presley (04/10/83)
In a TV commercial today I heard the phrase "Join the new tradition with the New Jersey Generals". I find it difficult to consider something which has been in existence only a month or two a tradition. Another phrase which bothers me a little is "First Annual <anything>". There's no guarantee that there will be another. (There's no problem with "Nth Annual" so long as there was an "(N-1)th Annual" the previous year). If there isn't another <anything>, should it then be called "The Only <anything>"? Send in your favorite cliches and phrases. Remember, we should avoid cliches like the plague. -- Joe Presley (Iga no Kagemaru) ...!{mhuxj,alice}!presley
cas (04/11/83)
One of the meaningless phrases that politicians love to use these days is "... send a signal ..." (usually to someone they don't like). For example, they are always worried about "sending the right signal to the Soviets". I could well be wrong, but I think this started when Carter was president, and I certainly associate the phrase with him. When he lost the election I had hoped it would sink into oblivion, but the present administration seems to like to say it too. Cliff Shaffer ...{ncmc,we13,seismo}!rlgvax!cvl!cas
furuta (04/11/83)
A few weeks back there was an article in our newspaper pointing out that saying that something is "quality" is meaningless ("For quality living, buy our product"). "High quality" or "low quality" is meaningful, "quality" isn't. I think I have the same reaction to "Join the new tradition with the New Jersey Generals." Based on how they performed the first couple of weeks, I'd also ask, "why would you want to?"
mac (04/11/83)
"Another phrase which bothers me a little is 'First Annual <anything>'. There's no guarantee that there will be another. (There's no problem with 'Nth Annual' so long as there was an '(N-1)th Annual' the previous year)." If you can't have a 1st annual, and you can't have an Nth annual without an (N-1)st, then how can you have a 2nd (or any other) annual. See the discussion of recursion over in net.lang. If something's an annual event (e.g. the Boston Marathon), can't the first be called the first annual ...? Fully parenthesized, it could be called the (first (annual Boston Marathon)).
mac (04/11/83)
"Another phrase which bothers me a little is 'First Annual <anything>'. There's no guarantee that there will be another. (There's no problem with 'Nth Annual' so long as there was an '(N-1)th Annual' the previous year)." If you can't have a 1st annual, and you can't have an Nth annual without an (N-1)st, then how can you have a 2nd (or any other) annual. See the discussion of recursion over in net.lang. If something's an annual event (e.g. the Boston Marathon), can't the first be called the first annual ...? Fully parenthesized, it could be called the (first (annual Boston Marathon)). -- (like (avoiding cliches) (plague the))) or (avoiding (cliches (like (plague the))))
bobm (04/12/83)
#R:mhuxj:-13500:hp-pcd:7200004:000:342 hp-pcd!bobm Apr 11 11:57:00 1983 The same phrase has popped up on the promos for a new TV station in Eugene, OR (KMTR 16). They have a song that includes the catchy line "...Like a new tradition we're Oregon's own..." Some ad-man must have figured that we were getting tired of the old traditions and would like some new ones. Bob May ...hplabs!hp-pcd!bobm
presley (04/12/83)
If you have a similar event a year after the first one, then you can call the first the "First Annual <blah>", and the current even the "Second Annual <blah>". The first Boston Marathon can be called the "First Annual" because there have been others since the first. Calling a new even the "First Annual" before you have (or plan) a "Second Annual" is what rankles. -- Joe Presley (Iga no Kagemaru) ...!{mhuxj,alice}!presley
dwl (04/13/83)
Along the lines of the "First Annual" anything... I still remember a highschool pep rally a few years back. The Headmaster stepped up to his microphone and said, "Our UNDEFEATED Hockey Team" (...several hundred people cheered...) "...will play its first game of the season next Tuesday at..." It could have been their first annual season, for all I remember. -Dave Levenson -ABI Holmdel
and (04/13/83)
What about printing "Vol 1" on a periodical? There are such that have not produced a second volume. What about coins inscribed, e.g. Elizabeth I? Richard
lynn (04/13/83)
The all time winner in this group has to be : "Because we've always done it that way."
ggr (04/14/83)
It seems to me that all promos for new TV shows say "... watch the new hit series ..." I think they even say this before the first showing. I suppose 'hit' has become an "advertising" word (i.e. without meaning, just occupying syllables). === Guy Riddle == BTL Piscataway ===
hxe (04/20/83)
My .project states that my goal in life (besides becoming a member of the decadent rich) is to rid the world of "orientate." "Anything"-dependent and cost-effective are also biggies in the fun fun world of big business but, then again, that's just the bottom line, right? "Not afraid to ..." Heather ...!decvax!brunix!rayssd!hxe
mjl (04/21/83)
Words, phrases, and usages on my personal hate list: viable Usually redundant, always boring. prioritize Overworked and trite. (I once heard the President of the Buffalo, NY, Teachers Federation say (in reference to a proposed budget) "the Board of Education has to reprioritize their priorities." message A useful noun, but unfortunately it's being perverted into a verb ("I'll message you about the meeting"). Yucch. articulation This useful word has been perverted in academia to mean "the processes and procedures for transferring from community colleges to four year institutions." I get sick every time I hear of another meeting of the Articulation Committee. Mike Lutz (ucbvax!allegra!rochester!ritcv!mjl)
mmt (04/22/83)
How about a phrase from today's news: "useful utility" Martin Taylor
furuta (04/25/83)
>From a netnews article:
Does this impact on the system performance ?