I've spent what little free time I've had lately emailing friends and contacts about speaking/signing opportunities for 2008. Rereading good stuff. Waiting for edits. Getting close on one or two appearances, but nothing new to report.
Today I was thinking of writing an article on sayings. I've always collected what my friend late friend Jeff S. called "hard sayings." You know, things like: A man don't need more hogs than he needs.
But I've been thinking it takes a special person to revise a saying in the middle of a conversation--without ever really knowing the original saying precisely--and make it work. Anyone can garble a saying, but few can reach the heights of my friend Cindy as she mangles her favorite sayings while remaining completely true to their meaning. Usually I find, as she says, that she really hits the nail on the nose. I never take her for granted. Taking her advice, I never kick a gift horse in the mouth.
Cindy also makes certain we understand when we've been blessed with a little extra something, telling us that whatever great thing occurred was Just the ice cream on the cake.
It would be unfair to single out Cindy for her literary discombobulation. But I suppose I'll risk using her name. As someone at work told me recently when he was taking a big risk, I really put my neck out on a limb this time.
4 comments:
Philip: I once worked with a manufacturing 'executive' who habitually mixed & matched commonly-known metaphors--not because it was funny (and it usually was), but because it was part of his DNA. Once, in front of a crowd of a few hundred blue collar employees, he offered the the expression "Too many irons in the air" --I could only hope he his mind wouldn't require him to dredge up and use the remaining pieces of that unfortunate blend of platitudes. But, of course, he trotted it out in the very next sentence "Too many balls in the fire." Very inspiring for the skeptical crowd.
I'm pretty sure I know her. It's Cindy with an eye right?
One of my sister's friends is famous for this sort of thing. In a similar vein, while at a bookstore once where signs were posted throughout that read Recommended page turner she finally had to ask Who is this Page Turner?
Dale,
When I lived in Monroeville, Ala., in 1971, there was a trailer park near downtown. A hand-painted sign posted near the front gate said, "No dogs allowed without owner." I'm not making this up. For a sleepy Southern town I suppose the dogs had a really high IQ.
Chuck,
It is hard to believe such morons make it to the top, but I suppose it's not rocket surgery.
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