It Is Word Science

This is a story out of England, so is very proper. For it seems Oxford--where the dictionary comes from--compiles a list of the Top 10 most irritating phrases, somehow leaving out both "Top 10" and "maverick." What do we most learn from this list? That everyone wants to add to it--the Telegraph story has over 2400 comments already. That includes the guy who managed to work all ten verboten phrases into his response to show how clever he is. (I'm not bitter he beat me to it.)

But isn't irritating in the ear of the be-hearer? Republican loyalists still fear that "yes we can" sounds more chilling in the original Spanish. Democrats probably wanted to fight for their Second Amendment rights for the first time ever just to stop John McCain for calling them "my friends" one more time. I've got this thing where I twitch when I hear the name Shane Victorino. Your mileage may vary. (That's likely to be on next year's list, but I guess since it's Oxford it will be "your kilometers may vary.")

It's better, after all, that we fight about language than not care at all. I mean, did all the attacks calling Obama a Socialist fail because:

a) people didn't believe them;
b) people didn't care if he was;
c) people don't know what Socialism is;
d) people do know what Socialism is and know he isn't that;
e) people like being social and don't understand what all the fuss is about?

We may never know, as the correct answer is f)doesn't matter--John McCain was an absolutely stinky candidate, but only 23/6. And I mean that with no due respect.