Category Archives: blog snax

A profession that keeps on giving…

Posted on by under About writing, blog snax

A BlogSnax© post

I’ve written before about how the world changes but language seems to lag behind. Thus we still use phrases like “through the wringer” long after wringers have ceased to be. For a full discourse on the topic, see this previous post.

A couple of idioms just keep on living, like a pair of linguistic zombies, more than a century after their original usage has, for most intents and purposes, passed into history.*

  • Too many irons in the fire.
  • Strike while the iron is hot.

Those expressions relate to blacksmiths, for Pete’s sake! (Whoever Pete is.) But their usage has continued unabated—possibly even increased—long after the profession has faded from most memories, if it was ever there in the first place. How are these beasts hanging on? Maybe I’ll dig out my slide rule in case it makes a comeback.

* Yes, the craft still exists, mostly as an artistic form, but, c’mon, blacksmithing? Really?

Blog Power #2!

Posted on by under blog snax, photos

A BlogSnax© post

Only two weeks after reporting one momentous change brought about by the Power of My Blog, I came upon a second example. Look at the second picture on the same page I linked to in my last post. It’s a jigsaw puzzle from the local library that sported a curious label. This week I borrowed another puzzle. (I’m real big on jigsaw puzzles.) The specious label was replaced by an appropriate one! This is the evidence:

Dare not doubt the Power of the Written Word! Virtually or by pen, it is indeed mightier than the sword!

The Power of the Blog

Posted on by under blog snax, photos

A BlogSnax© post

Last month I posted a photo of an empty van driving in front of me. See it here. Someone must have seen my post and realized the wrong message was being sent. They corrected the mistake by putting this sign up in a similar van I was behind last week:

It’s comforting to know there are “people on board”. It could have been driven by some dangerous creature, like a baboon, a boa constrictor, Donald Trump, a scorpion, or a slug. All this because I had the courage to point out the error of their ways in my blog. It makes one proud.

Poor Thomas

Posted on by under blog snax, Generic Rant

A BlogSnax© post

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a poor guy named Thomas. I don’t know his last name; he probably didn’t have one. But we all know his “first name”, which also turns out to be his claim to infamy:

Doubting

Yes, I’m talking about the Thomas in the Bible, chapter 20 of the Gospel of John, to be more precise. (Verses 24 through 29, to be even more precise. This is worth reading. Seriously.) As a result of the fact that he didn’t (at first) believe that Jesus had risen from the dead (would you?) he has been labeled “Doubting Thomas” for all of CE human history.

Now that’s just not fair.

Imagine if you were named based on the worst thing you ever did. Think about it. We’d be surrounded by…

  • Drunk Driving John
  • Sleazy Mary
  • Tax Cheat Phil
  • Swindler Suzy

Never mind if you rehabilitate yourself as Thomas did. You’re stuck with that miserable moniker as long as you live and, if Tom is any model, forever.

What would your nickname be???

Thank you for reading,
Lying Rick

More word weirdness

Posted on by under blog snax, Generic Rant

A BlogSnax© post

A few observations on the vagaries of the English language and our (mis)use thereof.

Why is imply a word but exply, meaning to say something directly, is not?

Giving and taking are opposite actions but caregivers and caretakers do essentially the same things.

And while we’re on the subject of words, let’s just eliminate the word literally, okay? It’s way overused, yet generally used in only two contexts: one when people mean the exact opposite (“It literally blew my mind!”) and one when it’s superfluous (“It’s literally the same thing.”).

Get rid of literally and we’ll have room for exply.

My recommended innovation

Posted on by under blog snax, Generic Rant

A BlogSnax© post

Here’s an innovation that car manufacturers need to implement and the sooner the better. It’s kind of like intermittent wipers. But this is way better because it’s also an accessibility feature. Are you ready for it?

Volume control for blinkers.

Like a lot of Boomers who went to one (or way) too many concerts, my hearing isn’t entirely up to snuff. As a result, if my blinkers don’t go off automatically, as is often the case on turns of less than 90°, they stay on indefinitely, confusing other drivers.

There you have it. Get to work Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, and the rest of you guys.