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Post by Verbivore on Apr 12, 2021 21:20:06 GMT
A particularly annoying, clichéd statement is that issued by a business, employer, or school whenever something goes wrong and someone is hurt or killed:
‘The wellbeing and safety of our staff/students/customers is our number-one priority and we take any such concerns seriously. We regret this situation occurred and any concern and distress it has caused to the people involved.’
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 12, 2021 21:24:24 GMT
Another clichéd statement is “leading from the front”. I’ve never known anyone to lead from the rear.
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Apr 12, 2021 21:51:26 GMT
From Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers:
SONG – The Duke of Plaza-Toro
In enterprise of martial kind, When there was any fighting, He led his regiment from behind — He found it less exciting. But when away his regiment ran, His place was at the fore, O — That celebrated, Cultivated, Underrated Nobleman, The Duke of Plaza-Toro!
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 12, 2021 22:23:00 GMT
From Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers:
SONG – The Duke of Plaza-Toro
[…] He led his regiment from behind — […] In high school, we used to perform an annual G&S. Hilarious as G&S operettas were, we always found something else to enhance the humour. At the "led his regiment from behind" line, the Duke was seen to goad his troops via a sword poke in the rump. At least it seemed funny to a bunch of 14-year-olds.
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 12, 2021 22:35:11 GMT
If you notice any typos – mainly missing letters – it's because my 15-year-old keyboard just shat itself: the W and S keys have died, and the spacebar has gone crazy, spewing out a string of punctuational nonsense. Time to bite the bullet and buy a new one. (Perhaps I've over-fed it with breakfast crumbs.)
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Post by Paul Doherty on Apr 13, 2021 12:40:09 GMT
I do like a bit of G&S, so I googled a video of that, very enjoyable! So thank you LJH. Gilbert was a bit of a genius with words, wasn't he?
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 13, 2021 21:15:32 GMT
In high school we performed a G&S at the end-of-year concerts. Because I had a good baritone and could hold a tune, I was:
Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore The Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers The Learned Judge in Trial by Jury The Lord High Executioner in The Mikado Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance Major Murgatroyd in Patience
and with the local theatre company I was
The Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe Vicar Daly of Ploverleigh in The Sorcerer and Sergeant Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard.
I was consequently awarded a scholarship to study voice and acting. I did four years of the voice studies at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music but managed to bomb out of the acting. I was less interested in the latter, and by then was busy with my theological studies – I had plans for being a missionary! (The only parts of my missionary training I remembered were the legendary Position and my first-year roommate, one Michael Lee Chamberlain, later to be father to Azaria of dingo infamy.)
It was Gilbert's lyrics that really introduced me to the double entendre.
Sullivan wanted to be remembered for his liturgical works, the best known of which is perhaps the tune to Onward, Christian Soldiers! but that was not to be.
Meanwhile: good news! My malfunctioning keyboard has returned to normal behaviour with no action on my part. How odd. No need to spend $200+ on a new one. All typos are now solely my responsibility.
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 14, 2021 3:32:17 GMT
Along with the "passed" cliché for dying/death/dead is the eternal "lost", as in "Her Majesty lost her husband …". Although careful not to upset recently bereaved people, I am known for challenging this "lost" euphemism along the lines of "How/where/when did you lose him/her/it?".
I have promised family, friends, and acquaintances that should they euphemise my death (or mention a supernatural being of any kind in relation to that event) I shall return from my cindered state to haunt them forevermore.
Here be a few of the hundreds of English-language euphemisms for death and dying:
passed (away/on) slipped away/succumbed resting in peace went to a better place shuffled off this mortal coil bought the farm gave up the ghost cashed in her/his chips lost six feet under pegged out kicked the bucket pushing up daisies sleeping with the fishes taking a dirt nap immortality challenged kicked the oxygen habit became worm food playing the great gig in the sky carked it bit the dust gone to meet her/his maker went to heaven in Abraham’s bosom travelled beyond the veil gone to be home with the Lord putting off the body going the way of all the Earth being gathered to one’s people fallen asleep entered into their reward entered eternal rest slipped away expired called home entered into eternity reached the finish line asleep in the arms of Jesus pinin' for the fjords ceased to be joined the bleedin' choir invisible
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Post by Twoddle on Apr 14, 2021 10:19:19 GMT
When someone informs me that someone else has "passed", I feel an almost uncontrollable urge to ask, "By, muster, or wind?".
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Apr 14, 2021 15:03:43 GMT
Vv: You have missed–
Gone to the great [...] in the sky. Insert any place relevant to that person’s living activities such as caravan site, theatre, library, pub, garden centre, etc.
I often say, “When I hang up my clogs”.
But I think there is a distinction between the supposedly humorous and the euphemistic.
I often only just avoid the crass response of, “That’s a bit careless” when someone says they have lost a friend or relation.
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Apr 24, 2021 11:56:06 GMT
Has there ever been an occasion when the responsible police officer investigating a tragedy has not said, “my thoughts are with the victim's family and friends"?
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 24, 2021 12:34:48 GMT
Has there ever been an occasion when the responsible police officer investigating a tragedy has not said, “my thoughts are with the victim's family and friends"? Even though such pat expressions are meaningless, it annoys me even more when they include "prayers". "Thoughts and prayers" platitudes achieve nothing worthwhile.
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Clichés
Apr 24, 2021 14:09:37 GMT
via mobile
Post by Dave Miller on Apr 24, 2021 14:09:37 GMT
Has there ever been an occasion when the responsible police officer investigating a tragedy has not said, “my thoughts are with the victim's family and friends"? Even though such pat expressions are meaningless, it annoys me even more when they include "prayers". "Thoughts and prayers" platitudes achieve nothing worthwhile. In my opinion, it’s important that any formal statement from a police officer involves NO religious leanings.
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Post by Paul Doherty on May 1, 2021 11:32:01 GMT
In my opinion, it’s important that any formal statement from a police officer involves NO religious leanings. Quite agree, but do they actually do that? Can't say I've ever noticed police here make religious statements, although I know various US courtrooms (mostly in the South) has tried to display the Ten Commandments. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/8-times-10-commandments-monument-had-its-day-court-msna634566Did one of the Bush presidents actually say something like "If English was good enough for Jesus when he wrote the Bible, it's good enough for me"?
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Post by Verbivore on May 1, 2021 11:40:53 GMT
In my opinion, it’s important that any formal statement from a police officer involves NO religious leanings. Quite agree, but do they actually do that? Can't say I've ever noticed police here make religious statements, although I know various US courtrooms (mostly in the South) has tried to display the Ten Commandments. www.msnbc.com/msnbc/8-times-10-commandments-monument-had-its-day-court-msna634566Did one of the Bush presidents actually say something like "If English was good enough for Jesus when he wrote the Bible, it's good enough for me"? This, perhaps? Australian coppers in most states have been instructed to keep any godbothering to themselves while on duty. Unfortunately, politicians aren't bound by the same rule – more's the pity. This atheist just thanks the gods he lives in a secular nation. A semi-relevant aside: When the New English Bible was still fresh, a pastor delivered his sermon from it. As he shook the hand of an elderly parishioner after the service, the old lady said: Pastor, I enjoyed your sermon. But if the King James Version of the Bible was good enough for St Paul, it's good enough for me.
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