Ed Space
With the end of arguably the crappiest year in recent history screaming towards us, we should make a global New Year's resolution together ahead of 2021.
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Can we all agree to consign to the annals of history some of the putrid expressions that have been repeatedly thrust upon us all in this virus-riddled, hell-hole of a year?
Please?
Read more: 2020, the Year of the Shark
We should develop a list of these words/expressions and make those foolish enough to use them in 2021 subject to a fitting penalty ... like the death penalty.
Expressions like "unprecedented times". If we never hear "unprecedented times" ever again will anyone be disappointed? Get in the bin "unprecedented times".
Surely joining "unprecedented times" in the 2020 trash can is expressions such as "we're all in this together" and the now well-worn "new normal". Surely they are done now, right?
Anyone uttering "new normal" in 2021 should be administered with an immediate wedgie. The kind a crow bar will be required to relieve.
Look, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Admittedly this editor has been as guilty as anyone, but let's take the rest of the year as a grace period.
Then on January 1, 2021, the proverbial gets real and the ban on 2020's crap expressions takes effect. Here's a few of our suggestions for the banned list, but feel free to add your own:
"Key worker": What the hell is a key worker anyway?
"Sovereign citizen" or "Look at Sweden, they're open": Just shut up already.
"WFH": Let's just call it for what it is. Countless Zoom meetings in your undies, crap instant coffee breaks and dodgy home internet.
And by default also ban "You're on mute *insert name here".
Expressions like "Karen" and "OK Boomer": It's not funny any more. Just stop.
"Fake News" and while we're at it "President of the United States, Donald Trump": Self-explanatory.
"Covidiot": Actually, let's keep that one handy still. We might need it again.
"Blursday": Used when trying to remember what day of the week it actually is. Actually, let's keep that one handy too.
- Juilan O'Brien is the editor of the Illawarra Mercury