Study reveals most irritating phrases

I hear what you're saying, but, to be honest, basically, at the end of the day, it's, like, literally not rocket science.

Could this be the most irritating sentence ever?

A study today reveals the words and phrases that most set our teeth on edge. From American imports "awesome" and "24/7", to bosses who refer to staff as "crack troops", the report lists the clichés we cannot stand.

It includes office speak, such as " ballpark figure", "thinking outside the box", "pushing the envelope" and "touching base". To commemorate its 25th birthday, the Plain English Campaign quizzed 5,000 people in more than 70 countries to collect phrases.

The phrase voted the most aggravating was "at the end of the day". Second place was shared by "at this moment in time" and the constant use of "like" as a form of punctuation. "With all due respect" came fourth.

John Lister of the Plain English Campaign said: "When readers or listeners come across these tired expressions, they tune out and miss the message - assuming there is one. Using these in business is about as professional as wearing a novelty tie.

"George Orwell's advice is still worth following, 'Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print'."