Wednesday HodgePodge 03Jan18
Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly hodepodge of questions.
I was sick yesterday so didn’t read my email with the HodgePodge questions until noon today. So I’m w-a-y- down the list of participants again, but here goes!
1. It’s that time of year again…time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they’d like to see banished (for over-use, misuse, or general uselessness) in 2018. You can read more about the decision making process and word meaning here, but this year’s top vote getters are-
unpack, dish (as in dish out the latest rumor), pre-owned, onboarding/offboarding, nothingburger, let that sink in, let me ask you this, impactful, Cofefe, drill down, fake news, hot water heater (hot water doesn’t need to be heated), and gig economy
Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you’d like to add?
I was puzzled to see unpack on this list but it’s referring to its misuse as a verb that should be analyze, consider, assess, and so on. That I can agree with.
The word I’d most like to see gone is impactful, as the panel says: “A frivolous word groping for something ‘effective’ or ‘influential.’” It seems to me to be just bad grammar.
And, yes, while we’re talking about this, I’ll tell you my pet peeve and hope that I don’t mortally offend anyone. In the last couple of years, I’ve seen (heard) that the word “died” has died an unnatural death in the English speaking world. A decade ago, someone would have died, or passed away, or even passed over, but now people only “pass”. I’m always tempted (very irreverently & probably offensively) to ask, “Pass wind?” Please, people, death is neither pleasant nor natural nor anything but grief-inducing, but it is what it is. Using that, may I say ‘trendy’, euphemism doesn’t alter the facts.
2. What’s something you need to get rid of in the new year?
I need to get rid of this house. I feel rather ill saying that. I love this property, I love this house, I love the village 6km down the road, but we need to be able to make decisions about retirement and we can’t be anchored here by a piece of real estate.
3. Where do you feel stuck?
I feel stuck in winter, as odd as that sounds. The cold makes it impossible to do work outside that needs to be done, both in the garden and on the buildings, and it makes it difficult to work in the unheated barn to sort and dispose there.
4. January is National Soup Month. When did you last have a bowl of soup? Was it made from scratch or from a can? Your favorite canned soup? Your favorite soup to make from scratch on a cold winter’s day?
I can’t remember the last time I had a bowl of soup and it was probably canned.
I guess one thing that winter is good for is soup-making and eating.
A friend gave me a big bag of freshly harvested carrots a couple of weeks ago and I have been roasting them for suppers. I think tomorrow would be a good day to make a pot of carrot soup. Usually, I make split pea.
5. Tell us one thing you’re looking forward to in 2018.
Finding out more about what the future holds for us! Where will we end up? By the end of this year, we should have the answers to a number of variables (when will the house sell? How much will it sell for? Where will our grandchildren be? Etc.) and should be narrowing in on our path for the next few years.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
We laid the ceramic tile in the upstairs bathroom last week. Note the scraps of old dark wallpaper that the previous owners had covered with a high baseboard.
I’m so eager to get with on the rest of the reno in there!
Have you an opinion about any of these? Have I any readers left after question #1?
I like your new tile. I retired last year, it’s a big change, but I’m happy. Everything will be upside down for a bit, but it will all fall into place. Best wishes for a quick transition.
Happy New Year,
Lori in Blue Ridge, GA
Thank you for the words of encouragement, Lori. I guess every major life change has its ups and downs.
Well I’m behind you so even later with my post. And I read till the end – like your tiles. Sounds like you are at the retiring stage. We’re getting there too and it does mean big decisions but not planning on moving house just yet. Good luck with it all.
There are times I wish we didn’t have to move house, either, Wendy. Thanks for reading to the end. 😉
I made corn chowder yesterday, using up some of the blend/cream we had left over from Christmas eating.
Happy New Year!
What a great idea, raidergirl! My husband loves corn chowder.
Now if I could only find a way to use that commercial eggnog – preferably one that would remove the calories in the making. 😉
I stayed! I agree with you on the words/ phrases that need to go. Our culture is so afraid of death – I don’t like it at all, but I also think it’s silly not to call it what it is.
Congrats on the tiling job. That is impressive!
Happy 2018!
Julia, you’ve hit the nail on the head in recognizing that our culture is so afraid of death.
Thanks for the compliment on the tiling job. I’m very happy with how it turned out!
Thanks for sharing your web site with me/us.
We too are at 5hat decision point as to where to live in retirement. it’s such a huge decision. Currently we are in San Diego, CA but it’s sooooo expensive. In out Golden Years we want to travel and if we stay in Dan Diego we feel we may be restricted.
I can’t imagine the snow your dealing with, but it must be beautiful.
Susan
Welcome to Exurbanis.Susan!
Here on Nova Scotia’s North Shore, we really got off lightly during this last storm: just a dusting of snow and high winds. Frigid cold though.
Good luck with all the fixing and planning: these things always take longer than expected, don’t they?
We make a soup each week. One of my favourites is a sort of cream of broccoli with potatoes and lots of garlic, but with cashews blended in for the creamy bits. When we are not inspired in a particular direction, we just make a nice hearty veggie soup (with celery root, carrots, potatoes, onions, etc) and it is a nice quick meal anytime of day. So easy!
Always, always, always, Marcie. It’s beginning to dawn on me that we’re not going to meet our first self-imposed deadline. Disappointing, but it does relieve some pressure.
What a great idea to make a soup each week. Thanks for the idea!
I love soup! BIP’s broccoli soup has my mouth watering.
It sounds like you’ve got some exciting life decisions ahead of you. I hope all goes smoothly!
My mouth is watering too, Naomi!
It is an exciting time right now, although stressful too. Thanks for the good wishes!