“The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.” ~ King Solomon
Dear subscriber,
I doth loveth a fine turn of phrase.
Good phrases are like traditions, old habits, and in-laws – they never seem to go away!
Now, look at the following turn of phrase: How do you like them apples?
When most people hear that phrase, they picture the bar scene from Good Will Hunting where Will (Matt Damon) uses the goading phrase to put that Harvard douchebag in his place.
But know this:
People were wielding that phrase to taunt their enemies long before Matt Damon came on the scene. According to Wikipedia, it originated from World War 1. The word “apple” was a nickname for certain grenades that were used in trench warfare at the time.
So, apparently, soldiers would toss grenades into enemy trenches and yell:
“HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?”
There.
You’ve learned something today.
Okay, here’s another timeless phrase:
“Frankly, dear, I don’t give a damn.”
That phrase was written in 1936 by screenwriter Sidney Howard. Of course, it is from the movie Gone With The Wind.
Most popular movies have phrases that have etched their way into pop culture.
Glengarry GlenRoss: Coffee is for closers.
Star Wars: May the force be with you
Apocalypse Now: I love the smell of napalm in the morning
Top Gun: I feel the need – the need for speed.
The point here is simple:
The way you say something matters. Most people’s words and sentences are bland, overused, and unimaginative. And unimaginative words drift into a person’s ear and out the other.
Listen, if you want your words to stick in your audience’s minds, then you must pay closer attention to HOW you say what you say.
If you want to hear some tasty phrases, watch the TV show Billions. The writers for that show are some of the best in the business when it comes to turning a phrase. These guys have black belts in linguistic jiu-jitsu!
Lemme give you an example of their genius.
There’s a scene where the main character (Axe) is getting grilled heavily by a hard-arse client who they want badly want to close. Despite the immense pressure, Axe answers every one of their tough questions with aplomb. This impresses the hell out of Wags – his right-hand man.
After the business meeting, Wags walks up to Axe to congratulate him on how well he handled it.
Well, an average writer would have written that interaction something like this:
Wags: “Axe, you killed it in there, man!”
But, these writers are anything but average. So, here’s what they wrote:
Wags: “Axe, you smashed back every one of their questions… like Agassi in his prime.”
In case you can’t see the genius in that, allow me to show you.
The writers were making a reference to tennis legend Andre Agassi who was considered to be the greatest service returner in the sport.
‘Twas a perfect analogy.
But how does one come up with such clever phrases?
Well, that’s where the August issue comes in.
If you want to know how to come up with clever and unique phrases that tickle the ears and fire up the brains of your audience, then don’t miss out on this issue.
To see how you can get this issue, wander over yonder: https://kelvindorsey.com/mavericks-inner-circle/
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick
