Cathy got me thinking about catch phrases and personal mottoes. Those things that people put at the bottom of emails sometimes, often quotes from a dead poet or general or politician. I prefer my catchphrases to be my own. I also like it when others have a catch phrase that people associate them with.

Lately my catch phrase has been “Speak truth to power,” which isn’t so much my own, as it is so common that there isn’t anyone specific to quote. A lot of folks continue to toss it back to me in emails and letters, so I must have been using it more than I thought lately.
I’ve had other personal catch phrases in the past: “How much for a thousand of them?” comes to mind. (I like to shop, especially in the developing world where that question is not only valid, but often very frugal).

In our medieval household, we used to joke about how spiff we’d look by imagining a conversation with someone who didn’t know us. Them: “Who’s that?” Squire: “That’s Viscount Richard.” Them: “Can he fight?” Squire: “No, but he looks good!!”

I remember in the “way back” when I’d be working on armor in my garage at the multi-armed monster made of railroad iron (no Keith, I still don’t want to know where it came from) and I’d be looking for a tool. Two particular catch phrases come to mind. Me: “Where is my drill?” David: “You don’t know do you?” Me: “Michael, do you know where my drill is?” Michael: “If it was up your A$$ you’d know!” Me: “Very helpful…both of you.” (I’m not making this up…really. Cleaning it up a bit, since there are children who read this site, but not changing one word). You can see why we didn’t get a lot of armor made. Once I started chasing them around the garage with the located power drill… other catch phrases would fly.

Of course, the newest one…from Dave during our sessions of gaming, and based upon two obvious occurrences: “An arrow in the butt is better than a spear in the winky!” Now who says we are stuffy and old-fashioned? I can’t wait to see the T-shirt.

I’m certain that there were dozens of others…I’m just getting that CRS stuff. So I’m hoping you all will fill in the blanks. Didn’t we used to have a lot more catch phrases?