The Catchphrases and Figures of Speech Expertease

Our audience tonight is made up mostly of conversationalists and special guest Clare Sera. That's your Expertease. Spelled wrong? Naturally. You're listening to Expertise, spelled wrong, the podcast where the world's most expert experts discuss their areas of expertise expertly. People of the Earth, welcome to the Expertise Knowledge Podcast, spelled wrong, but only at the first part. The second part is spelled correctly. I'm your host, Danno Sullivan, also spelled correctly. And my very special guest today specializes in those catchphrases and sayings that we all love to say, to hear, to repeat.

Clare Sera. Clare Sera. Hang on just a second, I got to have one more. Clare Sera. Welcome to the podcast. Hey, how's your mother? My mother's doing great, Clare. Wait, wait, wait, wait, hang on. That's a catchphrase. That is the ultimate conversation opener, Danno. Now, a lot of people who are a little younger than us may not remember that in the early 90s, there was a fad to wear a little sticker that said, how's your mother? You would get those at the McDonald's drive through. At a baseball game. I remember being a little disappointed in my box of Cracker Jacks when I was expecting a toy harmonica and instead got a sticker that said, how's your mother?

Here's the thing, Danno, catchphrases come and catchphrases go. And do you know, that one went the way of the dodo, because a lot of people don't have mothers. Right. Yeah. So you are sort of a documentarian of these catchphrases and these sayings. Thank you. But you've also developed many of your own. Oh, sure. I don't know if it's fair for one person to take credit for starting a catchphrase. Can one person really be responsible for, for example, whale of a time? Yes. You say that was yours, but I feel like people have been saying a whale of a time since time immemorial.

You feel that way because it became so popular so quickly. And that's the hallmark of a great catchphrase. I just have such a knack for it. Well walk us through that knack. What's the creative process like? Let's just stick with whale of a time if you want to. Sure. So I can actually tell you how that one came about. I was at the shore, of course, you know, the Northern California shoreline. We were picnicking as folks do. We were oystering, clamming. A lot of catchphrases came from that day. Clam up. I came up with that one. Oh, you came up with clam up. And I came down with chlamydia.

I mean, everybody was there, chlamydia, Florence, Truvio. You must have just felt that the world was your oyster that day. Dano. What? That is a catchphrase. I didn't even notice. I used one. You used one that I had come up with that day. Yeah. Okay. So there you were. Shelling. You know, I think shelling is the word that covers oystering, clamming, crawdadding, crayfishing. Having such a good time. We were really digging it, mama. Okay. Oh, there's mama again. So how's your mama? How's your mother? And at the time, there was a popular phrase to say, having a mother of a time.

But because we... That was even used in like big rock songs at the time. Foreigner had a mother of a time. Yes. Yeah. ACDC, motherstruck. And Grand Funk Railroad, their big hit. Yes. What's your mother, mama? The thing is, I feel like it's almost like the muse herself wants to give these catchphrases, and I'm just a happy vessel to take them and spew them back out to the world. Because we need catchphrases, Dano. None of us know what to say in any given situation. A happy conversation is six catchphrases and out. Six catchphrases and out. Yeah. Yeah. Which is one of my catchphrases.

That was... When Dan Fogelberg turned that into a song, you knew it was going places. You know, if you don't mind me saying, I always felt he over-sentimentalized it. Beg your pardon? He was incentivized to over-sentimentalize it. He what? Wait. Is that a word? Repeat after me. Dan Fogelberg. Dan Fogelberg. Really? Really. Over-sentimentalized. Over-sentimentalized that. And I believe he was incentivized to do so. But that catchphrase was meant to be lighthearted, and he brought sort of a heavy, over-throated singing to it. And since then, I felt like it hasn't had its proper use.

And I don't know if... That hurts me. I mean, I create catchphrases for quick, lighthearted conversations where people don't have to actually interact with each other. Right. Yeah. And when you hear a catchphrase in that Dan Fogelbergian mode, it just makes you feel weepy. Pretty soon, you're being vulnerable, you're talking about things beyond the weather. Nice weather we're having. And out. Man, you are a genius with this, Claire. And I would just like to thank you for bringing Dan Fogelberg into the podcast, because that's going to be great for SEO. Well, you're welcome to the help.

