Pet Peeve

[ladysprite]

I know this as a really small, petty thing to get irked over, but it's been on my mind for some time now, and it just keeps grating on my nerves more and more.

I really, REALLY wish people would stop using the phrase 'so close I can taste it.' It just makes absolutely no sense. If you're going to taste something, you don't need to be *close* to it, you need to be actually sharing intimate space with it. I can understand wanting something more visceral than 'so close I can see it,' but... taste? Really? That's rather beyond close.

Also, it leads to some truly unpleasant theoretical sensations for those of us with vivid and overactive imaginations. For instance - "I'm so close to that prize money I can taste it?"

Ick. I mean, I admit I don't actually know what money tastes like; for all I know it could be delicious greenback candy. But I'm willing to speculate that it tastes like sweaty stale paper that's been marinating in leather in someone's back pocket for a year. Not a good thing, and not something I would want to get any closer to if I had even the vaguest say in the matter. Ditto for '....so close to the top X [of competitors]' and '...so close to the next round of [competition].'

Though I must admit it has at least led me to speculate on what victory actually tastes like. I can't quite make up my mind whether it's more like deep-fried macaroni and cheese, or a raspberry lime rickey. Opinions?

Comments

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

If they're close enough to taste it, it's a problem they can lick?