On a whim…

The New York Times, quoted by Apple’s site, reports that Amtrack spokesman, Matt Hardison, said that the carrier has adopted Apple’s iOS devices to make improvements for Amtrak and customers in, “one fell swoop”.  (Amtrack Story )

That’s what I LOVE about cliches. The ubiquitous meaning of the thing fades and all that is left is a sweet sounding shibboleth. Those of us who remain the faithful adherents of language filled with meaning are assaulted by the remarkable capacity of others in our species to use a phrase only because it “sounds right” but have no sense of whether it is really appropriate.

I suppose we could get our dandruff up over this or let our craft flounder but in the end it’s all really quite funny. Take the quote and replace the cliche with a substitute bearing the meaning of the abused phrase:

Imagine this, “Amtrak’s Matt Hardison says, ‘We’ve made a number of important improvements all in one cruel, predatory, devastating attack upon our customers and Amtrak that they never saw coming.'”

Shakespeare put the phrase, “one fell swoop” into the mouth of a grieving Scot. If we replace his tight script with our own, the burden of too many worlds might lead to an early end for McDuff. A McDuff whose remorse upon learning that his family and household have been ruthlessly slaughtered is so powerfully portrayed by the image of a predatory bird diving with breath taking descent, on his hapless prey. Ah, McBeth a ruthless predator, has descended upon the house of McDuff!

So, fair Apple, from thy tall tree hast thou descended upon commuters to work mayhem and destruction?  Only on their wallets would Apple prey!

For those who missed my humor I can scarcely resist owning it. My dandruff may be “up” but the word is dander. Dander, I say,  as in a frothy fermented roiling mass. In an argument some ill tempered people become so worked up the spit flies as if they were foaming; His dander is up.

As to water craft, they founder, not flop about like Sole (flounder).  So far as I know all founder remain seaworthy even after they flop about. In the latter case a ship may strike a reef and be dashed in such a way that the vessel breaks apart; It founders.