Nora - TWOP forums appear to be working - although I'm still not getting notifications.

"Perfect storm". Usually misused ....

It isn't one I use, but I'm old-fashioned enough to hestitate before using "in the loop."

If I were to use "perfect storm," it would mean that several things, each unpleasant in itself but not inordinately so, combine to create an epic mess. Yes/no/maybe?

If I were to use "perfect storm," it would mean that several things, each unpleasant in itself but not inordinately so, combine to create an epic mess. Yes/no/maybe?

We could probably leverage that definition.

runs away

As I understand it, the technically correct use is that a number of factors come together so that the final result is greater - far worse - than any of the individual factors.

Also - I can remember when people came on TV/radio and "commentated". They later became "commentators" (which is OK, so far). Unfortunately, this spawned a new verb, "commentating". ick.

And I also really hate the use of "task" as a verb (except as Melville used it). Also "authoring" - what's wrong with "writing"? And I really, really hate when someone decides to use a "big" word (again, in a usage that misses its exact meaning) rather than something less pretentious but more straightforward. sigh.

I dated a guy who liked to reclinate in a recliner.

I also do not understand the rise of "gifting" when we already had "giving."

Giving: The desire to do something nice for someone else, because their increased happiness is important to you.

Gifting: The desire to be recognized as better than other people, because you spend money.

The idiom that's been bothering me is possibly a regional VA thing; it's not Bureaucratic Bullshit Bingo anyway. It's dropping "to be" after "needs" but not adding an "-ing" to the second verb.

Like, "the dishes need done, the car needs washed, and dinner needs cooked."

I'm taking myself out to lunch. I think I'll go read my African novel in an Indian restaurant.

I think authoring has some tech uses. Don't you author a DVD because you don't write the content, but you do manage the viewer's experience to some extent?

Someone just looked at the apartment upstairs. I'm selfishly hoping they don't take it. I'm enjoying my super quiet apartment.

The idiom that's been bothering me is possibly a regional VA thing; it's not Bureaucratic Bullshit Bingo anyway. It's dropping "to be" after "needs" but not adding an "-ing" to the second verb.

It's totally a regional thing, though not particular to VA. Parts of PA and Ohio I think, probably others.

I know this because we had a long conversation hashing this out on an editors board I was on and then very shortly after I had a new co-worker who used that construction. And as a known regionalism it was tolerable, whereas if I hadn't just had that conversation it would have seriously aggravated.