Catchphrases have to be of the moment. I mean, who's saying, howdy, governor, anymore, right? Who said it when? Oh, you know, that time when the Wild West was being cultivated? By Cockneys? Yes. Yes. That was one of my favorite lesser known periods of history. It's lesser known because it wasn't catchy. But I will say, I've got a Brass Howdy Governor badge that is a real rare collectible. So Claire, I know you're feeling your sentiment about six catchphrases and out. But I do have to say that as you keep peppering this conversation with catchphrase after catchphrase, the conversation itself becomes a little rote, instead of feeling like it's a back and forth with us having fascinating insights to reveal to one another.

It's just howdy, governor, and having a whale of time, mama. Hey to your mother, out. That was a great conversation right there. Yeah. And you know, I said that and then you won me over again. Look, Daniel, the world is your oyster. Using the right catchphrases, you can grab that brass ring and sail the rainbow, even taste it. And I feel like you are treading dangerously close to figures of speech versus actual catchphrases. I mean, your catchphrases want to be fresh as daisies. But I feel like fresh as daisies is a bit of a figure of speech. Dano, I think that if you don't mind me saying, you're one of those, let's talk to each other people.

I guess I am. I guess, you know, it comes with podcasting. We call it having a conversation. Is it though? Not even in the same room with your guest and now you're pretending you're having some sort of actual connection. I'm saying, let's be real in the sense of not actually connecting with each other. So walk me through this, Claire. I'm at the grocery store. Let's just say that there's one packet of edamame left in the refrigerator at the grocery store. Okay. There is a nice woman about my age standing next to me. We both reach out for the edamame at the same time.

Our hands brush, we both recoil, glance up, our eyes meet. Me as a podcaster, as a conversationalist, dare I say as a human, would say, I'm sorry. I know it feels weak already, doesn't it? Already. Keep going. I didn't realize we both wanted the edamame. Why don't you take it? Oh my gosh, Dano. Not the way to go. Well, I mean, everybody leaves a loser. Yeah. Okay. Try this. Try this way. The world I want to live in is you open the refrigerator door. You both reach in for the last bag of edamame and you see it at that moment. You swing your hand back and you say, cold enough for you?

That's it. That's it. Brings a smile to her face. Yes. Yes. And she's on the defensive too, right? Because now she's got to have a well-known saying or catchphrase or she falls behind and I get the edamame by default. Right. That's exact. Now you're catching on. Yes. This is the world of catchphrase capitalism. Yes. Yes. This is putting the con into conversation. There it is. So let's say she's listening to this podcast and she knows how to respond. She might say something like, it's not the heat. It's the humidity. Oh, now we've got people gathered around, whoop, whoop, whoop, you know, and we've got an edamame off.

So I've had a cool catchphrase. She's had a hot catchphrase. Yes. Yeah. I don't know where this goes. Yeah. You have a few options. You can stick with the temperature variation catchphrases. Can I tell you where I see it going? So there's the scenario, as you've explained, we're both there reaching for the edamame and I say, to cap it off, you and I, me and the lady, are like two peas in a pod. Right. Maybe I say you and I are like two edamame in a pod. Well, I think you'd have to stick with peas in a pod. If you start playing within the catchphrase, you're- It's not a catchphrase anymore.

Right. You're on the edges. Okay. So as a base concept, is that a good direction to go or would you take me off somewhere else? I think that's a great direction. I mean, I like people to have freedom. Two peas in a pod is a great catchphrase. We are like two peas in a pod, tosses it back to her if- Yeah. Yeah. And I think at this point, probably the folks gathered around would be the deciders. You could just tell by the cheers and the whoops, which one of you is going to give up. So there are so many variables here. And I guess it goes back to your idea that what you really need to get through life, to get through Trader Joe's is a well-stocked backlog of these cliches and catchphrases.

Right. That's exactly right. And you both leave knowing nothing more about each other, but having had an encounter that you are not going to forget. I definitely think there's a lesson in there for all of us. But I encourage our listeners to look into your own lives and see which catchphrases have meant the most to you. Maybe they're old catchphrases that you could recycle, or maybe they're new catchphrases waiting to be caught. Nice. Nice. But I would like to thank my expert, Claire Sarah, for bringing her knowledge and expertise to the Expertise Speldrong podcast today.

I'd like to say it was a pleasure. Wait, did you mean that or is that a catchphrase? Yes. The Expertise Speldrong podcast is free and like the Amish, all are welcome. Be sure to sign up for our email announcements at funnypodcast.co and follow us in your favourite podcast app, like the expert podcast listener we know you are.