

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

It doesn't change the fact that until we started calling people out for we had like five threads a week with the non-descript title of "am I the only one?" Keeping that from happening again by constantly complaining is fine by me.

 

[Kae]

Yeah it's rather annoying, but I don't care enough about either, also saying you are never the only one is wrong it is possible for me to be the only one as long as I get specific enough, for example: Am I the only escapist that lives in my house?
Well unless there's someone hiding in my house that I have never met and uses my PC to enter to the escapist while I'm asleep or at work, yes I am the only escapist that lives specifically in the house I live.
Though I doubt anybody would ask that question unless they were paranoid about the person who secretly lives in their house and uses their PC while they are sleeping or at work, and is wondering if anybody else has suspicions of this happening to them too, though then the question wouldn't have been the same I mentioned above, and I'm just rambling right now so feel free to ignore me.

 

[omega 616]

snip

... did you steal my rant? I posted an almost exact thing (only shorter) in the "am I the only one who likes rainy days".

You sneaky fox, you! haha

Yeah, I am tired of this correction. It's older and more over used than "I used to be a cake till I took a candle to the frosting".

We get it, we get it.

 

[FalloutJack]

Sorry, but...on both ends of the spectrum (the asking and the chastising)...who cares? Crap, an unoriginal post on one of many millions of forums. That's never happened before and never will again! Not important.

 

[Lilani]

"Willfully misunderstand"? Well, what do people mean when they ask that question then? Because I can't think of any figurative meaning. Or is it supposed to be rhetoric?

It's hyperbole. When somebody says "This hurts like hell," I think usually the pain isn't actually on par with eternally burning alive without ever dying. But it hurts and the phrase gets the point across. Or when somebody says they're "freezing," they might be very cold but chances are their blood isn't actually turning to ice.

So when somebody says "Am I the only one," I'm sure if you asked them to specify they wouldn't actually come to the conclusion that they must be the only person on the ENTIRE planet that feels that way, but that's sort of how they feel at the time and it gets that feeling across.

 

[Goofguy]

Yup, it's just a figure of speech, we need not get worked up about it. However, it does irritate me when people use it so incredulously. Are you honestly that surprised that you're not the only person who dislikes Pulp Fiction?