"Stop trying to make it a thing!"

[Queen Michael]

Yesterday, there was this article on Cracked about ridiculous product placements. One of them was in some cop show where a character was looking for information about a person, and somebody told her to "Bing it." That was probably the very first instance of anybody hearing that phrase, since regardless of how much Microsoft may try, Bing isn't going to become a thing. We've got Google, and if we ever leave its not-being-evilness, it won't be for Bing.

So do you know anything else that just isn't going to become a thing?

A classic example is "freedom fries." Some Americans suggested that as a protest to French opposition to the Iraq war, we should stop saying "french fries" and start saying "freedom fries." Needless to say, the expression did not catch on.

Oh, and just to clarify: This thread isn't specifically about expressions. The first example isn't about the expression "Bing it," it's about the search engine Bing itself. So don't limit yourself to expressions; tell me about anything that makes you feel that people should give up on trying to make it a thing.

 

[Realitycrash]

Didn't Paris Hilton tried to trademark "her" line 'That's Hot!'?

It failed, and it didn't really become a major thing either.

 

[Vegosiux]

You know, ever since the "selfie" became a thing, I've been silently facepalming often on the interent. Not only does the word sound rather pretentious, that's also how the act looks. Dunno why, but I'm a bit averse to people doing stuff that just screams "Hey, look at me, look at me!"

 

[Thaluikhain]

A classic example is "freedom fries." Some Americans suggested that as a protest to French opposition to the Iraq war, we should stop saying "french fries" and start saying "freedom fries." Needless to say, the expression did not catch on.

Actually, it sorta did. The people behind it got menus redone in certain government cafeterias.

It's particularly annoying because they were inspired by similar renamings of German food in WW2.

That is, if France doesn't want to kill Iraqis, they are Nazis.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Didn't Paris Hilton tried to trademark "her" line 'That's Hot!'?

It failed, and it didn't really become a major thing either.

IIRC, she only tried that after it looked like it was becoming a thing, when people started putting it on things.

 

[Nouw]

You know, ever since the "selfie" became a thing, I've been silently facepalming often on the interent. Not only does the word sound rather pretentious, that's also how the act looks. Dunno why, but I'm a bit averse to people doing stuff that just screams "Hey, look at me, look at me!"

Well I can't speak for adults who do that but as a teenager it feels good to look good. Nothing heinous about in my opinion.

 

[Realitycrash]

You know, ever since the "selfie" became a thing, I've been silently facepalming often on the interent. Not only does the word sound rather pretentious, that's also how the act looks. Dunno why, but I'm a bit averse to people doing stuff that just screams "Hey, look at me, look at me!"

Well I can't speak for adults who do that but as a teenager it feels good to look good. Nothing heinous about in my opinion.

Exactly. Not everyone can stomach putting yourself in-front of a hired photographer (or even a friend) to take photos, just so that you can look good and find a partner (because yes, looks is important in the beginning when first catching contact online) or get some self-esteem. There's nothing pretentious about wanting to look nice and be appreciated for it.

If you are this aloof person that doesn't need recognition or feel that you look perfect in every 'normal photo' taken of you, then kudos, but there are plenty of others that do not feel that way.

 

[Aris Khandr]

The internet gets a lot of these. Using your real name online, Bitcoins, Google+. People keep trying to insist that it is the way the future is going to go, but no one is buying it.

 

[Barbas]

You know, ever since the "selfie" became a thing, I've been silently facepalming often on the interent. Not only does the word sound rather pretentious, that's also how the act looks. Dunno why, but I'm a bit averse to people doing stuff that just screams "Hey, look at me, look at me!"

When someone first used the word "selfie", I thought they meant they were going to perform some sort of sexual act on themselves, possibly while filming it. Needless to say, I avoid the term like the plague in mealtime conversation.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

When someone first used the word "selfie", I thought they meant they were going to perform some sort of sexual act on themselves, possibly while filming it. Needless to say, I avoid the term like the plague in mealtime conversation.

So the selfie is a code-word for masturbating?

"I'm going to give myself a selfie, be right back."

...Makes sense

OT: Um... Hashtag? Though that one did spread pretty fast >.>

 

[Barbas]

Spoiler

When someone first used the word "selfie", I thought they meant they were going to perform some sort of sexual act on themselves, possibly while filming it. Needless to say, I avoid the term like the plague in mealtime conversation.

