I was at Walmart this evening and overheard a snippet of a conversation between two other shoppers. I didn't hear much, and really didn't care to, but what caught my ear were these three words: "No offense, but..." This phrase grates on my very soul, because what it means is: "Brace yourself, because I'm about to say something that is most definitely going to offend you. And, because I'm prefacing the impending insult with "no offense, but" you have absolutely no right to get angry, and if you do, you're the jerk here." I'm pretty sure my ears and heart are directly … [Read more...]