useless information of the day

Doug Harris cats22 at STNY.RR.COM
Tue Nov 25 17:01:29 UTC 2008


Another phrase I've heard popping up -- and out, enthusiastically -- more and more of late is "that's what I'm _talking_ about"  . . . usually said, seemingly out of the blue, when the speaker was in no way _speaking_ of or in any other referring to whatever it is s/he is indicating as being 'that'.
-------
And has anyone else noticed how much, in the past few weeks, the term 'reboot' is being used in relation to a broad assortment of things in no way related to computers?
dh



Subject: Re: useless information of the day


>Sounds like they need to just like chill out and have a cheeseburger.
>it's advertisin'

>Scot


>On 11/24/08, James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>
><JJJRLandau at netscape.com> wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>"
>>              <JJJRLandau at NETSCAPE.COM>
>> Subject:      useless information of the day
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Netscape (you know, those people who keep putting that "just the Net you need"
>blurb on my posts) today has the following on its splash page:
>>
>>
>> 15 Words Kids Think You Don't Know
>>
>> Translate this: Caitlyn and her boo were cupcaking in the hallway! It means
>Caitlyn and her boyfriend were kissing in the hallway. AARP has done geezers
>everywhere a favor and produced a dictionary of words kids know and use all the
>time--but think adults don't know. It's a way to talk in code in front the 'rents.
>>
>> So the next time the young 'uns start jabbering gibberish, you might just catch
>one of these words they think you don't know:
>>
>> Boo: boyfriend or girlfriend
>> Brodown: boys' night out
>> Bromance: close, but non-sexual, relationship between two men
>> Check vitals: to check your e-mail, cell phone and voice mail
>> Cupcaking: engaging in a public display of affection
>> Disco nap: a short nap before a night out clubbing
>> Floss: to show off your wealth, often in a car
>> Fo' shizzle: certainly
>> They aren't hateful. They aren't disgusting. They're just annoying. Find out which
>two words Webster's says are the ugliest in the English language.
>> Peeps: people; your closest friends or family
>> Scooby doos: good shoes
>> Sick: extremely cool
>> Talk smack: to speak negatively or belittle someone else, often in the heat of
>competition
>> Tatted out: covered in tattoos
>> Tramp stamp: a tattoo on a woman's lower back
>> Wikidemia: a term paper that was researched entirely on Wikipedia
>>
>>
>>
>> Ugliest Two Words in English
>> They aren't hateful. They aren't disgusting. They're just annoying. The editors of
>the Webster's New World College Dictionary say the two ugliest words in the English
>language are: "like" and "go."
>> As in: "And I go, 'I can't believe it!' and she's like, 'You didn't know?'"
>>
>> Once a year, the dictionary editors stop their serious work and indulge in a good
>rant about the state of the English language. Here is the best of what they consider
>to be the worst:
>>
>> Most irksome euphemism: Issues
>> We used to have problems. Now we have issues.
>>
>> Worst replacement for good old "yes" or "I agree": Absolutely
>> The close runner-up is "definitely."
>>
>> Most cheapened cherished word: Awesome
>> A C+ on an algebra test is mediocre, not awesome. Dude.
>>
>> Worst unnecessary lead-in: I mean
>> I mean, if you didn't mean it, you wouldn't be saying it!
>>
>> Most infuriating idiocy in news headlines: Neck in neck
>> And it's used everywhere, including the New York Times, the Seattle Post
>Intelligencer, Reuters, Fox News, the Akron Beacon-Journal and too many others.
>>
>> Worst orthographic innovation: Stunt spelling
>> This is a cutesy-poo, middle school infatuation that began as early as Mötley Crüe,
>progressed to phat and continues downward with boyz.
>>
>> Worst grammatical abuse: The present progressive
>> "i'm lovin' it" without a capital "I" and without a period is the idiocy reduced to its
>essentials. Well, McDonald's thought it so fine that they took out a trademark on it.
>>
>>           James A. Landau
>>           test engineer
>>           Northrop-Grumman Information Technology
>>           8025 Black Horse Pike, Suite 300
>>           West Atlantic City NJ 08232 USA
>> ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
>> RTSCT EZWWW YZAWV FQMYP ILZFD CWQAE MXCYN WMPJJ
>> HHYNU AMFGX HSA
>> ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
>>
>>
>> _____________________________________________________________
>> Netscape.  Just the Net You Need.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>

>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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