# Be the Nostradamus of catch phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 6, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876 "2005-08-06T14:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/1 "2005-08-06T14:58:24Z")
Isn’t it peculiar how catch phrases come into existence? Words that used to be standard vocabulary duds suddenly rise in power to become the slang headliner of the era. Just think of where our language would be if these words were only used in their original senses: Cool Fat Mean Heavy Sweet Boss Then consider catch phrases that came and went and which today are seen as mere relics of bygone times: the cat’s pajamas swell hep far out out of sight right on Look into your crystal ball and predict the slang term or catch phrase that will become the next rave. What’s the “Dyn-o-mite” of 2005 and 2006? Resurrections permitted. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/2 "2005-08-06T19:36:21Z")
I’ll say **Ponderous** If this does become _the_ catchphrase of 2006, do I get a Big Mac™? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/3 "2005-08-06T19:45:23Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > I’ll say **Ponderous** > > If this does become _the_ catchphrase of 2006, do I get a Big Mac™? If it becomes the new slogan at McDonald’s, I’m sure you will! Do you have a context in mind? What word will it replace or come to be synonymous with? I’m visualizing the Dodge commercial where these two rednecks are marveling at the hemi in the other guy’s car and their tagline (in several commercials) is “Sweeeet.” Will “ponderous” go there instead? Or will it fit better at Ponderosa Steak House? (They still have those?) ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/4 "2005-08-06T19:46:11Z")
The new word for “cool” will be “boojum.” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/5 "2005-08-06T19:51:19Z")
I’ve always liked “ghastly” for something above average in beauty. And “harsh” for something nearly sublime. (But then, that seems to imitate the pattern in ghetto/rap slang too much.) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/6 "2005-08-06T19:53:11Z")
Words that I think I made up and am trying hard to get into the regular spoken & written vocabulary: prolly (probably) dint (didn’t) dropt (dropped) Not exactly catch phrases, but I use them all regularly and am starting to see them in other people’s writing too, especially “prolly”. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/7 "2005-08-06T19:57:24Z")
> [@Snowboarder Bo](#): > > Words that I think I made up and am trying hard to get into the regular spoken & written vocabulary: > > prolly (probably) > dint (didn’t) > dropt (dropped) > > Not exactly catch phrases, but I use them all regularly and am starting to see them in other people’s writing too, especially “prolly”. There’s even “polly” in the parlance of some in this area. There was a football coach who appeared to be sub-literate who referred to his teams playing “offensely” and “defensely” and he was always “polly” going to win the next game. In the “dint” zone, I always like “kilt” (killed) and “fount” (found) which have that hill-country touch. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/8 "2005-08-06T21:38:14Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > The new word for “cool” will be “boojum.” No need to snark. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/9 "2005-08-06T22:55:44Z")
“Killer” and “smoking” prolly dint cut it, eh? My crystal ball tells me the new/resurrected cool words will be related to weed, “A Clockwork Orange” and “The Trailer Park Boys”. So, here is what you can look forward to: - rolling - that’s the blunt! - cojitas - viddy - horrorshow - droog - con college - shirtless - bubbles You can give me my Big Mac now. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/10 "2005-08-07T02:32:45Z")
Ponderous? That is so fetch! ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/11 "2005-08-07T03:07:55Z")
Bart says it’s “Smell ya later!” ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/12 "2005-08-08T00:53:32Z")
I was thinking it could replace phat. But I’ll settle for anything. Can we please, just get rid of phat? And if Ponderous is the second-most popular phrase, I demand a small fries[sup]®[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![joazito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@joazito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joazito)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/13 "2005-08-08T03:10:17Z")
I’ll have a go… Itchy! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/14 "2005-08-08T03:19:27Z")
I’m pulling for a revival of the old favorite “who laid the rails” (traditionally used with “till” or “since” to express a sizable span of time). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/15 "2005-08-08T05:04:42Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > I’m pulling for a revival of the old favorite “who laid the rails” (traditionally used with “till” or “since” to express a sizable span of time). Oh, man, that’s the vuvla! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/16 "2005-08-08T10:39:19Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > I’m pulling for a revival of the old favorite “who laid the rails” (traditionally used with “till” or “since” to express a sizable span of time). Just so I follow, is this to replace such things as: Since God was a corporal Hell freezes over Jesus wore tennis shoes Methusaleh was a baby One of those things that always amused me was along the lines of “she’s two days older than dirt.” ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/17 "2005-08-08T16:58:36Z")
“I’ll buy that for a dollar!” ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/18 "2005-08-08T17:06:36Z")
Ha ha! Man, that is _so_ chuck to the cholly, you betchya! ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/19 "2005-08-08T17:15:35Z")
These are SO pail. They’re totally bucket. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876/20 "2005-08-08T22:34:44Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Just so I follow, is this to replace such things as: > > Since God was a corporal > Hell freezes over > Jesus wore tennis shoes > Methusaleh was a baby > > One of those things that always amused me was along the lines of “she’s two days older than dirt.” One little nitpick: It’s "Since **Christ** was a corporal. It’s actually a sort of pun, but not much of one. I think we can all agree the sooner it is ushered to obsolescence, the better. I’ve been hearing that one since Christ was ponderous. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/be-the-nostradamus-of-catch-phrases/315876.md?page=2)