Now that Dick Cheney has shot a man in the face, there are new phrases that have been introduced into our conversations. The phrase “Cheney shot a man in the face” seems to have caught on. A quick Google search yielded 417 hits. Leave out “Cheney” and it increases to 17,600 hits, with most of them being about Cheney. I can’t even say the phrase “Cheney shot a man in the face” without raising my voice, or type it without using italics and a bold font for emphasis!
Unfortunately, as much as I’d like to keep such a phrase in common use, it just doesn’t have many practical applications in normal conversation. With this in mind, I’d like to propose a better one, and promise to do my part to make it stick.
From now on, whenever I choose to take a deliberate risk (or see anyone else take a deliberate risk) I will no longer “go out on a limb.” I won’t “stick my neck out” or “live on the edge.” These phrases are now too pre-2/10! When I take a deliberate risk from now on, I’ll be “hunting with Cheney!”
Here are a couple of examples of how this phrase could catch on:
“Hey, you are driving over 90 mph. You know you’re really hunting with Cheney!”
“No, I didn’t study for today’s test. I’ll be hunting with Cheney in class today!”
“I just bet a grand on the Raiders to win the Super Bowl. I’m hunting with Cheney, baby!”
As you can see, the phrase has lots of uses, it rolls nicely off the tongue and, best of all, it beats the hell out of trying to find ways to use “santorum” in normal conversation.
I think one of the reasons that phrase has so much resonance, much like the whole Cheney story, is that it somehow captures a certain perceived element in Cheney's character.
ReplyDeleteA cruelty and a carelessness at the same time. A complete disregard for the suffering of others.
As hypothetical example, if Bush had been the one to fire that shot, that phrase wouldn't have the stickyness that it does now. If it were Bush, his puffery and intelligence would launch the memorable narratives. "Gosh Golly Gee" or "which end do I point at what I want to die?"
See what I'm saying? Somehow, the shooting of a man in the face captures some shared conception we all have about who Dick Cheney really is.
And, strangely, I smile when I say it too. I mean, he shot a man in the face, that's not funny, but somehow Cheney doing it is.
Just my opinion. Hope that made sense.
Mike
I like it. I will do my best to use it as often as I can.
ReplyDeleteWho knows maybe it will be the "jumping the couch" phrase for next year.
Love the santorum reference. I was thinking "yeah, like santorum" when...there it was! Kudos.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me asking us to accept the deal with the Arab monarchy is asking us all to 'go hunting with Cheney'. There might not be a problem, but then again there could be a terrible problem, since our Coast Guard is underfunded, and they are the main homeland security for the ports. American's foot the bill for the security of these ports run by other countries.
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