Words

The “He’s playing chess and everyone else is playing checkers” thing is done. Okay? It’s really, really done. There may have been a time when this metaphor seemed clever and biting, but I doubt it. Either way, it’s become a meaningless bit of syllabic drivel. It’s stupid-speak. Unoriginal and lazy. If you use this overused,…

Smart church sign. It adheres to a principle I have espoused for a long time: Judge yourself by those who hate you. In an ideal world, hate does not enter your life. Everyone thinks well of you, or at the very least, their thoughts are neutral about you or perhaps they don’t think about you…

Snoop Dog took recently some heat for his Hollywood Walk of Fame acceptance speech. He thanked the Walk of Fame committee, his collaborators and mentors, his family and friends, his competitors, and his fans. Then he thanked himself. “I want to thank me,” he said. He thanked himself for believing in himself, for working tirelessly,…

Five important notes about the phrase “scantily clad” that are worthy of your attention: 1. “Scantily clad” has been done. It’s been overdone. It’s absolutely, positively finished. Beaten like a dead horse. It’s moved past cliche and into the realm of tragically unoriginal. It’s a phrase that you should never, ever use again. 2. It’s…

Does this ever happen to you? FRIEND: How’s it going? ME: Great, thanks! You? FRIEND: I’m good. So… what’s new? ME: Not much. Same old stuff. You? FRIEND: Not much, either. So… what have you been up to? ME (in my head only): Why are you doing this to me?

This sign can be found at the entrance to the historic carousel in Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford. There are so many things wrong with this sign: I don’t think the sign’s target audience – the kind of child who would put a ticket in their mouth – is willing or able to read this…

If you’re a grammar nerd, or you just like words, or you’re a person who is curious about who things came to be, this video is for you. It’s both fantastic and fascinating.