I mentioned in my introduction that being in my head was like riding a roller coaster. The loop to loops might be a killer. You may even choose to sign a waiver that says you won't sue if you are injured. You can initial and date this post if it makes you feel more at ease, either way I won't judge you. Well, I might, but I promise not to laugh about it.
How many times in your life have you heard someone describe themselves as "fun- loving?" It's a little bit confusing, isn't it? What exactly does that mean? Should we assume that since the two words are used together with a hyphen, they are not mutually exclusive? Does that mean that just because you are loving you might not necessarily be fun. Or when you are fun, you might forget to be loving? Wikipedia defines the word as being lighthearted and lively. So now we are into part two of the definition; what does it mean to be lighthearted? These two intertwined words that are tired and cliched seem to pop up invariably in singles adds. Why is it that most usually people in singles ads love to talk about (and I quote) "taking long walks on the beach" whether they live next to a natural body of water or not? SWF might just stand for single white female or a plethora of other things, I will let you fill in that blank with your own candor. Either way a woman may be looking for George Clooney but instead end up someone with a bit too much chlorine in their gene pool` . So, "if you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain" follow me into this strange journey into overused words and phrases that are just cheesy enough to make you cringe. I hope to make it worth your while.
I am a student of language, and I am not talking about word structure. When I was in school, I always received straight A's on content, but I couldn't dissect a sentence to save my young life. Thank the good Lord the word processor was invented. It checks for spelling errors and other unfortunate semicolon accidents. I do however pay attention to the way people communicate and it's sometimes pretty messy. How many times have you heard someone overuse the word unique? And then there is that person trying to show off their English prowess by using the word "very" in front of it. Are there varying qualities of uniqueness? It should be pointed out in jest that unique and good are not one in the same. Keep that in mind the next time your neighbor brings you an apple pie made with a cheap sugar substitute. The word very in this instance is about necessary as using the word event after rain, or the word legally before drunk. As far as I know you cannot be legally drunk, only illegally drunk. Getting a highway patrolman to look the other way on either infraction is about as possible as bowling a strike on every frame. Possible and probable may exist in the same zip code but getting them to share a seat on the bus is nearly impossible.
Here are two words that often get smashed together that have no business living in the same house, governmental intelligence. And how many time have you heard an airline announce that they are going to begin the boarding process? The word process in that instance is just not necessary. In addition, the word awesome has been so overused by this generation it has lost all meaning. At one time it meant to be struck with awe, now days people use it in casual conversation like fists full of crackers in a meatloaf, essentially, it's just used a filler. And how many times have you heard someone under the age of 25 describe a sandwich as "amazing?" The word amazing should be used for things like impromptu miracles, all afternoon tractor pulls, and bull rides that last longer than eight seconds.
So today I leave you with ten overused phrases:
Fur Baby: I should remind people who use this phrase that unless they are paying to send their kittens to college it isn't the same.
I am today years old: I don't think I need to elaborate on this, please just don't use it.
Now more than ever: I think this is a phrase that should only be used by life coaches and pulpit pounders.
Girl Dad: is this really necessary?
It is what it is: self-explanatory.
Beyond the pale: using this phrase is like dropping a toaster in your bath water, not advisable and possibly lethal.
At the end of the day: unless you are literally speaking about twilight, please stop using this phrase. Nightly news magazines love this phrase.
Adulting: just say no.
Absolutely essential: like using the word bathroom before tissue, just not necessary.
Eliminate Entirely: need I say more?
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