weapon of mass distraction

n. Something that distracts large numbers of people from thinking about important issues.

Example Citation:

For a few hours at least today, the heat will be off George W Bush as America switches focus from Baghdad to San Diego. Maybe the Super Bowl will be the weapon of mass distraction that Bush has been praying for.
—James Corrigan, "Cinderella really goes to the bowl," Independent on Sunday (London), January 26, 2003

Posted on February 14, 2003

Backgrounder: Weapon of mass distraction is a pun-perfect play on weapon of mass destruction. The latter phrase (in its plural form) was voted word (or, in this case, phrase) of the year for 2002 by the American Dialect Society. Researcher Fred Shapiro has traced this phrase back to 1937, so it's surprising that the obvious weapon of mass distraction pun didn't appear earlier than 1996, when M*A*S*H creator Larry Gelbart used it as the title of an HBO movie (see below).

Earliest Citation:

That lesson was reinforced for Danny Schechter when he covered one of the biggest stories of the decade: the election that brought Nelson Mandela to power in South Africa. The U.S. networks weren't interested in his vivid, insider's account of the Mandela campaign — and this at a time when hundreds of hours were broadcast about the O. J. Simpson trial. No wonder the creator of M.A.S.H. called TV "the weapon of mass distraction." —Michele Landsberg, "No room for human rights on TV's agenda of greed," The Toronto Star, December 7, 1997

Also: Gabriel Byrne ... will star in the HBO movie "Weapons of Mass Distraction," a black comedy about two feuding media moguls who clash while vying to buy a Los Angeles sports franchise. —Marisa Guthrie, "Plugged In," The Boston Herald, November 17, 1996

If he'd give you the shirt off his back, is it your size?
If he'd give you the shirt off his back, do you like the color?
If he'd give you the shirt off his back, what about the Rolex off his wrist?
If you go to a fat farm, how much fat do you get to get?
I cried all the way to the bank, because my wife emptied my account.
If I had all the tea in China, how many tea pots will I need?
It's not too shabby, but it is ugly.
If you don't have it right by the time your maker comes to collect, will he take a marker?
If necessity if the mother of invention, who is the father?
If we fork it over, do we then spoon it back?
If the eyes are the window to the soul, is the mouth the door?
If she swept him off his feet, did he tread water or drown?

If you are cool as a cucumber, do you get as hot as a pepper
If clothes make the man is it a double standard
If you bite the bullet do you bite the dust
If you break the ice do you sink or swim
If its a double whammy are you down and out
Did I just confuse the issue?
D.

These are really great! I especially loved # 2, 3,and 4!

tobacco science

(tuh.BAK.oh sy.uns) n. Science that is skewed or biased, especially toward a particular industry.

Example Citation:


Mr. KENNEDY: What you're hearing from Mr. Kazman about the death rates in SUVs is tobacco science...

If a stitch in time saves nine, how do you save six?

If necessity if the mother of invention, who is the father?

If we fork it over, do we then spoon it back?

If your head wasn't screwed on you'd lose that too._____________________

fat farm
he'd give you the shirt off his back
We need a level playing field.
cried all the way to the bank
a picture is worth a thousand words
all the tea in China
you're barking up the wrong tree
fold your tent and leave
from start to finish
Not too shabby
in the heat of the night
mind over matter
cover your tracks
they devoured him like a pack of wolves
have it right by the time your maker comes to collect
bottomless pit
hand-to-mouth existence
eyes are the window to the soul
been there done that got the T-shirt
a close call
face as white as a sheet
knock the shorts off
quick off the mark
swept off his feet
I need your help like I need a migrane.
from bad to worse
dine in
risk life and limb

While looking at a list of cliches I found two that were great repeats.

1. Sometimes you are the windshiled, and sometimes you are the bug.

2. The more we learn, the less we know, so does this mean Albert Einstein knew nothing?

Oh! so true! (Is this a cliche?) I'm starting to get self-conscious. (ggg)

Not too happy with these...

If something is as pure as the driven snow, why is this not called road slush?

If something is crystal clear, how can it have so many distorting views?

If you can turn on a dime, do you half-turn on a nickle?

If you nip something in the bud, have you _______________

If you have a faded dream, is it not as real?

If I look as far as the eye can see, _________________________

If I go from pillar to post, _____________________________

Okay, let's see what we can do with these words:

anoraky: Socially inept and studious or obsessive person with unfashionable and largely solitary interests
bad ass: A tough, aggressive, or uncooperative person; a trouble-maker
bling-bling: the wearing of expensive designer clothing and flashy jewelry
booty: buttocks
bootylicious: Thanks to Destiny's Child, this is a description of exceptional booty. The song lyrics that changed the dictionary: "Cause my body too bootylicious for ya babe"
bunny-boiler: a vindictive woman (see Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction")
bunny-hugger: conservationist or animal lover chick-flick: movies that appeal to women
chick-lit: books that appeal to women
gearhead: car enthusiast
hottie: a physically attractive person
noogie: the prank of rubbing your knuckles on somebody's head
treehugger: an environmentalist
roadrage: a motorist's uncontrolled anger that is usually generated by an irritating act of another motorist and is expressed by aggressive or violent behavior
spinmeister: An expert at presenting information or events to the media in a favorable light