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Picture of Kalleh
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What words do you think were overused in 2011? Here is a list from NPR :

Amazing
Baby Bump
Shared Sacrifice
Occupy
Blowback
Man Cave
The New Normal
Pet Parent
Win The Future
Trickeration
Ginormous
Thank You In Advance

I enjoyed the 1976 list, though I don't know if I understand the last one:

At This Point in Time - Why not say "now," or "today?" Typical Delay-by-Elongation, giving subject at press conference time to think up plausible lie, e.g. "At this point in time we are, err, mmmmm, unaware of the allegation that the earth is round." -Queen Isabella.

Meaningful - Has lost all of its meaningfulness.

Input - Has unfortunately replaced "contribution." Often used in combination; as "meaningful input."

Scenario - Spread like wildfire after Watergate. It can be roughly translated as "I don't know what had happened (or will happen) but this is a scenario." Means: "I'm making this up." Also used when reporter doesn't want to use "according to unimpeachable source."

Detente - Invented by Henry Kissinger. Nobody else knows what it means, and now even Kissinger has forgotten. [Before the year was out the president of the United States also banished "detente." Later, voters banished Kissinger and the president.]

Dialogue - and its other form Meaningful Dialogue. Neither has meaning remaining in it.

Macho - Seldom pronounced properly and therefore lacks meaningfulness.

Implement and Viable - Gobbledygook disguised as intelligence: as in "that is not a viable alternative which we can implement." Meaning: "We don't want to do it and think you have a crazy idea here."

Call for Resignation - Of all sports reporter who fail to state clearly in the lead: The winner and the score.
 
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For me, and I stress that this is specifically for me, the word is "hello".

Since arriving in Baiyin to take up my teaching post I have heard it at least a couple of hundred times every single day.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
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quote:
I enjoyed the 1976 list, though I don't know if I understand the last one

What don't you understand?


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
 
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For me, and I stress that this is specifically for me, the word is "hello".
For someone who starts most emails with "Hello," this speaks to me. Maybe I should stop! I find "Hi" a little too informal and "Dear" a little too formal. However, there is the chance of a fatal flaw with "hello;" I once reviewed an email I had sent to a colleague, which screamed out: "Hell Sharon." I imagine that's happened before when I haven't caught it. While the email had been sent, at least I was able to call her and apologize.
quote:
What don't you understand?
Oh, I suppose I understand it. I just didn't think it a very good example.
 
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I once reviewed an email I had sent to a colleague, which screamed out: "Hell Sharon."
There was a 1980 film called "Motel Hell.' The motel was named Motel Hello, but the o was burned out in the sign. It was a comedy horror film. I liked the first part, but the last degerated into the typical chainsaw slashing.
 
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There was a TV sgiw called "Hot L Baltimore" using burned-out letters. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072512/

As for "viable implement," I think John Deere pioneered them.
 
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Weird.

The sweetbitter reminded me of what my mother use to say, "You've got to take the bitter with the better," instead of the "the bitter with the sweet." She loved changing sayings like that.
 
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She must have watched the early episodes of "Cheers," when Coach was in it.
 
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Maybe - but I think it was well before then. She also said "there is no rest for the wicked," instead of the "weary," but in looking online I see it's a variant. Whenever I say "No rest for the wicked," when I am busy or something, people always correct me and say it's "weary."
 
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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Maybe - but I think it was well before then. She also said "there is no rest for the wicked," instead of the "weary," but in looking online I see it's a variant. Whenever I say "No rest for the wicked," when I am busy or something, people always correct me and say it's "weary."


I've always said, and heard, "wicked".


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
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As have I.
 
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I thought the real saying was no rest for the weary and that my mom made up wicked. I guess I am wrong.
 
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Why would the wicked need rest more than the weary?
 
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I think the religious implication is that the Devil never rests.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
 
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Or that she wears Prada...
 
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