Vitriol

What is vitriol?

From the dictionaries:

Bitterly harsh criticism or malice

bitterly harsh or caustic language or criticism

violent hate and anger expressed through severe criticism

I find this to be an extremely useful word. Much of Susan’s abuse can be articulated with this one single word, “vitriol”.

It is the weapon of choice to bash me with almost daily.

You know, when she’s putting you down. Telling you what a useless parent you are. Telling you what a useless cook you are. Telling you what a useless husband you are. Telling you how you never talk to her but you’ll talk to your friends. Telling you how you never want to spend any time with her. When she complains about the hotel room and starts blaming you for choosing such a crappy hotel. The criticism that happens when you bring her to a delightful little coffee shop but she somehow takes offence to something and criticizes the coffee, the staff and of course you for bringing her to this wholly inadequate and unsuitable place for her high standards. When you decided to paint the upstairs bedroom on your week off and she goes ballistic that items had to be moved out of the room to do it. The bizarre reaction when you have dinner cooked, the house cleaned and the clothes washed when she gets in; she turns on you and verbally vomits all over your work because you’ve supposedly done everything all wrong. It’s the constant wall of sound coming from her general vicinity towards you. It’s the abuse you get from her when she’s too hot because the aircon has stopped working in your car.

Trash talk

It is the correct word for “trash talk”. Simple as that.

Examples

• The trash talk was flowing. The vitriol was flowing.
• She was spouting an ass load of vitriolic bullshit at me.
• One of her abuses is to deliver endless amounts of vitriol in my direction.
• I can’t remember exactly what she was saying but it was some kinda vitriolic nonsense.
• She hits me with a lot of vitriol when I inevitably fall short of her outrages expectations.
• I forget to remove and empty the coffee machine arm after use (one of her many rules), yikes, the resultant vitriol tends to be bad.