Community Stories

Burn all the Clichés

frederico
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I understand that every community has its own idiosyncrasies and jargon but some cliches just make me cringe with embarrassment. I'm not a WUS member so perhaps it's de rigueur over there and I haven't noticed. Please can we have a bonfire, even if it's only me that attends?

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I give you:
Wrist time (what's wrong with "wear"?)
Pulled the trigger (bought?)
Daily beater (watch)
Grail = ((nice) watch)

I totally understand its not my place (nor anyone else's) to be a forum nazi, but at the same time, the above clichés can fυck right off 😜

What else can we throw on this bonfire?
 
BlackTalon
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I dunno. You may misinterpreting when some people refer to their 'daily beater'...

But a few other that have been compiled previously:

"rare"
"all original parts" (when the dial has been refinished)
"runs perfectly"
"haven't thrown it on a timer" (when watch is for sale, and they know it runs slow)
 
M'Bob
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Hmmm...I don't know if I'm totally on board. Grail, for instance, is not just a nice watch. It's, well, your Grail. A daily beater is not just a watch; it's one you beat, daily. So I get your point, but some of these phrases are used because they can't readily be replaced with other descriptors.

How about this one: anything related to Horology, or uncles, in remotely the same passage. Pulled the trigger? Yeah, that can go...
 
ras47
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I always considered a "grail watch" as a personal, long-sought after favorite. Something you've chased and coveted for a long time.
 
UncleBuck
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Sorry, my comment was off-topic so I deleted it.
Edited:
 
michael22
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"Grail" is certainly misused, IMO.
But the world has always been that way. Every few months some dictionary publicises a list of new words, or new definitions for old words, most of which seem moronic to me.

If nothing else, the misuse of phrases & words gives me an insight into the mind of the writer/speaker
 
Dan S
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frederico frederico
I understand that every community has its own idiosyncrasies and jargon but some cliches just make me cringe with embarrassment. I'm not a WUS member so perhaps it's de rigueur over there and I haven't noticed. Please can we have a bonfire, even if it's only me that attends?

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I give you:
Wrist time (what's wrong with "wear"?)
Pulled the trigger (bought?)
Daily beater (watch)
Grail = ((nice) watch)

I totally understand its not my place (nor anyone else's) to be a forum nazi, but at the same time, the above clichés can fυck right off 😜

What else can we throw on this bonfire?

Nothing wrong with these expressions in my view. It would be pretty dull if we were limited to using the words "wear", "bought" and "watch".
 
noelekal
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It's only local color and is always less offensive than contrived outrage.
 
frederico
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I've no intention to offend, but my point is not contrived. No-one I've met with an interest in watches would use a sentence like "giving my desk-diver some wrist time on its regular rotation" in real life. Because they'd be laughed at so hard.
 
BlackTalon
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I wish I worked at your office 😁

Sadly there are people out there who say exactly that.
 
shaun hk
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Winning an auction always gets me even when I do it, I guess it is called a win because it is something you want to buy. But it’s like a race to pay the most, so when I win (especially after going over budget) does it make me the winner or the fool?
 
zinengineer
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This has been a really slooooww weekend, some really “interesting “ posts
 
kov
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OF is still getting lots of my smartphone time. Besides some cliché drifts, it’s clearly a grail place for me as a collector. I first was a simple reader for a couple of years, then I pulled the trigger and joined, already four years ago.

Not sure I am looking for « forum nazis » (your wording) willing to restrict my (already restricted, as a non-native English speaker) vocabulary 😝
 
boogedyboo
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I am not sure if this counts but I cannot take it when the following words are used to describe watches:

1) Minty
2) Crispy

😗
 
Foo2rama
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Grail and beater... while sometimes misused are good specific terms.

Beater- watch I don’t care about being dinged up scratched. Example- my SKX is my daily beater bike riding or working on cars it’s perfect. Taking it out for drinks still works! The more beat up the better. It earned its scars.

Grail- the piece regardless of price you hunted and researched to death. For some a PP Calatrava others the watch they saved years for that spoke to them, others an exceedingly rare piece that took a lot of time to get like a perfect early Navitimer or 6117-8000 Seiko.
 
tyrantlizardrex
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Pull the trigger has always sounded rather odd to my British ears.

Even for countries where firearms are more prevalent, it still sounds a bit of an odd way to say "bought something"?

Is there a contextual reference that I'm missing? 🤔
 
gostang9
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tyrantlizardrex tyrantlizardrex
Pull the trigger has always sounded rather odd to my British ears.

Even for countries where firearms are more prevalent, it still sounds a bit of an odd way to say "bought something"?

Is there a contextual reference that I'm missing? 🤔
This is a term I’m used to hearing and have probably used as well. Not certain of its origin but I assume it’s related to someone having a target in the site of a gun for some time and then finally executing the shot by “pulling the trigger”. For me it is appropriate when something has been contemplated for some time and the pesron has been hesitant to make a decision. Once action is taken, it’s a bit of a relief as it’s too late to back out and the indecision has been conquered with choice of going for it.
 
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