I got to thinking of all the ways American English has evolved. Current use depending on the user provides ample anecdotal evidence of cliches and verbiage being used with no thought given to said cliche's origins or propriety or relevance to time. It is a hoot.
A recent planned power outage hilarity that ensued in Northern California (more on the topic itself in another blog) led to multiple communication experts chiming in with the play by play.
Here we go with the idiom(t)s including yours truly. 'Play by play' is clearly a sport term from the days when people listened to an antiquated device called a Radio.
It is aimed at providing the listener a perspective that they would miss not being at the scene of the play. Local and even international TV channels, Radio (that works when American's drive in their car), Social Media apps (when Americans look at their cell phone when driving their car) and other broadcasts flooded the market.
For the people at home the funniest event was when the TV anchors kept blabbing about their variety of teams out in the dark (literally and figuratively) trying to shed light. Most of the folks they were trying to engage were - did you guess - in the dark. Ergo they could not tune into the TV.
Idioms that got most hits - everyone was scrambling to keep an 'Eye on Things'. Some tried to have their 'Eye on the Situation'. Others had their 'eye out'. And then what? I must say that things and situations must not have had so many eyes weighing them down or rolling on them at any given time. Are you rolling yours now?
With these eyes of the reporters' sockets I wonder how they were wandering around in the dark? Most importantly how did they find them back? After they decided to not keep the eye where they left them. Another favorite is 'needle in a haystack'. What needle? Unless you are a druggie who is so high that they literally cannot distinguish the city sidewalk and a haystack this idiom has no relevance today. Nobody has any haystacks.
Nextdoor is another entertaining site where for zero cost you can watch neighbors post some really amusing comments -
Other than neighbors also keeping their eyes out and other junk that they cannot fit in their household -
A recent planned power outage hilarity that ensued in Northern California (more on the topic itself in another blog) led to multiple communication experts chiming in with the play by play.
Here we go with the idiom(t)s including yours truly. 'Play by play' is clearly a sport term from the days when people listened to an antiquated device called a Radio.
It is aimed at providing the listener a perspective that they would miss not being at the scene of the play. Local and even international TV channels, Radio (that works when American's drive in their car), Social Media apps (when Americans look at their cell phone when driving their car) and other broadcasts flooded the market.
For the people at home the funniest event was when the TV anchors kept blabbing about their variety of teams out in the dark (literally and figuratively) trying to shed light. Most of the folks they were trying to engage were - did you guess - in the dark. Ergo they could not tune into the TV.
Idioms that got most hits - everyone was scrambling to keep an 'Eye on Things'. Some tried to have their 'Eye on the Situation'. Others had their 'eye out'. And then what? I must say that things and situations must not have had so many eyes weighing them down or rolling on them at any given time. Are you rolling yours now?
With these eyes of the reporters' sockets I wonder how they were wandering around in the dark? Most importantly how did they find them back? After they decided to not keep the eye where they left them. Another favorite is 'needle in a haystack'. What needle? Unless you are a druggie who is so high that they literally cannot distinguish the city sidewalk and a haystack this idiom has no relevance today. Nobody has any haystacks.
Nextdoor is another entertaining site where for zero cost you can watch neighbors post some really amusing comments -
Other than neighbors also keeping their eyes out and other junk that they cannot fit in their household -
- Looking for a electrician - I commented - I saw one
- Looking for a handyman to put some decorative lights - I commented - You can see them in Home Depot
- Need newborn photographer - My comment - they usually have no experience
- Keeping my eye on the back - I commented- it is dangerous to rely on one eye when driving
- Need standby generator - oxymoron?
And while we are on (of off) the topic what is it with these sport analogies? Touch base. Let us play defence. He is out in left field. Etcetera.
First - touching anyone these days is a federal offense and get you locked up (out in the pasture).
Second - playing with words like defence can get you locked up.
Third - Why not leave him in the field (or pasture) as it were? Why debate left and right? Maybe he was touching someone or playing with the wrong words?
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