Quite aside from the current topic--and regardless of any other topic under discussion--would it be possible for us to agree upon the above clause (and its variant, What's up with that?) as one of nature's verbal warning signs of a speaker or writer so firmly stuck in the stand-up comedy conventions of twenty years back that whatever follows could automatically be regarded as probable nonsense?
I know that's probably intellectually lazy, but every time I read or hear that, I can't help but remember Cliff Claven in Cheers in his stand-up comic period, punctuating every commonplace observation with "What's up with that?" and expecting laughter and looking more like a fool than ever.
Sorry for the rant, but stomach is currently in revolt against its contents, and it's got to come out one end or the other.
Regards,
Dunce.
P.S. Also unrelated to the current topic: Could we also hope for a moratorium on the use of the phrase "Back in the day" by anybody under the age of forty-five?
No
I know that's probably intellectually lazy...
Yes
stomach is currently in revolt against its contents...
Gross
Could we also hope for a moratorium...
No
Next!