overused phrases

11 Things: Overused Phrases

Thursday, November 6, 2008

1. No question about it
Actually, there is a question about it and it's a very good question and isn't this why we're discussing it in the first place?

But I digress.

2. But I digress
Also mental laziness. It's as if you're saying, "I've entered this conversation, I've looked around, and frankly, I'm not all that impressed."

May I leave now?

3. Now or never
How about next week? Is that no longer an option? You neurotic freaks ...

Seize another day!

4.___ is the new ___
Pink, black, green, Thursday, Friday, Saturday ... San Francisco has a tendency to follow trends as much as Los Angeles, despite recent trends indicating that people who don't follow trends live in San Francisco. So what have we learned?

Anti-trend is the new trend.

5. Going green
A polite way of saying, "We're going to market ourselves as green, claim a boatload of environmental bonus points and get back to whatever it was we were doing before ...

Going green."

6. On the same page
What? Are we all sitting around in a gigantic bed reading books together? Nobody sits around and reads books anymore. Come on!

Get with the program!

7. Get with the program
See above. Change books to programs. Nobody watches programs anymore! Come on!

Think outside the box!

8. Think outside the box
Not a good idea! Trust me on this. The minute you do, they'll want you back in the box, and once you're back in the box, nobody can hear you.

Take right now, for instance.

9. Free with admission
Not only are you still being charged, but they've subconsciously made you believe you aren't being charged. Brilliant - and annoying!

Are we on the same page?

10. If I had my druthers
Translation: If I had my "I'd rathers." Actually, if I had my "I'd rathers," I'd rather leave this one out. If I had my druthers, I'd rather be free to use the word ...

druthers.

11. Unanswered questions
A bit like saying cheese quesadilla. "Queso" means cheese. Question means we're looking for an answer, so my favorite unanswered question would have to be "What kind of quesadilla would you like?"

No question about it.

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/06/NS3O13T5G7.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle