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IT'S NOT ROCKET SURGERY
By Norah Wilson
(the Wilson in Wilson Doherty)
I’m fascinated by language and pop culture and the way new words and expressions arise. My new favorite expression – “It’s not rocket surgery.” I just love this deliberate mashup of “rocket science” and “brain surgery”. It makes me smile.
I guess it makes lots of people smile, because when I Googled the expression, it’s all over the Interwebs. And it’s the title of this pretty cool song by Amy Kuney.
On the other hand, sometimes expressions bug me. For example, this one: “I could care less.” Isn’t what they really mean, “I couldn’t care less”? Another irritating expression – and the press is often guilty of this – “driving with undue care and attention”. Um, that kinda means driving with more care and attention than was warranted or required. The correct expression (and the Motor Vehicle Act infraction) is driving "without due care and attention”.
How about you? Any new words or expressions make you smile? Any that make you crazy?
2 comments
I am also fascinated with languages. I was raised in a French community, learned English as a child, Spanish in High School, Sign Language for the fun of it, Hebrew in University, and finally, Shona (dialect in Zimbabwe) when I went overseas as a short term missionary.
I am fluent in French, English, and Sign Language. I understand written Spanish well but if you ask me to carry a conversation, you will lose me quickly (unless you’re willing to speak very slowly).
But being fluent doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. I do get corrected with my pronunciation at times!
One expression that drives me crazy is when people put ‘T’ at the end of the word ACROSS. For example, “I came ‘acrosst’ this book the other day.” How in the world did the T end up there?
One thing that always makes me smile is when my co-worker puts an L at the end of idea. She too is French and yes, that’s one word that, for some, is hard to pronounce. Don’t ask me why, it just is.
It’s like the letter U. For us French folks, it’s very easy to say. But for the majority of English folks, it is pronounced OU as in 'you'. No big deal! Hey at least people try and that’s the main thing.
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