Bottom Line: Basically, It’s a Bottomless Pit of Cliches
In my recent review of vogue words and phrases, I merely scratched the surface.
Our language is rich in expressions that obviate thought and turn every conversation into an exchange of cliches.
Some of them are very short-lived. Viable, dichotomy and parameter seem to be fading, but arguably, basically and impact (for affect) are still indispensable.
Morgan Thieme of Cambria suggests that there seems to be “almost a conscious effort afoot to deliberately obfuscate, deviate from or smother the most direct and clear word available.”
For example, Thieme points out, the simple word yes , as an expression of agreement, is buried under a dozen substitutes-- right on, you got it, I hear ya, really, tell me about it, that’s cool, yea bro, positive, totally, excellent, bodacious, definitely, affirmative and yeah!
To that list Ruth M. Blume of Laguna Hills adds exactly , meaning I agree or of course or just plain yes.
Stephen L. Glass, professor of classics at Pitzer College, writes that as an archeologist he is frequently abroad for long periods, and invariably when he returns he hears expressions that evidently have taken root and flourished in his absence.
“Meeting such things full-grown in this fashion always greatly increases my awareness of the swiftness of linguistic change, and of the fact that others who have themselves not been away are generally indifferent to or unknowing of an intruder (or new guest) in their midst.”
It was in the ‘70s that Glass returned to encounter for the first time the ubiquitous “Have a nice day.” It had flowered in his absence. It was in the ‘80s, he thinks, that he first heard really in the sense of “I emphatically agree.” This is analogous, he thinks, to the archaic verily .
Glass notes that only this year did he pick up the phrase “as far as” used without a completing phrase, as in “As far as good health, Mr. Jones had been unusually fortunate.”
“Maybe this falls somewhere between genuine ellipsis and aposiopesis. It is, in any case, a disconcerting phenomenon in that one is always waiting for the final note to sound . . . and it never does.”
( Ellipsis is the omission of a word or words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context; aposiopesis is a sudden breaking off of a thought in the middle of a sentence as if one were unable or unwilling to continue. I say it is neither: It is simply a grammatical monstrosity.)
Glass encloses a clipping from The Times sports section in which the writer used this distressing construction but a copy editor evidently couldn’t stand it and completed it in parenthesis: “But I don’t fit in with guys like (Jose) Conseco and (Cecil) Fielder as far as power (goes). . . .”
Edith Zittler complains about the proliferation of no problem . She is right. No problem is probably the most common all-purpose phrase now in use. It is often used when there is indeed a problem, thus arousing false hope.
Let’s say you are driving in Baja California and your drive shaft goes out. You coast into a providential gas station and try to explain to the mechanic what has happened. You foresee a bleak week spent in Tijuana waiting for parts to come from the States. The mechanic nods his head and says, “No problem.” What a reassuring phrase; what a great relief. But the trouble is, he may mean that it’s no problem that $500 and five days won’t fix.
Zittler adds: “This has become the response to ‘Thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ ‘I think there has been a mistake; will you please check on it?’ and other statements which require some reaction other than ‘No problem.’ ”
“Where did ‘Listen up’ come from?” asks Mrs. M. M. Costley of San Pedro. “It is only recently that I seem to hear it everywhere. My son thinks it is from the military.”
Ben Rinaldo of Studio City casts his vote against the unnecessary use of personal or personally . “It has been bugging me for a long time, and came home to roost when your very own newspaper on Page 1 states that President Bush had a great deal of personal anguish over his son’s problems.
“Is that more anguish than just plain anguish? Is a personal opinion more opinionated than just a plain opinion?”
Art Fein of Hollywood sends a list of no more than 60 words and phrases that take the place of conversation in our society. Many have been around a long time (cop-out, cutting edge, drop dead, make my day, not to worry, in the fast lane, go for it, fast-track and bottom line) .
Perhaps more recent are hands-on, I’m out of here, just say no, on a roll, power-anything, quintessential, read my lips, wanna-bes, world class, yuppie and you’ve got to love a guy who .
Fein calls his list Enough Already, which is a vogue phrase for “knock it off!” or “I’ve had it!”
As far as vogue phrases, so have I.