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Common phrases that society should phase out
- Thread starter tzhu07
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I hate it when people start off a sentence, complaint, rant, etc. with "no offense." If you have to say that, you obviously know you're about to offend someone, so either don't say it or don't be surprised when whoever you're talking to lashes back.
Oh well. I pictured those people being knit up into a raveled sleeve to jargon, forever bound by the yarn of plodding triteness.
Oh, yes. That one runs the risk of giving rise to an apoplectic attack .
From the very same stable is the (usually utterly mendacious) 'Our Employees Are Our Greatest Asset' ..
Mmmmm, yes. Delta airlines plasters their ground equipment with such slogans as "Best employees in the world."
It always struck me as extremely glib.
Yeah, thats a sly one. It should be suffixed with, "(and they're dumb enough to assume it means we love them! Haha
)"----------
Peeling the onion were you? That would do it!
Don't take this the wrong way is in league with no offense to stifle potentially useful rebuttals to likely stupid things. If your statement is vague enough to require that preface, you should revise it to make its meaning more apparent.
Yes, fantastic! It's socially acceptable to complain about any complaint that isn't a response to life-threatening situations. It's hypocritical and utterly vapid when the topic at hand is a first world issue.
Yes, fantastic! It's socially acceptable to complain about any complaint that isn't a response to life-threatening situations. It's hypocritical and utterly vapid when the topic at hand is a first world issue.
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I plead guilty to using that phrase, which I probably first saw at MacRumors somewhere. It makes an issue sound so much more sophisticated and worthy of consideration than I know this is relatively trivial but...
Typical third world problem: the power goes out and the hospital has no generator.
Typical first world problem: the power goes out and I cant charge my Apple gear.
I will desire at least empathy if not sympathy from other mobile computing users when Ive no access to electricity. So I call it a first world problem instead of a trivial inconvenience.
Sometimes a cliché serves the users purpose. In this particular case the purpose is often selfish, which might be an implicit part of the meaning of first world problem. Ill probably continue to deploy the phrase when I think its applicable. The word trivial doesnt hold enough of the selfish insinuation and lacks the snark factor as well.
I plead guilty to using that phrase, which I probably first saw at MacRumors somewhere. It makes an issue sound so much more sophisticated and worthy of consideration than “I know this is relatively trivial but...”
Typical third world problem: the power goes out and the hospital has no generator.
Typical first world problem: the power goes out and I can’t charge my Apple gear.
I will desire at least empathy if not sympathy from other mobile computing users when I’ve no access to electricity. So I call it a first world problem instead of a trivial inconvenience.
Sometimes a cliché serves the user’s purpose. In this particular case the purpose is often selfish, which might be an implicit part of the meaning of “first world problem.” I’ll probably continue to deploy the phrase when I think it’s applicable. The word “trivial” doesn’t hold enough of the “selfish” insinuation and lacks the snark factor as well.
Well, as someone who has used this very expression (and on MR, no less, as well as in pubs, and while giving talks), I think you have captured the nuanced distinction which lies behind the use of this word in certain contexts, settings and situations very well.
This is not an expression I would have considered using but for the fact that I have lived and worked in some very poor countries, countries where war, revolution, and attempted genocide have taken place.
Returning home, I have oft thought that the - extraordinary emotion engendered over what I consider to be relatively 'trivial' problems - (and here, LizKat is perfectly right, and offers an excellent example where the same 'problem' can have drastically different effects - the words 'trivial' and 'selfish' and 'self-centred' don't quite convey the sheer inanity of how some of these 'problems' are perceived in a comparative context) - is often excessive, to say the least.
So, 'First World Problem' works, as a descriptive short hand. It works because the problem it describes tends to have nuisance and inconvenience value, rather than being the sort of problem which is something that, quite literally, can determine or signify the difference between life and death.
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Pretty much every sports malapropism. You can listen to Mike & Mike for five minutes and hear at least 10 of them.
Oh, gosh, yes. A heartfelt and profound amen to that.
Example: 'It was a game of two halves'. Really? I never, ever even knew that.
Or, another one that has me gritting my teeth in mute frustration: 'The lads gave 110%'. Mathematically, of course, this is an ..impossibility ...
That's actually a typo as well.
It was meant to say
'Our Employees Are Our Greatest Asses'
-t