Is it because I’m and old guy—89 pushing 90 —or have the Lords of Language sneaked some things past me, filling daily speech with so many phrases I don’t recall hearing, even a few years ago.
I am fascinated by new, popular words and phrases that appear with great frequency on the tube, in print media and on digital platforms.
A recent headline in a financial journal hit me right between the eyes. In big, black, bold type the headline proclaimed “Meme Stock Rally Resumes.” What!?
I know what a stock is but a meme stock? Mr. Webster says a meme is “an idea, behavior, style or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.” Today that spreading is enhanced by social media. So it follows that stocks that are highly touted on social media are Meme Stocks. Voila!
And then there is a meme called “ghosting.” Really? You bet. The Urban Dictionary, a cool version of Mr. Webster’s book, says ghosting, among other things, is “The act of suddenly ceasing all forms of communication with someone the subject is dating but no longer wishes to date.” Back in the day a young lady wishing to break up with her boyfriend had the courtesy to ghost him by writing a “Dear John” letter. More recently she may have consulted Paul Simon’s great tune, “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.”
Have you researched a topic lately, examined a subject carefully? Then you must have taken a “deep dive” into a particular subject. Folks seem to be deep diving all over the place these days. Used to be a term for a daring plunge into the Bay.
On the other hand, if one does not wish to dive deeply there is always the possibility of “unpacking” something, or getting “into the weeds” to discover more about a subject.
Now if you still have not been able to gain all the information you want you can probe even more deeply by “drilling down.” But the phrase conjures up the none too pleasant sound of a jackhammer at work or perhaps a visit to the dentist. Not good.
Some other things we are doing these days:
We all seem to be “on a journey.” Not sure where we are going or when we will return, but there we are.
We no longer write, call or contact someone. We “reach out.” Or, if we are anxious to receive a prompt reply, we can up the volume and give a “shout out.”
Have you noticed how many times the phrases “lean in” or “leaning in” come up these days? Seems to have several definitions: “To make an effort, or work hard, show determination or embrace or experience something fully.”
And how about “pivot” or “pivoting?” How often have we heard pubic officials or tv commentators use these words during the pandemic? We never changed course; we always “pivoted.”
Then there are tropes. I don’t recall hearing about tropes when I was a kid It’s a figure of speech that moves the meaning of a phrase from literal to figurative. One trope we all know is “Take time to smell the roses.”
When a person is hired for a new job these days they are not introduced to the company. Nor do they go through an orientation as they once did. Today they are “onboarded.” As in Welcome Aboard, I guess.
Let’s wind up this venture into some current phrases with a homework assignment.
“23 Skidoo” was a popular saying in the 1920s. There is a good story associated with it. Just pivot, do a deep dive, or maybe reach out to a friend or Mr. Google to learn more about it.
Ross Jones is a former vice president and secretary emeritus of The Johns Hopkins University. He joined the University in 1961 as assistant to President Milton S. Eisenhower. A 1953 Johns Hopkins graduate, he later earned a Master’s Degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Forest Hansen says
As a similarly aged 89-year-old soon to be 90, I sympathize. What about all the famous singers, actors, tv hosts, and others whose birthdays are celebrated in all sorts of “media” and whose names mean absolutely nothing to us oldsters? But of course young people wouldn’t recognize–to cite only movie stars– Robert Taylor, Doris Day, Kim Novak, Montgomerie Cliff, William Holden, Clark Gable, and the like.