# Steep learning curve and other, in your opinion, stupid phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816 "2009-06-05T13:55:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/1 "2009-06-05T13:55:57Z")
I heard this phrase used again today, “this is a job with a steep learning curve.” Now over the years I have created hundreds, maybe thousands, of graphs and by my reckoning if the X axis is **time** then the steeper the curve the faster you can learn everything you need to know. Alternatively if the X axis is **stuff you need to know** then there isn’t much of it. So please give me the job with the steep learning curve rather than the alternative. Any pet hates of your own? ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/2 "2009-06-05T14:09:54Z")
I’ve always taken steep learning curve to be the ratio of time vs what you need to have learned already. It also implies that you’re going to be thrown directly into the hard stuff. Sounds like fun to me. Socialize. As in “socialize that idea to the X team”. I’m not going to be able to get the idea to behave well around the X team as it’s, well, an idea not a puppy! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/3 "2009-06-05T14:12:57Z")
In “steep learning curve” the y-axis is stuff you gotta learn. The x-axs is time. Therefore, you have to learn a lot of things in a short amount of time – the d(stuff learned)/dt is pretty large = “steep” Makes perfect sense. It describes my past wek pretty well, where I had to learn two new computer languages in a hurry, along with other stuff. It’s not saying that you _can_ learn things fast – it’s saying that you _have to_ learn things fast, whether that’s easy for you or not. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/4 "2009-06-05T16:07:39Z")
> [@Redwing](#): > > Socialize. As in “socialize that idea to the X team”. I’m not going to be able to get the idea to behave well around the X team as it’s, well, an idea not a puppy! This. As far as corporate buzzwords go, “socialize” just sets my teeth on edge. I hate hate hate hate hate it. What’s so wrong with “discuss” or “present” or “introduce”, all of which mean exactly the same thing minus the pretentious overtones? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/5 "2009-06-05T16:16:30Z")
Meteoric rise. Meteors fall, they don’t rise. I hear at least once a week about some celebrity’s meteoric rise. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/6 "2009-06-05T16:21:47Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Meteoric rise. Meteors fall, they don’t rise. Then how do they get all the way up there? :dubious: > [@](#): > > I hear at least once a week about some celebrity’s meteoric rise. I thought this referenced the speed, and not the rising. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/7 "2009-06-05T17:23:46Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Meteoric rise. Meteors fall, they don’t rise. I hear at least once a week about some celebrity’s meteoric rise. Sonuvabitch! I’d never considered that before, that’s going to annoy the piss out of me now. I hate it when people think “toe the line” is “tow the line.” Really dumbass, where are we towing it, is it far? Okay this is just mispronunciation, but some of my coworkers can’t say “excavate.” “Yeah, they’re gonna have to e **s** cavate that.” I don’t get it, the same folks can say “excited” and “exercise” but “excavate” confounds them. Also, “pitcher” Holy AssChops, why can’t people say “picture,” it’s not tough. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/8 "2009-06-05T17:25:57Z")
> [@Chopper9760](#): > > Sonuvabitch! I’d never considered that before, that’s going to annoy the piss out of me now. > > I hate it when people think “toe the line” is “tow the line.” Really dumbass, where are we towing it, is it far? > > Okay this is just mispronunciation, but some of my coworkers can’t say “excavate.” “Yeah, they’re gonna have to e **s** cavate that.” I don’t get it, the same folks can say “excited” and “exercise” but “excavate” confounds them. Also, “pitcher” Holy AssChops, why can’t people say “picture,” it’s not tough. You should axe them about it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/9 "2009-06-05T17:42:05Z")
> [@Chopper9760](#): > > I hate it when people think “toe the line” is “tow the line.” Really dumbass, where are we towing it, is it far? I was once going to take someone to task for the exact opposite. “What are you going to do, touch the line with your feet? It’s TOW, moron!” Before embarking on my tirade, I decided to look it up just to make sure. Oh. Tow makes sense to me, though. If the line is a rope, and you’re using the line to move a big rock or hoist a sail, then you need everyone to help out. That would also explain the origin of “slacker”, come to think of it. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/10 "2009-06-05T17:51:11Z")
