Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Poll: 'Whatever' tops annoying words list NEW YORK, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Nearly half of Americans surveyed for a new poll said "whatever" was the most annoying word that could be used in a conversation. Advertisement The Marist Poll received votes for "You know" and "anyway," but they weren't even close to the 47 percent that pegged "whatever" as something that had definitely run its course. The breakdown found "whatever" to be particularly tiresome among respondents in the Midwest, Latinos and people under 45 years old. Phrases that bug Americans include "it is what it is" and "at the end of the day." The poll, based on 938 responses, had a margin of error of 3.5 percent. French throne claimant denied Prince name CANBERRA, Australia, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- An Australian man who claims to be the heir to the long-lost French throne was denied his request to have his first name officially changed to Prince. Advertisement The Administrative Decisions Tribunal said it rejected the request from Todd Juchau, a security guard who gives his full name as His Royal Highness Prince Todd Charles Juchau, Protector of the Faithful, Defender of the Kingdom, because changing his first name to Prince could cause people to believe he holds a genuine royal title, The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. Juchau, who said he traced his lineage back to 8th century conqueror Charlemagne after a family reunion 4 years ago, said the decision was unfair because the name is allowed in other contexts. "A lot of people won't believe it because they can't grasp it. But we've got the musician Prince and Michael Jackson called his kids Prince One and Two. Prince is a name," he said. However, tribunal members said the name is likely to cause confusion because of Juchau's royal claims. "I'm the natural heir to France itself. It's been hidden for 400 years for some reason," Juchau said. Swedish motions include cloth diaper bonus STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Swedish lawmakers said the 3,815 proposals drafted this year include a call for a government inquiry into cat behavior and rewards for cloth diaper use. Advertisement Parliamentary administrators said motions drafted before Tuesday's deadline include Christian Democrat Desiree Pethrus Engstrom's call for a proposed bonus for families that choose cloth diapers over disposables and Liberal Party lawmaker Birgitta Ohlsson's suggestion to specially train dogs to combat violence against women, The Local reported Wednesday. Solveig Hellquist of the Liberal Party drafted a motion calling for a government inquiry into the lives of cats to raise the animals' societal status and Amineh Kakabaveh of the Left Party filed a motion calling for the government to create a minister of suburbs position. The motions are now headed to parliamentary committees for further consideration. Cross-dressed fighters decked attackers SWANSEA, Wales, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Welsh police said a night ended poorly for two men who attacked a pair of apparent transvestites only to discover they were cage fighters in costumes. Police in Swansea said Dean Gardener, 19, and Jason Fender, 22, were involved in another street fight shortly before they encountered the two men in ladies' garb out on the street, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. "Unfortunately they were extremely drunk. They had been out drinking jugs of cocktails and Fender had drunk at least 10 pints of cider," said Mark Davies, who defended Gardener and Fender in Swansea Magistrates' Court. Advertisement Police said security camera footage depicts Gardener throwing a punch at one of the men, who was dressed in a pink wig, a miniskirt and a tube top. However, both attackers were quickly floored by punches from the second cage fighter, who was wearing a wig and a sparkling black dress. Investigators said the attackers apparently believed their would-be victims to be transvestites, but they were actually dressed in costume for a stag party. Gardener and Fender, who were arrested while stumbling down the street after the fight, pleaded guilty to using abusive words and behavior. They were sentenced to four months of community service as well as given a 7 p.m. curfew and electronic tags.
