Precious

[Charles Doyle]

On the NPR news this morning, somebody was being interviewed about how products (e.g. cell phones, computers) are nowadays sold with the assumption (the hope) that they won't last long and will need replacing.  The consumer acquiesces in the assumption; therefore, we aren't "as precious with" our gadgety possessions as we once were.  He used "precious" in that odd way 2 or 3 times--referring not to an object of great price but rather to the owner who might consider an object precious (though hyperbolically, even at that, it seems to me).

It IS odd, isn't it?

--Charlie

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