Crossing a line in a quicksand of cliches
Posted: 7/12/2005, 8:55 am
In ancient times when the world was young, somebody, somewhere, actually did draw a line in the sand. He probably did it at the end of the day, about that time when push came to shove - that person has a lot to answer for. Since then people have been drawing lines in the sand at the slightest provocation.
Just the other day, I left home for work without packing my bowl in the dishwasher. Dear old mum politely asked why, after so much conscientious dishwasher packing in the past, I had broken with this tradition that so pleased her.
You and I know the answer. Line. Sand.
Browsing through my newspapers the other day I discovered that the Sydney City Roosters (rugby league team to you furreners) had drawn a line in the sand in 2003. I wonder what happened to it? I wonder if its still there today?
But all this is small fry. Initial research *cough* Google, suggests drawing lines in the sand was the cause of the war in Iraq.
To wit is the blog of a US soldier in Iraq entitled, of course, A Line In The Sand (lots of capitals for extra emphasis). In said journal, subtitled A View Of Operation Iraqi Freedom Through The Eyes Of A Signal Soldier. Sergeant Chris Missick devotes page after page after page after page... you get the idea ... to how much he loves his country, fellow soldiers and the Republicans.
Sarge does not openly explain why his blog bears this name but he doesn't have to. Clearly when it came to Iraq, someone had to draw a line in the sand and Sgt Missick and his brother soldiers were just the right chaps for the job. The Pentagon was understandably very concerned that the real reason for the war would be exposed.
Well reknowned newsie Geraldo Rivera was obviously on to something when, while embedded deep in enemy territory with a unit in Iraq in 2003, he infamously knelt in front of a camera and started scribbling on the ground. Rivera claimed to be depicting a map to show his millions of viewers his unit's top secret strategic location. But he and the Pentagon knew better... he was in an extreme act of provocation, drawing several lines in the sand. Needless to say, the top brass yanked him out of there quicker than Mark Latham at an ALP function.
A line in the sand also appears to have been the catalyst for the 1st Gulf War, with a 1991 board game called... wait for it... A Line in The Sand: The Battle of Iraq(As a side note this game can be found on a website called BoardGameGeek.com which in my humble opinion is where it firmly belongs)
So is this phrase worth going to war over? Well, if that's what it takes to wipe out its usage then I'm all for it. In fact, if it's the Iraqi's who are fighting against the line in the sand then I'm tempted to join them. All I need is a better moustache.
At a State political conference recently, I was unfortunate enough read the term 3 times in 2 consecutive sentences by a delegate talking about free trade with China... or something to that effect. At least in Iraq, as Geraldo knows, there really is sand to draw a line in.
The ALP delegate clearly failed to observe that if you drew a line between Australia and China it would be a line in the water, in much the same way that if you drew the line between Labor left and Labor right, it would be a line in blood and guts. But I digress.
Anyone who has sat through a political conference should recall with joy the grassroots uprising against the term "at the end of the day", which was last year, in an online poll, voted most annoying collection of words in the universe.
What pure bliss it was in the days that followed afore mentioned survey, any attempt to use the phrase was met with ridicule and contempt. Politicians were shamed into abstinence and mortified when their 10 seconds of limelight was reduced to 8 instead. While it has grown back somewhat as all noxious weeds do, it is no where near the plague it once was.
Surely we can bring together this new scourge to justice. We did it with smallpox, we can do it again. A good sign is that the mercenary company Sandline has ceased operations. While they officially blamed "the general lack of governmental support for private military companies willing to help end armed conflicts in places like Africa, in the absence of effective international intervention", the weight of evidence would point to a collective of English Oxbridge professors orchestrating its demise between games of Scrabble.
ANd it's only the beginning. Once "line in the sand" has been eradicated, we can start on eliminating "prioritise". BUt this raises issues with trying to explain why we are ridding the world the first cliche before the second.
Just the other day, I left home for work without packing my bowl in the dishwasher. Dear old mum politely asked why, after so much conscientious dishwasher packing in the past, I had broken with this tradition that so pleased her.
You and I know the answer. Line. Sand.
Browsing through my newspapers the other day I discovered that the Sydney City Roosters (rugby league team to you furreners) had drawn a line in the sand in 2003. I wonder what happened to it? I wonder if its still there today?
But all this is small fry. Initial research *cough* Google, suggests drawing lines in the sand was the cause of the war in Iraq.
To wit is the blog of a US soldier in Iraq entitled, of course, A Line In The Sand (lots of capitals for extra emphasis). In said journal, subtitled A View Of Operation Iraqi Freedom Through The Eyes Of A Signal Soldier. Sergeant Chris Missick devotes page after page after page after page... you get the idea ... to how much he loves his country, fellow soldiers and the Republicans.
Sarge does not openly explain why his blog bears this name but he doesn't have to. Clearly when it came to Iraq, someone had to draw a line in the sand and Sgt Missick and his brother soldiers were just the right chaps for the job. The Pentagon was understandably very concerned that the real reason for the war would be exposed.
Well reknowned newsie Geraldo Rivera was obviously on to something when, while embedded deep in enemy territory with a unit in Iraq in 2003, he infamously knelt in front of a camera and started scribbling on the ground. Rivera claimed to be depicting a map to show his millions of viewers his unit's top secret strategic location. But he and the Pentagon knew better... he was in an extreme act of provocation, drawing several lines in the sand. Needless to say, the top brass yanked him out of there quicker than Mark Latham at an ALP function.
A line in the sand also appears to have been the catalyst for the 1st Gulf War, with a 1991 board game called... wait for it... A Line in The Sand: The Battle of Iraq(As a side note this game can be found on a website called BoardGameGeek.com which in my humble opinion is where it firmly belongs)
So is this phrase worth going to war over? Well, if that's what it takes to wipe out its usage then I'm all for it. In fact, if it's the Iraqi's who are fighting against the line in the sand then I'm tempted to join them. All I need is a better moustache.
At a State political conference recently, I was unfortunate enough read the term 3 times in 2 consecutive sentences by a delegate talking about free trade with China... or something to that effect. At least in Iraq, as Geraldo knows, there really is sand to draw a line in.
The ALP delegate clearly failed to observe that if you drew a line between Australia and China it would be a line in the water, in much the same way that if you drew the line between Labor left and Labor right, it would be a line in blood and guts. But I digress.
Anyone who has sat through a political conference should recall with joy the grassroots uprising against the term "at the end of the day", which was last year, in an online poll, voted most annoying collection of words in the universe.
What pure bliss it was in the days that followed afore mentioned survey, any attempt to use the phrase was met with ridicule and contempt. Politicians were shamed into abstinence and mortified when their 10 seconds of limelight was reduced to 8 instead. While it has grown back somewhat as all noxious weeds do, it is no where near the plague it once was.
Surely we can bring together this new scourge to justice. We did it with smallpox, we can do it again. A good sign is that the mercenary company Sandline has ceased operations. While they officially blamed "the general lack of governmental support for private military companies willing to help end armed conflicts in places like Africa, in the absence of effective international intervention", the weight of evidence would point to a collective of English Oxbridge professors orchestrating its demise between games of Scrabble.
ANd it's only the beginning. Once "line in the sand" has been eradicated, we can start on eliminating "prioritise". BUt this raises issues with trying to explain why we are ridding the world the first cliche before the second.
