Anyone who has faced bullying during their school years understands how it can turn life into a nightmare. Reddit user u/pasanquecosas recounted her experience of being bullied until a popular boy stepped in to defend her in exchange for doing his homework. To her astonishment, he reconnected with her years later and offered help she never saw coming.
"I've always been good with numbers and responsible, but given that I have CP (cerebral palsy) and walk with crutches, I was an extremely easy target for bullying," the now-29-year-old woman shared on Reddit. When her classes were mixed, she faced even worse bullies. However, a popular boy in her new class started defending her and wordlessly left his notebooks with her, implying she should do his homework in return.
Source: Reddit | u/pasanquecosas
"And so we began our symbiotic relationship. The bullying stopped and I would do his homework every day. We never talked about it and whenever he spoke to me, he sounded angry. It was like that for almost 3 years and his grades went up. I was just grateful I could be at peace in school. We graduated and never spoke or saw him again," the post continued. Then, unexpectedly, the same guy reached out to her over Instagram a week before she made the Reddit post.
Source: Reddit | u/pasanquecosas
"He told me how good life had been for him, he offered to buy me a house and a car. At first, I thought it was a scam, but we made video calls and he showed me things and it's legit," she wrote. The jock from her class had become a successful businessman, earning millions and living abroad. Fortunately, he never forgot how she helped him get good grades in class, which paved the way for his success.
"He said he wanted to repay me 'cause he knew how hard it is to be disabled and a woman in my country specifically. He's not wrong, but I'm doing okay right now, so I declined all his offers. But then I received a call from a medical center, the most expensive where I live, saying I had 3 years of physical therapy paid for," the post continued. Still thinking it was a joke, she went to the medical center to verify and discovered that her treatment costs had indeed been covered.
Source: Reddit | u/pasanquecosas
"I already did my first two sessions and my body feels so much better. I am still clueless because I saw our relationship as purely transactional and now he comes and says he owes me. I am so confused," she concluded her post, thanking people in the Reddit community for their comments, which made her feel less guilty about the whole situation. Strangers on the internet were also amazed to see how the classmate came around to repay her for all the ways she helped him during their school days.
Redditor u/KalayaMdsn wrote, "You did his homework for three years and he paid for three years of therapy. It sounds like he knows exactly what he's doing and he wants to say thank you now. Remember that for the wealthy, something that seems crazy generous to us is the monetary equivalent of buying you lunch." u/Fewstoriesocto added, "That's a nice gesture you should take it and be thankful, don't turn down on somebody who is trying to be kind. Seemingly with no ill intent." u/paraddidler13 shared, "Even back in high school it was a fair transaction in my book since I’m sure him stopping the bullies prevented you from living in actual hell back then. He doesn’t owe you, but he knows gratitude. What a guy."
This article originally appeared last year.
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The one phrase people most want to ban forever—and 20 more that drive us all nuts
If you’ve ever cringed at hearing “It is what it is” or rolled your eyes at someone saying “No offense…” before delivering something totally offensive, you’re definitely not alone. Some expressions are so irritating, so overused, or so grammatically cursed that hearing them once more might just push us over the edge.
We asked our Facebook audience, “ If you could ban one annoying phrase from existence forever, what would it be?” and holy moly, did the floodgates open. Typically, a given question might rack up around 5,000 comments—but this one? Over 14,000. People shared responses that were funny, petty, brutally honest, and occasionally downright poignant. From phrases that try (and fail) to sound wise, to those so overused they've lost all meaning entirely—here are the top contenders folks are completely done with.
The one phrase nearly everyone wants to vanish
By far the most repeated offender was:
Over and over, users cited this as the ultimate non-response. It’s dismissive, it ends conversations, and it offers exactly zero comfort or help.
Another big category? Expressions meant to comfort that end up being painful or insulting. These include:
Many commenters explained that these phrases, while often well-intentioned, feel dismissive in times of grief or hardship.
Grammar gripes and word crimes
Grammar lovers had a lot of feelings. Some of the most-cited “please stop saying this” phrases included:
And let’s not forget the collective rage over “pacifically” when people mean “specifically.”
Words that reveal more than they intend
Several users took issue with phrases that feel passive-aggressive or intellectually lazy, such as:
As user Jacqueline C. put it, “'To be honest...' What does that mean? That you're not honest any other time?”
Phrases tied to racism, sexism, or toxic positivity
A significant number of respondents took aim at harmful or politically charged phrases. Among them:
These comments weren’t just about annoyance—they were about the emotional weight and social impact of language.
James G. didn’t mince words when he wrote: “‘Go back to your country, then’ 🤬. The epitome of racist. I love my country, plus my ancestors did not ASK to be brought here the way they were.”
Corporate speak and empty buzzwords
You knew these were coming.
These phrases sparked a different kind of rage—one reserved for staff meetings and marketing emails.
Iris H. summed it up: “Most corporate speak. Downsizing. Low hanging fruit. Pivot. etc…..” Just say what you mean, please.
Why this resonated so deeply
There’s something unifying about shared irritation. These phrases might seem harmless or routine, but for many people, they’re like verbal paper cuts—tiny annoyances that, over time, sting a lot more than they should.
Whether it’s poor grammar, dismissive condolences, or flat-out hate speech in disguise, we’re collectively craving language that’s thoughtful, clear, and kind.
So the next time you find yourself reaching for one of these expressions, take a beat. Maybe there’s a better way to say what you mean. Or maybe… just don’t say anything at all.
And if you’ve got your own phrase that should be banished from existence? Don’t worry—there’s still time to add to the list.
Got another phrase that needs to go? Drop it in the comments on our original Facebook post.
Bonus: The top five most hated phrases from our poll
Let’s make 2025 the year we finally stop saying all of them.