Expressions

From Ben's Writing

Introduction

Everyone and their cat seem to have a list of favorite quotes on their site (I include myself in this inlustrious group... *sigh*). What I haven't seen much, if any, is lists of favorite expressions. This list is a work in progress (and always will be) but it is my attempt to document the expressions I find particularly appealing.

The List

• Eternal September — "The use of these expressions implies the belief that standards of discourse and behavior on Usenet [and more generally the Internet] have declined since [September] 1993 due to an unending influx of new users [or newbies, as they are now more commonly refered to]."

• Black Friday — No, nothing depressing about this black day, unless you count the amount of consumption required to make it happen. "Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season." (It is when most bussines get our of the red [i.e. debt] and into the black [i.e. profit].) And by beginning, they mean: "Hey! Let's try to get everyone one in here today, all at once, so we can get it all over with in one day, and take the rest of the year off". This is the most insane "shopping day" I've ever seen. Boxing day is traditionally the biggest shopping day in Canada, where I last resided; and it, by comparison, wouldn't hold up against Black Friday, no matter the quantity of anabolic steroids. (Yes, some days do take them: how else would they compete against those fierce stormy nights?)

• Buy Nothing Day — The Saturday after United States' "Black Friday", celebrated all over the world. "Buy Nothing Day is an informal day of protest against consumerism observed by social activists. In 2007, Buy Nothing Day fell on November 23rd in North America and November 24th internationally[1]."

• Common Wealth Hakerish — a pejorative expression; intended to reflect the state and use of the English language outside of Great Britain.

• Ulysses pact — "A Ulysses pact or Ulysses contract is a freely made decision that is designed and intended to bind oneself in the future."

• Pons asinorum — "[T]he term pons asinorum is used as a metaphor for a problem or challenge which will separate the sure of mind from the simple, the fleet thinker from the slow, the determined from the dallier; to represent a critical test of ability or understanding."