“He wants to have his cake and eat it, too.” My initial response to this is, “What the hell else are you going to do with it?!!!” I do recall a discussion about this very phrase on this board where this expression means that someone wants to keep something that he must consume to gain any benefit from it, or something like that. Still, it’s a dumb phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/11 "2009-06-05T18:02:24Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > “He wants to have his cake and eat it, too.” My initial response to this is, “What the hell else are you going to do with it?!!!” > > I do recall a discussion about this very phrase on this board where this expression means that someone wants to keep something that he must consume to gain any benefit from it, or something like that. Still, it’s a dumb phrase. Do you have an idea for a better replacement phrase that means the same thing? A couple that I’m surely not the first to (geekily) object to: A “quantum leap” is not necessarily a huge jump, just a non-continuous one. “Exponential growth” is not really just a synonym for “extremely rapid growth.” ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/12 "2009-06-05T18:08:49Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I was once going to take someone to task for the exact opposite. “What are you going to do, touch the line with your feet? It’s TOW, moron!” Before embarking on my tirade, I decided to look it up just to make sure. > > Oh. > > Tow makes sense to me, though. If the line is a rope, and you’re using the line to move a big rock or hoist a sail, then you need everyone to help out. That would also explain the origin of “slacker”, come to think of it. But my understanding of the expression is that it means to conform. I don’t see how hoisting sails comes into that. (Although I see per wiki that “In days of sail, “toe the line” was used as a command for crewmen to line up along a crack in deck planking, similar to the modern “Attention!””) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/13 "2009-06-05T18:22:27Z")
> [@RedRosesForMe](#): > > But my understanding of the expression is that it means to conform. No, it means… (Looking up in Wiki to make sure I’m not wrong.) Oh. I thought it meant pulling your weight. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/14 "2009-06-05T19:27:26Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > You should axe them about it. Years ago an issue of The Onion had a simple headline: “African-American Neighborhood Terrorized by Ask Murderer” Stupid phrase? “hone in on.” It’s “HOME in on.” I’ve never seen a honing missile before. :smack: This is one of many listed in Wikipedia’s entry for [eggcorn.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_corn) ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/15 "2009-06-05T19:57:54Z")
> [@Chopper9760](#): > > Okay this is just mispronunciation, but some of my coworkers can’t say “excavate.” “Yeah, they’re gonna have to e **s** cavate that.” I don’t get it, the same folks can say “excited” and “exercise” but “excavate” confounds them. The reverse of this is that strong coffee drink expresso. And thanks for that Wiki link JFF. I’d always thought it WAS just desserts. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/16 "2009-06-05T20:05:53Z")
What the hell is “a day of reckoning”? Every time someone asks you a question are you supposed to answer “Well, I reckon so” or “Gosh, I reckon not”? Do visitors say “Gee, you guys sure do a whole bunch of reckoning around here”? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/17 "2009-06-05T20:10:45Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > What the hell is “a day of reckoning”? Every time someone asks you a question are you supposed to answer “Well, I reckon so” or “Gosh, I reckon not”? Do visitors say “Gee, you guys sure do a whole bunch of reckoning around here”? To reckon is, roughly, to judge/compute/tally/settle up. “day of reckoning” is, essentially, judgment day. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/18 "2009-06-05T20:30:22Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > Stupid phrase? > “hone in on.” It’s “HOME in on.” I’ve never seen a honing missile before. :smack: > > This is one of many listed in Wikipedia’s entry for [eggcorn.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_corn) I had a good time pouring over that list. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/19 "2009-06-05T21:29:03Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > “He wants to have his cake and eat it, too.” My initial response to this is, “What the hell else are you going to do with it?!!!” It’s actually supposed to be the opposite. “He wants to eat his cake and have it too.” That way makes sense, because once it’s gone, you can’t just bring it back to possess. But have your cake and eat it too? Yeah…you can pretty easily do that. I imagine it got switched around because the first way seems to flow better. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816/20 "2009-06-05T22:08:48Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] A “quantum leap” is not necessarily a huge jump, just a non-continuous one. “Exponential growth” is not really just a synonym for “extremely rapid growth.” [/QUOTE] And “decimate” does not mean destroy. It means “reduce by one-tenth.” An impairment, perhaps, but not utter ruin. “Socialize the team?” Ugh… Something else to add to Bullshit Bingo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steep-learning-curve-and-other-in-your-opinion-stupid-phrases/498816.md?page=2)