It might be an understatement to say that NASCAR isn’t like any other sport.
The playing field is different. The rules are different. The object which is used to play the game is different. And the lingo is especially different.
Throughout the last 10 years, NASCAR has changed dramatically. And along the way, new phrases began popping up, often replacing old favorites such as “rubbin’ is racin'” and “checkers or wreckers”. Some of the new phrases were good, some bad, and some just simply annoying.
We’re here today to discuss a list of the latter.
On this list, you won’t see patented phrases like “Boogity Boogity Boogity”. Everyone knows by now that 99 out of every 100 NASCAR fans think that phrase is annoying. What you will see are phrases used by NASCAR announcers, fans, and even NASCAR itself.
Or should I say, “overused”.
So, without further ado, I give you the most annoying NASCAR phrases of the decade(Feel free to add to the list on the comment wall if you’d like):
Oh, by the way: A phrase used time and time again by announcers. Often used to rub an obvious fact in the face of 40 million fans, such as, “Oh, by the way, Mark Martin is 50 years old,” or, “Oh, by the way, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to be our in-race reporter,” or, “Oh, by the way, Jimmie Johnson is pretty good.” Thanks fellas, we get it now.
I’m not a fan of (insert driver here), but…: A phrase used by fans to help make their case, usually defending a certain driver. The phrase was used earlier in the decade to defend Dale Earnhardt Jr. when his driving ability was questioned on forums everywhere, and in the latter part of the decade to defend Jimmie Johnson when “haters” questioned the legitimacy of his championships(i.e. whether or not his team cheated). The phrase has been used on these comment walls several times…
…At NASCAR’s Discretion: A phrase that pops up in NASCAR’s rule book far too often. The phrase basically means that NASCAR can penalize teams however they feel is fit. However they feel is fit. Penalties throughout the decade were inconsistent with each other, bringing this phrase further out into the open.
Don’t hate the (insert # here): Again, used early in the decade to try and stop people from expressing their feelings about Earnhardt Jr’s driving ability(Don’t hate the 8; 88), and later in the decade to try and stop people from expressing their feelings about the legitimacy of Jimmie Johnson’s accomplishments(Don’t hate the 48). The excessive use of the phrase on one website’s main page prompted Yours Truly to write my own “Don’t Hate…” article back in November. “It’s a free country and I’ll hate who I want.”
Deja Vu all over again: A phrase that, if I recall correctly, either originated or grew popular with Darrell Waltrip, and eventually turned into one of the most overused phrases in NASCAR. It’s used by Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, Andy Petree, Dale Jarrett, and others to describe something that happened once, and is now happening again. But “Deja Vu” and “all over again” actually mean the same thing. So basically, they’re saying that something happened, and then it happened again, and then it happened again. Does that make sense? I thought not.
This is simply my opinion. Again, feel free to add your own phrases to the comment wall below.