While I don't have a personal lexicon per se, I've found that there are a certain number of words and phrases that, while not specific to me, prompt a very specific personal reaction. Usually it's one of irritation. And, in the belief that sharing may make things better (though I doubt it), here is my first entry into Mark's Lexicon of Words and Phrases to be Avioided.

You people Most often used by students who are in trouble or who aren't getting their way (or by parents who can't believe their son or daughter could ever do anything like they've been held accountable for) will often drop this little phrase in. It's usually along the lines of "You people don't let us do anything," or "You people are biased against my child," or some other phrase whose derogatory intent usually is positively correlated to the tone of voice used.

"You people" is one of those phrases that makes my teeth ache, my shoulders hunch, and pretty much sets me off. Parents who've used this phrase with me often find that I start directly contradicting them after its use. Students I tend to get less shirty with, as their use of the phrase is generally more pleading than pejorative. Not that it helps them any.

Powered by Mapquest Is there another free Web-based service out there that gets so much use while being so mediocre at what it does? Probably, but none have yet annoyed me to the level of Mapquest.

One of the first times I used Mapquest directions was to get to the hockey rink at the University of Michigan. The directions worked for the most part, but as we got to the point of actually seeing the arena, Mapquest told us to take a left. And then a right. And then another right. Mapquest threw what amounted to a 270 degree turn into the directions for no good reason. The street the arena is on isn't one way, and we could have just as easily driven right by it before checking side streets for parking.

Mapquest has never given me simple directions without an unusual detour which, rather than lead to the shortest time in the car, leads to us getting lost or sent down a street which may or may not exist (or be a through way). Just last night we got directions from Mapquest that, in essence, sent us all the way to the destination on back roads, when Route 9 or the Mass Pike would have been just as easy.

For comparison's sake, I asked the AAA direction finder for directions using the same addresses, and it had us go Route 9 all the way. But the maps AAA used to show the route? Powered by Mapquest. Go figure.

Colledge Not a real word, but a misspelling that's entered my life recently.

A month or two ago, I got a mailing from the BU Office of Development and Alumni Relations that included in the address the line "Babson Colledge." I sent it back to them with a snippy note along the lines of "Why do I feel that my degrees are shrinking in value?"

Since then, I've gotten a half dozen mailings from various campus offices, all of which use this misspelling. I can't tell if they're being obtuse or just aren't getting the problem.