Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.
Today’s questions:
1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they’d like to see banished from the Queen’s English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they’d like to see banished in 2011-viral: epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I’m just sayin’, and Live life to the fullest.
What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the ‘official list’ or you can get creative and come up with your own.
Mama Grizzlies? Hadn’t heard that one. The word “like” when used as an interjection can get annoying. And “a-MA-zing” is so over-used that it’s not really amazing any more. But there are two that I’d like to see banished. One is OMG or its unacronymed version, “Oh. My. God.” because, beyond just being annoying, that is taking the Lord’s name in vain. Taking His name in vain isn’t just using it in a cuss word — it is using it in a commonplace, meaningless way unbefitting Him. I cringe almost every time I hear it. The other is “WTF” — which I will not spell out for you, but which is coming even into mainstream print. Totally vulgar. As is a third,”suck.”
On to pleasanter topics…
2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?
I think it is a little of both. I think ultimately they come from God, but He blesses initiative and hard work. Sometimes He brings them about through initiative and hard work.
3. Since we’re all eating healthy this month, ahem, what’s included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?
A mixture of greens like iceberg lettuce, romaine, and spinach (but not weedy-looking greens) plus a few carrots topped with a little ham and cheddar cheese and just a few bacon bits and Catalina dressing.
4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday…aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we’ve failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?
I just posted Help for the winter blues yesterday and included a lot of ideas there. A couple of my favorites are reading, setting up a bird-feeder, playing uplifting music, buying fresh or artificial flowers, and remembering some of the benefits of winter — relief from heat, humidity, bugs, and the ability to have oven meals that I don’t make in the summer.
5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?
No. I have nerve damage in my left hand, and anything that fits close on my wrist bugs me. My wedding ring causes little pinging sensations like when you hit your “funny bone.” 😦 I don’t wear bracelets or a watch on my right hand because I am right-handed and it seems anything I wear there is constantly being banged against a counter or something. I do wear necklaces and brooches, but not every day.
6. What is something useful you learned in high school?
That not being in the “in crowd” can be a blessing in the long run.
7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?
My husband does them, bless him. He does use software, but I forget which one.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
We’re on our third snow day these week and even Jesse is about ready to get back to school. Between these and the two or three we had before Christmas due to ice, I’m afraid we’re going to have to make up some of them, which is no fun. Because I have always lived in places where it snowed only once or twice a year and the snow only hung around for a day or two, I am more than ready for this to all be gone and for life to get back to “normal.” But temperatures are supposed to be fairly low all day and we’re still getting intermittent snow. I did see some sunshine for a little bit this morning, though!
Stray Thoughts 
I know exactly what you mean about the snow. Rarely do we ever even get snow at my house (I think I’m a little further south than you), and if we do, it’s only around for a day at most. But being on day 3? Even though we homeschool and have continued having school every day, all our extracurricular activities have been closed. Which is fine with ME! Ha. But not for Jenna. She’s ready to get out (and I’m ready for her to get out too. :-)).
So you wear your wedding band even though it hurts like that? WOW! I have a friend who’s Russian Orthodox and wears her band on the right hand….you could try that! I have to go out and teach Club tonight at church…I’m sort of dreading taking the Sweet Boobahs out in the snow. Ugh!
No — sorry for the confusion. I don’t wear it at all. I’ve gotten used to having nothing on my hands.
I read somewhere that 70% of the country has snowcover, Barbara! We are used to the snow but this year has been a bit different as we have had snowcover since sometime in November! As I said in my post, I like have snow on the ground in the winter, though, to help with the dreariness. 🙂
I think Sarah Palin is responsible for the “Mama Grizzlie” term. Imagine! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more with your dislike of the initialed words. I’ve seen them on FB quite alot being used by some young people and don’t like it at all.
And I like your #6! So true!!
Oh, and the poem I posted was on the back of our church bulletin a couple weeks ago and I just loved it! Glad you like it! 🙂
We are on our 3rd day too. I don’t know about the Knoxville area, but this is very unusual for us. My granddaughter is 10 and the snow we had Christmas Day is the most she has seen before this one. It is rare for school to be called off this long, also.
The WTF phrase was the one I thought of when I first red the question and even if they leave the last word off, it is still the thought is there…It is so common that my wee ones have picked up on it..the first two words,that is…they are being called to task whenever they use it…understand that they are not allowed to watch TV or movies that are questionable even the ones rated PG…which of course means parents need to make sure they are okay for their children to watch…They are not being home schooled so I guess they pick it up at school.
I like a lot of things on my salad…not all are conductive to losing weight….I do try to stay away from the extra salads on the salad bar which have mayonaise or sour cream in them.
My husband does our taxes also.
Stay warm,
Mama Bear
I completely agree with you on #1. All three that you mentioned are vulgar and inappropriate.
Hope the snow melts soon and ya’ll are let out of the house before too long! : )
Our bird feeder has been the place to be this winter : ) We had the fattest cardinal I’ve ever seen out there the other day and so pretty with her ruby red against the white snow. We also have a piliated wood pecker with a beautiful red head that stops by…I love birds (outdoors I mean, I don’t have the pet variety)
Amen on #1.
Your answers are great, as always!
Fun answers, Barbara! Several of those “must be banished” phrases appear to be British. I haven’t heard of a few of them either. I assume so because sadly, we don’t speak “the Queen’s English” here in the United States! (We did in Canada though, where I grew up.)
LOL… Oops!
Oh, I agree with you wholeheartedly on #1!!! “Suck” became popular when my children were younger, and I wouldn’t let my boys use that word. I still don’t like it.
I wondered about your wedding ring, so glad you explained it! I would miss my ring if I couldn’t wear it, but sure wouldn’t want to wear it with that tingling sensation in my finger.
We get an accountant to do our Canadian taxes. Wes handles our American filing. We don’t pay taxes in both countries, but we do have to file in both countries.
I use “oh my gosh” often, but lately I have even paused over that because of where people’s minds will automatically go.
And my favorite salad has those “weedy looking things” in it, although I am not a big fan of dandelion greens.
“That not being in the “in crowd” can be a blessing in the long run.” – I wish it was easier to teach this lesson.