According to a Marist College poll released this week, people under the age of 45 don't find "whatever" as irksome as their younger counterparts.
The poll revealed that 33 percent of Americans find "whatever" to be the most bothersome word. The phrase "fake news" takes second place at 23 percent followed by "no offense, but" at 20 percent. Out of those polled, 11 percent consider "literally" to be the most agitating word used in conversation while 10 percent think "you know what I mean" is the absolute worst.
In 2016, 38 percent of Americans voted "whatever" to be the most grating word while 20 percent voted "no offense, but" as the most infuriating.
"Ya know, right" and "I can't even" tied at 14 percent last year, while eight percent of Americans voted "huge" as the most irritating.
"Since 2015, we have seen a narrowing between ‘whatever' and the rest of the list," said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, the Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
"It has been more than 20 years since ‘whatever' first gained infamy in the movie Clueless. While the word irks older Americans, those who are younger might not find ‘whatever' to be so annoying."
The poll also revealed that opinions varied with age. Forty percent of Americans 45 or older think "whatever" is the most annoying word, while 28 percent of Americans under 45 believe that "no offense, but" is the most irritating. Out of those younger Americans, 26 percent claim "whatever" is the most infuriating.
