Getting my wicked weather on

Here are two overused more turns of phrase that should consign the speaker to leprosy, or at least a really painful sunburn that itches real bad:

1. Any variation of the phrase "get(ting) my (any noun here) on." It was kind of catchy about 5 years ago, but cripes, you're telling me the language hasn't evolved since then?

I've noticed that the grub-and-games franchise Dave and Buster's has co-opted this phrase, using the "Get your game on" tagline on their advertising. (Because "Unleash Your Inner Frat Boy" or "Where Dickheads Eat" were both taken, I guess. I swear, I've never seen a less appealing group of people than the people in their TV ads. And the universe is full of unappealing people, so kudos to D&B's ad agency for rounding up the cream of the crap.)

Usage of the phrase has expanded to non-game situations. I, for instance, might use the phrase "I'm getting my project control on" if I were both a project controller and functionally retarded. (I am one of those. It's up to you to decide which, and no peeking!)

Rule of thumb: If a big-time country music singer has used the phrase as a song title, and the song gets moderate-to-heavy on your local Nu Country station, it's a good time to drop the phrase from your lexicon.

2. Hurricane season, tornado season and Indiana's monsoon season will bring a spate of headlines and soundbites using the term "wicked weather." That's just a tired, too-easy way to summarize crappy weather.

Rule of thumb: If Fox News uses it in a graphic or on their chyron - and I say this as an impassioned Fox News defender - then you probably shouldn't use it in any form whatsoever.

Bonus "don't say that": Big Brown sounds like a giant poop, and I'm kind of glad he didn't win the Triple Crown, because I don't like thinking about poop.


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