Some people who aren't in show business have "catch phrases"...(A movie example would be Arnold Schwarzenegger's ubiquitous "I'll Be Back!") My boss invariably responds to bureaucratic silliness with, "It is what it is."
My own catch phrase is one borrowed from one of my favorite senior sergeants during the early 80s. SFC Carl Gore, a short, perpetually cheerful, and highly competent supply sergeant/logistics staff guy, would greet us each morning with, "Every day's a holiday...Yes, Lord!" SFC Gore's lopsided grin, coupled with his West Virginia twang, never failed to make me smile. When I became a cop, I adopted the first part of SFC Gore's catch phrase because it helped to balance the cynical attitudes of my fellow officers. It does convey my personal philosophy, and whenever I utter it when things aren't going as planned, my own outlook improves.
So, how does a person select a catch phrase for themselves? If you have reached a point in life where you need or want to do such a thing, the selection process must be honored. You can't force it, and it has to be consistent with your personality. I knew a young cop who adopted Sgt Roger Murtaugh's (Danny Glover's character in the Lethal Weapon series) expression: "I'm getting too old for this sh*t!" Since my colleague looked like he was 14 years old, with a voice to match, this particular catch phrase just didn't fit. (He eventually discarded it, much to everyone's relief.)
Do YOU have a catch phrase? How did you select it? Does it seem to resonate with others whenever you say it?
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Thanks, Dave. Now I have the tune, "Every day's a holiday, with MARY!" stuck in my head. So in petty revenge, let me just say: "It's a small world, after all."
ReplyDeleteI suppose mine is, "It's all good." As in:
"How was your week?"
"Gone to hell in a handbasket - but it's all good," which makes absolutely no sense unless you're me.
My catch phrase to my daughters is, "Good Morning, Sunshine!" But that became a little creepy after the release of 'Charlie in the Chocolate Factory' in 2005. It took on Johnny Depp overtones. Plus, it's a little weird when said at 6 pm. Still, it came from my mom, it's mine, and I'm sticking to it.
I can do a passable "Ahnold" impersonation, so I often say "Ah'll be bahck" when I'm leaving for a few moments.
ReplyDeleteHowever, once a friend introduced to Blackadder:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackadder
I often say, "I have a cunning plan."
Ted
Ted, there is no surprise that you are a Blackadder fan....!
ReplyDelete