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Friday
March 29th, 2024
L&T Opinions Page

earl watt mugL&T Publisher Earl Watt

 

Here’s my last word on why I reject the term “new normal.” Normal is the regular state of being. It is how things are. If something disrupts that, it is not normal. It may become normal at some point, but that doesn’t make normal new. Normal is always a reflection of what is common, expected and predictable. It is impossible, then, for there to be a new normal. It is an oxymoron. It’s no different than an original copy or a liquid gas.

I cannot tell you how much I detest the ridiculousness of the term “new normal.”

I’m not against the use of oxymorons.  They can be fun and witty, and they can be used appropriately to convey a very bipolar moment.

When our children graduate, it is a bittersweet moment for the parents. It is the only word that can describe two very different emotions happening at the same time.

When someone presents an idea that bombs, it goes over like a lead balloon. 

Have you ever had the pleasure of enjoying jumbo shrimp? 

Maybe you had a plate of the little critters while taking a break on your working vacation.

They may have been hard to cut if you were using your plastic silverware, but while working, on vacation, you might have been able to figure out why your company had a negative income.

If that didn’t make sense, then you must have clearly misunderstood what I was trying to say.

If that flew over your head, don’t worry, you can always make a crash landing.

Of course, if there are others with you, their silent screams may overwhelm you with deafening silence.

Given the choice between crashing and landing, my choice of landing would be a definite maybe.

If this is becoming weary, your interest may be growing smaller.

Yes, all of those are examples of oxymorons, and they can bring life to a story or situation, even though the oxymoron is a paradox.

There are other phrases that can cause the hair on the back of my neck to raise a little, like those who promote first annual events. An event can’t be annual until a year has passed and it becomes repetitive. There can be a first ever but never a first annual.

The English language can be tricky, and double negatives certainly come into play.

But one of the most common misuses is the term “I couldn’t care less.” Most say they could care less, which really defeats the purpose of trying to show your complete lack of caring if you can, indeed, care less. If you could not care less, that means you care the absolute least amount as possible, that you could go no lower in how little you care. It literally means you don’t care at all, which is what most people are trying to say but instead reveal that they actually could care even less.

Some of these phrases should be criminal.

Some are tricky, so I will give you a couple pointers on when to know which word to use.

One of the biggest misuses is between the words affect and effect, but if you know the difference, it is very easy to get them right.

One is a verb, and one is a noun.

Affect is a verb. For example, “Running will affect your heart rate.”

Effect is a noun. For example, “The effect of running will be an increased heart rate.”

The other two words that are commonly misused are then and than.

The difference here is a unit of measurement and a series of time.

Than is a measurement. For example, “I have more cereal in my bowl than you do.”

Then is a series of time. For example, “First, I will eat, then I will take a nap.”

Words can be a playground, or they can be the paint used to create mental images that last forever.

Words can change the world. From the only thing to fear is fear itself to a challenge to tear down a wall, the words we use establish mood, mottos and mantras.

When used properly, they can set in motion an explosion of freedom, like Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.” 

They can drive a steeled resolve in a people to fend off fascism like those spoken by Winston Churchill when he said, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”

Words used correctly change the world. When used incorrectly, they just make us look stupid.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Reita Isaacs, Liberal

 

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