[m i a o w] the cat

Is anybody else out there starting to get twitchy about the looming over-utilisation of the phrase ‘very much so‘? I have to say that almost every television ‘chat’ style show (that means you, Mr Denton) seems to have it in there somewhere. As do those weird-arse shows about cheese in the Docklands shown on Channel 31.

I was listening to a few podcasts of Life Matters yesterday, and it was sprinkled throughout that as well - not by Richard Aedy, but by his interviewees. GOD. IT IS SENDING ME BARKING. INSANE. Oh. Maybe I need to clarify that, but why count on those capital letters to communicate the extent of my fury? Too obvious? Why don’t I just carol Very much so!.

I heard it again on RRR-FM late on Sunday morning. It seems to interchange with that other all-encompassing though less objectionable response ‘Absolutely’.

B: Would you mind very much if I now dance a pogo on your head?
Media person: Very much so.

Sorry to all those people who hadn’t noticed this creeping infiltration of phraseology, and who now will become twitchy after they hear it three times on the radio before breakfast. But you need to recognise your enemy. Absolutely.