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Monday, February 22, 2010

Life A Proposed Moratorium

Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 4:05 PM

Could everyone, specifically everyone who gets a paycheck from the city, please stop saying the hackneyed, infantilizing phrase "a neighborhood where we live and play" or its overused relative "a neighborhood where we live, work, and play." Former mayor Greg Nickels was addicted to the phrase. Last week, Mayor Mike McGinn's office wrote it in a press release ("This is a neighborhood where people work, live and play"). The city posted the abominable phrase in an announcement two weeks ago for Neighbor Appreciation Day. And less than an hour ago, City Council Member Mike O'Brien used it in a speech ("Part of the answer is living in smaller units closer to where we live and play").

While we're at it, let's also slaughter the saying "work hard and play hard"—I'm looking at you, online personals—until the year, say, 2498?

The solution, I might add, is simple: replace the word "play" with "do all the fun stuff that adults do in the city's bars, parks, and alleys." Because, while kids play, they don't listen to speeches from the mayor.

Comments (9) RSS

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Zzzzzzzzzz. Slow news day, Dominic?

Posted by sandwich man on February 22, 2010 at 4:08 PM

I actually know a few kids who do listen to online speeches by the mayor, and they're not even his relatives.

That said, at least they're not putting up online personals ...

Posted by Will in Seattle

on February 22, 2010 at 4:10 PM

"This is a neighborhood where people work, live and play."

As opposed to... what? Lurking? That phrase is as bad as Palin's "Real America."

Posted by Free Lunch on February 22, 2010 at 4:14 PM

Just change it to "neighborhoods where we all live, work, and use the toilet".

Posted by Fnarf

on February 22, 2010 at 4:30 PM

"do all the fun stuff that adults to in the city's bars, parks, and alleys."

Won't somebody think of the children?!

Posted by Packeteer on February 22, 2010 at 4:32 PM

What's a few lit cigarettes tossed into trash dumpsters between friends, along with the (mostly) empty bottles of Jack Daniels?

Posted by Will in Seattle

on February 22, 2010 at 4:55 PM

just change "play" to "frolic", "romp", or "party"

Posted by i'm pro-science and i vote

on February 22, 2010 at 7:30 PM

Ugh, I'm with you there Dominic, slow news day or not. And it's not just a Seattle thing.

Posted by Jen in Spokane on February 22, 2010 at 10:57 PM

Duh, it's an election ploy to appeal to the babyheads of Seattle, which has been infantilizing its residents for the past two decades.

Or don't you don't think those 30-somethings (and their offspring) on Pike Street aren't children?

Posted by FooK on February 23, 2010 at 4:07 AM