. . . of the land evokes images, in my mind, of old cowboy movies replete with ten-gallon hat, many horses, six-shooters and lots and lots of wide-open spaces; the proverbial 'back forty.' In my current reality, the lay of the land means adjusting in terms of where to find what, and learning exactly how to get there. . .
(http://grammarist.com/idiom/lay-of-the-land-or-lie-of-the-land/)
Lay of the land is a phrase that figuratively or metaphorically means the current state of affairs, how something is organized. Literally, the lay of the land is the arrangement of features upon the land. One usually assesses the lay of the land in preparation for action. The idiom lay of the land is first recorded in 1819. A related idiom is the British phrase how the land lies, a usage that turns up in about 1700. According to Google Ngram Viewer, the use of the term lay of the land peaked in the early 1900s. Lay of the land is a North American phrase. . . Lie of the land is the British phrase that metaphorically means the current state of affairs, how something is organized. Literally, the lie of the land is the arrangement of features upon the land. In fact, lie of the land and lay of the land mean the same thing.
(from http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/72850.html)
". . . The origin of this phrase is uncertain. It is 20th century and all the early references to it relate to the US military. The New York Times Magazine, March 1954, had a related phrase, in a glossary of jet pilots' slang: "Bought a plot, had a fatal crash." if a serviceman was killed in action, his family would receive a payout from the insurance that service personnel were issued with. This would be sufficient to pay off the family mortgage.
OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com
My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
(from http://grammarist.com/mondegreens/)
Mondegreens are misheard versions of phrases, sayings, lyrics, poetic phrases, or slogans. The term comes from the Scottish author Sylvia Write, who wrote a 1954 article in Harper’s Magazine in which she mentioned misinterpreting a Scottish ballad. The original line, “They hae slain the Earl o’ Moray and laid him on the green,” she misheard as, “They hae slain the Earl o’ Moray and Lady Mondegreen.”
Although the term mondegreen has been used for misheard phrases not from songs and poems, eggcorn, which originated in a 2003 Language Log post, has been advanced as a broader term for misheard words or phrases that retain their original meanings. So, for example, doggy-dog world is an eggcorn because it’s used in roughly the same way as the original phrase, dog-eat-dog world.
In the list below, the eggcorns are linked (to our posts covering the topics), and the original forms of the phrases are in parentheses:
Abject lesson (object lesson)
All in all (all and all)
Bad wrap (bad rap)
Beckon call (beck and call)
Butt naked (buck naked)
Day in age (day and age)
Deep-seeded (deep-seated)
Doggy-dog (dog-eat-dog)
Far be it for me (far be it from me)
For all intensive purposes (for all intents and purposes)
Hare’s breath (hair’s breadth)
Must of (must’ve)
Neck in neck (neck and neck)
On tenderhooks (on tenterhooks)
One in the same (one and the same)
Road to hoe (row to hoe)
Safety-deposit box (safe-deposit box)
OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com
My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music will be released April 7, 2014 Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak
(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)
(from https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/9-buzzwords-that-can-make-you-sound-dumb/?extlink=of-syndication-Recommended_Reads-Taboola-109704871-p by Mike Periu
President, Proximo, LLC)
". . ' some (business) buzzwords and overly used terms (phrases, if you will)you should think twice about using:
"Pivot"
A business pivot is a change in business strategy in response to new opportunities or a failure in its current approach. Pivoting is a good thing. . . now everybody wants to pivot everything: When someone changes her mind in a meeting, she is "pivoting from A to B," or your IT person might announce your company “is pivoting from using Microsoft Word to Google Docs.”
"It Is What It Is"
. . .a circular definition, which, as we learned in grade school, should never be used. If you want to tell me something about “it,” please make sure that it’s something valuable, insightful and worth my time.
"Results-Oriented"
. . .gives the impression that you think this is a big deal. Being results-oriented in business is like being “alive” for a human; it’s a given. People who are not results-oriented wouldn’t bother trying to sell themselves to begin with. . .
"Ideation"
This phrase refers to the process of coming up with ideas. It used to be called “brainstorming” or “coming up with ideas,” but apparently that didn’t sound important enough, so ideation was born. . .
"Growth Hacker"
A growth hacker is someone who uses “growth hacks” to grow their business. A growth hack is a creative or otherwise nontraditional method employed to achieve revenue growth. Old people call this “selling.” . . . launching a website or calling a potential customer does not make you a growth hacker.
"Gamification"
Gamification is a fascinating concept. It refers to the use of rules meant to produce gameplay in things other than games. Many successful businesses today use gamification to increase user engagement. . . before you start talking about this, it’s important to know what actually goes into this process.
"Synergy"
Synergy is the buzzword that just won’t die. It keeps coming back decade after decade. . . It’s best to be cautious whenever labeling an idea, transaction or process as synergistic; most aren’t.
"Bandwidth"
In business jargon, this refers to one’s availability. People are not modems. It sounds cheesy. Instead of saying, “I have some bandwidth for your project,” go with the oldie-but-goodie, “I have some time,” or try, “Yes, I can help you with that.”
"Key Takeaways"
. . . typically it’s employed at the end of a PowerPoint presentation—usually as the title of the penultimate slide—to summarize the most important points. It’s important to remember that not all takeaways are “key,” and not everything is worth taking away.
OHO's
"Ocean City Ditty," the
CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if
you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak
My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:
(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)
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