Binderama60for60

Focaccia

Focaccia is the best word. Full stop.

It’s fun to say. It’s got all the feels. To pronounce it, it starts soft, then hits you hard with a staccato jag; the first syllable’s pronunciation can be adjusted to make it sound adolescently obscene. The rock hard “c” leaps into the flourish of two soothing “ah”s married by the sublime and serene “shhh.” Say it. Say it again. Whisper it.

Makes me hungry, like the best words should, ravenous even. That might be credit to Focaccia’s remarkable onomatopoeia: it breaks hard and crispy and then melts with savory aromatics, soft and warm, and finally settles satisfying and soothed. Say it again! Once more. So good.

Partner it with names of Italian cheeses like parmigiano and reggiano and you might as well get a whole loaf, a plate of antipasti and a bottle of chianti, along with a room and a handful of cigarettes.

There are lots of good words: Peace, Hope, Love, Schnitzel. But Focaccia. Look no further: the best word.

Hmm, I feel like I need to pad this post.

“The right words can change the world.
The wrong ones can do the same thing.”
— Binderama Creative

That was my business’s slogan for years, and it served me well. I’ve long aspired to be a wordsmith, inspired by my Dad. I think I achieved some success there, made a decent living. Didn’t start any wars, that I know of.

I’ve written a lot of things in my day, many of them with a lot of sentences, many of those sentences with a lot of words. When it comes to wordsmithing, as with any passion or profession, I’ve watched the trends, chased and dismissed fads, shared strong opinions and argued over usage, value, intent, impact, even syllabic cadence, stress and meter, and just because it’s fun.

That last sentence was a joy to write. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Could it be shorter and more concise? Yes, but today I choose to have fun with my words.

I presented my idea for the best word, the right word. Now, here’s my take on some of the wrong words, bad words the worst words.

Some criteria: These words are vague, overused or just plain lazy. They’re not a real thing, like Focaccia is. I’ll admit, I have tried for decades to excise these words from my vocabulary but, well, sometimes you just have to go with the flow. In business, there’s a dilemma between wanting to write well and needing to communicate well. It’s hard to do both. In business, the latter is preferred. Be lazy, cash the paycheck. There’s a lesson, kids.

Herewith, the five worst words:

• Innovation. Ugh, the laziest of them all. You cured cancer? That’s innovation! You’re rolling out v17.2 of a 20-year-old product? Uh uh. Oh, it’s blue? Double uh uh
• Disruption. Really? I don’t feel disrupted. Looking around, no one else does either. But that press release is killer
• Transformation. You look the same, sound the same, act the same. Just a little bit more smug
• Holistic. Some executive had an epiphany at a day spa: “All this oil and aroma and Enya is like a oneness that reminds me of this product I’m flogging.” What happens at the spa should stay at the spa
• Authentic. I really wanted to keep this one alive. I tried to use it sparingly. Authentically even. RIP, friend, it’s been real, but not authentic

Another word I’ve come to despise is “oligarchy.” It checks all of the criteria above, and it’s just not fun to say or hear or comprehend or embrace or endure or…where was I. I’ve seen it used as part of a new political slogan and it’s weak, convoluted and downright stupid. It’s worse than “fetch,” which is still never going to happen. Find a synonym or make one up.

If you want to read more posts with more words, get yourself a slab of Focaccia and click SUBSCRIBE on the www.binderama60for60.com wordpress webpage.