05.14.09 – Thursday

Word: odium [oh-dee-uhm] n. 1. intense hatred or dislike, esp. toward a person or thing regarded as contemptible, despicable, or repugnant 2. the reproach, discredit, or opprobrium attaching to something hated or repugnant: He had to bear the odium of neglecting his family 3. the state or quality of being hated

Birthday: Thomas Gainsborough (1727), Otto Klemperer (1885), Herbert W. Franke (1927), George Lucas (1944), David Byrne (1952), Robert Zemeckis (1952), Tim Roth (1961), Suzy Kolber (1964), Cate Blanchett (1969), Sofia Coppola (1971), Miranda Cosgrove (1993)

Standpoint: Thursday means it’s time to for Annoying Sayings & Misused Words.

• “epic fail” – (submitted by a Facebook friend) – “Epic Fail” is being thrown around like a hot potato these days on the internet. And like most catch phrases, it’s being unmercilessly beat into the ground. No one seems to agree on the meaning of the term. Here is the best description of “epic fail” I’ve found so far: “A mistake of such monumental proportions that it requires its own term in order to sucessfully point out the unfathomable shortcomings of an individual or group.” OK. If we accept that definition for our purposes here, let’s look to a few weeks back, when Twitter was experiencing some serious difficulties. The Twitterati were madly tweeting about the site’s “epic fail.” I didn’t feel it was a “mistake of such monumental proportions.” Probably just a bad day over at Twitter HQ. No one died and nothing exploded. Everybody walked away just fine. As I’m learning, it’s not a saying like, “epic fail,” that’s annoying, but the overuse of it.
• “affect” vs. “effect” – (submitted by Gina L.) – This is a tricky one. “Effect” means “something that is produced by an agency or cause.” On the other hand, “affect” means “produce an effect or change in.” Confusing, right? I’ll try to clear it up. “Effect” should be used when describing a result: “Jimmy had no effect on what happened.” “Affect” should be used when describing the influence someone or something had on a result: “How did your talk affect her decision?” As you can see, it’s a very fine line.
• “a lot” vs. “alot” – (submitted by John G.) – I doubt we’d find anyone who’s never misused “alot.” But “alot” is not a word. “A lot” is “an informal phrase meaning a large portion or large quantity of something.” So there you have it.

How about you? Do you often hear a phrase that irks you? A word that is constantly misused? Please share.

Quotation: As an intellectual, it’s my job to take ideas that pass as common sense and complicate them. – Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

Tune: The Weepies. Not my favorite band name. But Deb Talan & Steve Tannen make some pretty incredible songs. Case in point – “World Spins Madly On”

Gallimaufry: After its upcoming European tour, The Lucksmiths will be breaking up after a 16-year long run. In a statement released on its website, the band wrote, “We had tried to operate the band in a way that would suit all of us, but at the same time we’ve been very conscious that too much compromise would in the end affect our creative output.” There’s another band I’ll never get to see live. Good luck, fellas. ∞ If you smoke cigarettes or drink acohol, you might soon be spending more money to support your habit. The Senate Finance Committee is coming for you. ∞ The heading reads, “Rotten office fridge cleanup sends 7 to the hospital.” No. I didn’t find this on The Onion. It’s true. 28 people received medical treatment. Unreal. 

Incoming: Tomorrow – 3 Things To Do In Philly When You’re Dead and 7 Covers Songs Better That The Original