Words (and Phrases) With Friends

Innovation is a fancy word for change. I'm a big fan of innovation but - like most people - am uncomfortable with change. How can that be? Both words mean the same thing, but with a big difference. Innovation implies an impersonal, metallic, disembodied improvement for the bigger and better. Change means a gut-level - this is aimed right at me, ready or not - adjustment.

This example is merely to suggest that words (and phrases) are fun. They are fun because they can be strung together to mean just about anything. And they aren't static, but flexible. Sick used to mean ill. Now, to the 20 and younger crowd, sick means cool, awesome, great. Who knew? The Happy Days-inspired nerd was not a label I wanted pinned on me 30 years ago. But to be a nerd today implies tremendous interest, knowledge and even accomplishment in a specific field. Then who among us isn't a nerd?

Like technological leaps, popular words and phrases enter and exit the cultural landscape with rapid-fire speed. Some, however, wear out their welcome quickly but don't have the good sense to go away quietly. Like a comedian with lousy timing, they hang around waiting for an opportunity to interject themselves into everyday conversation. Such as:

1. That's What She Said   I loved The Office in the Steve Carell era. His comic brilliance was made more plain by the show's severe humor drop-off after his departure. Carell's catch phrase was a perfect fit with the uncomfortable nature of his character's workplace behavior. And it was funny. The unfortunate byproduct of the show's popularity was that That's What She Said could be interjected into almost any situation by people in the real world who are much less funny than he was. Seriously, it's not that hard. It can fit almost anywhere . . . that's what she said. Oh crap!

2. Fake It Til You Make It   This phrase has been going strong for about five years and shows no signs of petering out (petering out - dead term, made males uncomfortable). Like the once popular Phone It In, Fake it Til You Make It implies that we pretend to be interested in something until we actually develop an interest in that same something. Huh? How does that work? In my experience, if my level of interest is low to begin with, its chances of improving with repeated exposure are slight.  I'd rather this phrase morph into the more honest I Don't Care But I'm Required to Be Here. 

3. It Is What It Is   I've never been entirely sure what this phrase means but I was once a connoisseur of it. My use of it suggested a situation that was frustratingly hopeless and unchanging. Not a very uplifting tagline.  Still, there's a brutal honesty I like about It Is What It Is, a sort of willingness to "tell it like it is" (Howard Cosell's once-popular phrase) without any needless sugarcoating. Maybe this one can hang around a bit longer.

4. Back In The Day   This phrase replaced Once Upon a Time, Yesteryear, Way Back When, In The Olden Days and a host of other long-forgotten wistful backward glances. According to urbandictionary.com, Back In the Day means referring to a time period previous to the present, usually recalled with a somewhat blissful vision. Sounds about right but when I hear it repeatedly spoken by 12-13 year olds who are too young to have accumulated many blissful visions, I know that it's time for this one to go.

5. I Just Threw Up a Little In My Mouth   Really?? Gross. For all of us who have literally thrown up a little in our mouths, you know what I'm talking about. And just the thought of that moment from our past makes us want to, well . . . you get it. Unfortunately, this phrase is just gathering steam, having only been around for a few years. But if the goal of any new phrase is to illicit an emotional/physical response, then I Just Threw Up a Little In My Mouth hits the mark. Yuck. Gag Me With a Spoon.

6. Woot Woot!   With all apologies to women between the ages of 22-35, this one is my verbal pet peeve, on par with people that throw their cigarettes out of moving cars. I get it; Woot Woot! is a celebratory exclamation, but I don't recall seeing it on Schoolhouse Rocks (Hooray! I'm for the other team . . .). But if a phrase only sounds good when it is written - have you ever heard Woot Woot! sound good spoken? - can it really have a lasting impact? I'm hoping not. And if that's the case, I'll be the first one to crow, Woot Woot! 

Words and phrases between friends are fun, topical and often timely. There are so many of them that fit life's silly, serious and insane situations. And more will be coming soon after we've grown tired of the popular ones - that's a guarantee we can all bank on.

Did I forget any?