I’ve been enjoying Slate’s podcasts for some time, but I recently subscribed to the online magazine’s RSS feed. When I had a few minutes today, I checked out some of their posts. A lot caught my eye, but the thing that drove me to action was their story and podcast on "The smartest way to say stupid." It’s part of their euphemisms contest.
They’re not looking for synonyms. They’re looking for nice ways to say, well, you’re one brick short of a load.
I know a lot about stupid, being a frequent practitioner of the craft. So, I dropped in my one-and-a-half cents (and looking for change) with a couple of submissions: One, I made up on my own. The other, Susan and I made up. What do you think:
- "Your can put in all the coins you want, but the slot machine never pays off." — A nod to my parents and most elderly folks I’ve seen hanging out in Atlantic City.
- "They’re drinking La Plata water." — This is kind of esoteric between Susan and me, but it comes from the Stephen King short story, "The End of the Whole Mess," which we love. We used to listen to it on book tape while driving on vacation. I’ve written about this story before.
