Saturday, February 27, 2010

Shout out? How 'bout Shut up!


Apparently there is a list of the most tiresome, overused phrases as compiled by a group of researchers at Oxford University. The top 10 for 2008 are shown here: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2008/11/oxford-research/

It seems a little geographically/culturally limited as I could think of quite a few others that I'd put above those ones. According to a U.S. survey from last year, "whatever" topped the list in that country.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here (hmm.. is that overused..? .."go out on a limb"?) ...[and what kind of limb is it that i'm going out on ..? a tree limb? or an appendage ... like a leg or an arm or something ... should i really be saying "i'm gonna go out on an arm here..] .. i'd be just as apprehensive about going out on an arm as i would going out on a tree limb ... both seem pretty risky...

.. anyway .. so back to my train of thought ..(that could be overused too.. train of thought) .. but i'd like to add another phrase to the list of tedious and downright annoying phrases out there right now, and it seems to be "cropping up" all over the sports world "at this moment in time," especially the ultra world. That phrase is "SHOUT OUT"

Apparently a lot of people feel the need to "shout out" ...a lot! They shout out for people (as in "i'd like to give a big shout out for dumbass here!..."), products ("i'd like to give a shout out for.. oh, i don't know.. apples!), sponsors, fans, weather, girlfriends, hamsters, ... you name it and people seem to be "shouting out" for it.

With all this shouting it's gotten awfully noisy! "Absolutely" it has. And "at the end of the day," "I personally," "at this moment in time," "with all due respect," think "it's a nightmare!" I mean "like," "whatever!" it's like this shouting out has become "24/7" and "I for one" think we need to exercise some moderation in its use. Surely there are other creative, less annoying and less noisy ways to do all this shouting ... "it's not rocket science!"

But for now i'd like to introduce an old, "time-honoured" and to-the-point phrase for all you "hipsters" and "gangstas" out there who are for ever "shouting out" for everything and anything: ..."Shut up!!"

You sensitive folks who don't know me .. i'm all about the "tongue in cheek" .. although it's only half a tongue in cheek this time because, really, this phrase ranks right up there with "rockin' the" this, that or the other as one of the finger nails on blackboard phrases bouncing around the "blogosphere" right now... sheesh! And please ... don't "holla back, y'all!"

4 comments:

Tom Craik said...

Maybe you need to ask yourself this question, Coo, Why are so many people shouting out? Who cares how people pay tribute to each other or their favourite products. Don't you think it's cool that people are publicly declaring their positive thoughts for anything? I'm cranky inside my head sometimes, but I'd rather a proverbially "shout out", than a "shut up".

I suspect that in this computer age it's how people share their twitter and blogger, etc. feelings. Positivity often helps people endorse their "person" too.

I'd like to "go out on an arm" here, just to piss you off, and I'd like to "shout out" to you for being such a good friend and training partner. You don't complete me but you make me laugh.
Cheers, Coo.

mrC said...

hey - i'm old and i don't apologise for being ornery at times or expressing it.

and disagreeing with me and giving constructive feedback is great too.. i know you're good for it.

i wasn't saying that people should stop "paying tribute" to their favourite things/people. or that they shouldn't "declare their positive feelings for something/someone. that's fine.

what i was saying was that they aren't declaring anything with the phrase "shout out." saying i'm giving a "shout out" for pumpkins isn't actually "declaring" anything! it's meaningless! it's speaking in slogans. if you want to declare your positive feelings for pumpkins to the world then say what it is you feel!

as for positivity ... it's overdone and overrated. nature strives to find a balance. too much of one thing and it seeks to equalize. nature has both positive and negative charges for a reason. too much of one and you have a problem on your hands. sometimes you just need to say something is crap, right? Doesn't help to tell Icarus that it's a cool idea to jump off a cliff with wax wings on a hot day... Better to tell him you think his idea is dumb, save his life and tell him aeronautical engineering is not the career path for him!

Don't worry .. you didn't piss me off. Debate and other perspectives are always a good thing i think ... free to think.. free to speak. it's all good.

Katie said...

"I personally" would like to give a big "shout out" to the talented photographer that managed to take that photograph of you. I know "it’s not rocket science" but the way she managed to capture the light and the crowd in the background - outstanding.

mrC said...

yes - you were "rockin" that camera ... yet it didn't come out blurry. good job!