Lexicon, but usually misquoted as, “Verbing weirds nouns.” Close reading shows Watterson tosses in adjectives as well.
Verbing weirds language
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The N&N Practice Gymnasium
Pomona College, my alma mater, has finally gotten around to acknowledging the acumen and skill of Nancy Breitenstein, the coach of the women’s basketball team while I was a student there. They’ve named the N&N Practice Gymnasium after her and her assistant coach, Nellie Morrison.
Here’s a piece I wrote about Breitenstein and her record while I was there, especially compared to the men’s coach, Gregg Popovich.
Vermeer
As part of the big exhibition being put on by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, there’s this narration of the paintings, presented by Stephen Fry.
Word choice
Having watched a fair number of Premier League matches, I just want to say…
…boy, the presenters use the word “quality” a lot.
“It’s my manner, sir.”
Lexicon. Only mine. From the movie Lawrence of Arabia:
Lawrence: Good morning, sir.
General Murray: Salute! (Lawrence salutes, in an offhand gesture) If you’re insubordinate of me, Lawrence, I shall put you under arrest!
Lawrence: It’s my manner, sir.
General Murray: (flatly) Your what?
Lawrence: My manner, sir. It looks insubordinate, but it isn’t, really.
General Murray: You know, I can’t make out whether you’re bloody bad-mannered or just half-witted.
Lawrence: I have the same problem, sir.
The Man Who Planted Trees…
This video is 30 minutes long, but worth it. The text version is here. I first read it long ago, either in Co-Evolution Quarterly, or in one of the editions of the Whole Earth Catalog. I had an idea of establishing a fund at Midland to do something similar over all of campus, but like many of my ideas, nothing came of it.
One liner
All these applications, but I never get the job.
(Sure, it’s applications of an ointment upon me by nurses, but leave that aside.)
Rainbow Connection, a Benoit Blanc Joint
By way of the usually reliable Mr. Kottke comes this fun mash-up:
“Of all the gin joints in all the world…”
Lexicon. From the movie Casablanca. Once, I would have thought this was such a widely seen film I wouldn’t need to explain, but as the years go by, even societal memory fades.
Like many quotes from this movie, somewhat mangled. It should be, “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world… she walks into mine.” The towns, alas, get dumped.
Usage: Something incredibly rare and unexpected happens.
“My god!”
”What?”
”That car that just cut us off, like an asshole?”
”Yeah?”
”It’s a Bugatti Veyron.”
(respectful pause) “Of all the gin joints, in all the world…”
How not to do a re-brand
It’s been two years now since Angie’s List renamed itself Angi. This was done because, allegedly, “(W)e’re not just a list anymore. Customers were confined and constrained by the literal nature of the name.”
But both their TV ads and their website all but scream, “We used to be Angie’s List!” If you’re still encountering so much resistance from your customers after two years, perhaps it’s time to concede they’re comfortable with being confined and constrained.