So the selfie is a code-word for masturbating?

"I'm going to give myself a selfie, be right back."

...Makes sense

OT: Um... Hashtag? Though that one did spread pretty fast >.>

I think it might as well be code-word for masturbating, because most people I know who use it are w[REDACTED]s!

"Hashtag", among others, is bearable and often amusing when people are using it in a self-deprecating manner, to beat others to the punch.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I feel like a part of this thread is passive-aggressively aimed at me for calling the original Playstation a PSX and, calling the Xbox One the XBone80.

As for actual things, didn't the Kinect fail when it came to overall user-friendliness? The 2.0 seems better in every way but it's one of the things keeping me and many other people from ever wanting an XBone80. I don't get how people can embrace something so unwieldy, isn't tactile feedback important after all? I would say motion controls in general too but those are slowly kind of...not really going away but changing so as to be less intrusive...sometimes...not counting Kinect...

 

[Queen Michael]

Didn't Paris Hilton tried to trademark "her" line 'That's Hot!'?

It failed, and it didn't really become a major thing either.

IIRC, she only tried that after it looked like it was becoming a thing, when people started putting it on things.

I checked it out, and the impression I got is that Hallmark published a greeting card with a picture of a girl looking very much like her and saying "That's hot."

 

[Prime_Hunter_H01]

I feel like a part of this thread is passive-aggressively aimed at me for calling the original Playstation a PSX and, calling the Xbox One the XBone80.

I though PSX was common for the original Playstation after the PS2 and on.

OT: I always want to hit myself when i catch myself calling the Pound # a Hashtag.

That is the only time I have had that reaction, wait, YOLO, I would accept Hashtag replacing Pound if YOLO could die.

 

[Something Amyss]

Social networks advertised in movies and the like are on par with Bing. Although, Microsoft puts more money into it, I think.

Actually, it sorta did. The people behind it got menus redone in certain government cafeterias.

And since that was the original intended act, I'd say it more than sorta did.

I feel like a part of this thread is passive-aggressively aimed at me for calling the original Playstation a PSX and, calling the Xbox One the XBone80.

I though PSX was common for the original Playstation after the PS2 and on.

Oddly enough, it was fairly commonly called the PSX at the time. Wikipedia lists this as being a result of the codename PS-X during development, but I remember some promotional material used it too (obviously erroneously). PS1 became fairly common once the PS2 and the PSone came out, and PSX was never official. Unless you count the PSX console, which was a PS2 with DVR functionality, so something completely separate.

 

[Akytalusia]

without thinking too much on it, the most obvious thing for me would be google+. it's not going to beat facebook. i wish google would stop trying to force it down our throats.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

When someone first used the word "selfie", I thought they meant they were going to perform some sort of sexual act on themselves, possibly while filming it. Needless to say, I avoid the term like the plague in mealtime conversation.

So the selfie is a code-word for masturbating?

"I'm going to give myself a selfie, be right back."

...Makes sense

OT: Um... Hashtag? Though that one did spread pretty fast >.>

Just think about this statement: "I'm going to the bathroom to take a selfie"
And since most selfies are taken in the bathroom, it just doesn't sound right.

Also the whole hashtag thing... Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake did the best damn skit about how retarded it sounds...

Pretty much most popular culture fad-words piss me off so naturally people trying to make other things like that take off also bother me. English is muddied enough without you tossing in a new meaning for a word or "creating" a new word or phrase.

 

[MarsProbe]

One that springs to mind was a t-shirt design from Jinx (I think?) that featured the legend "Qwnage - pnwing by a whole letter more". I believe their theory was that since the letter "p" was one after the letter "o" in the alphabet and pwnage was "better" than mere ownage, the qwnage would be something else altogether. I recall the comments on that particular product not being very favourable. Of course, maybe this is just being mean, as there's no real evidence they were trying to make qwnage a "thing", but still...

And then there's the deplorable "totes amazeballs", something I'm glad I haven't heard in a while which means it's hopefully died a death now. Seriously, put it away.

And just so that I'm not sticking to only phrases here, I sincerely hope the last Hobbit film marks the end of painfully protracted film adaptations of books. That is, unless Peter Jackson is planning to adapt The Silmarillion into a 20 film magnum opus next.