Do you overuse the word 'interesting'?

"May you live in interesting times." – a saying often misattributed as an ancient Chinese curse.

Years ago, when I was in middle management, my subordinates and I were entitled to two 10-minute breaks daily. Because of a chronic manpower shortage, I could not — in good conscience — avail myself of all those breaks.

In fact, in one particular span of several months, I could count my actual "breathers" on the fingers of one hand.

I brought the matter to the attention of my boss, who was truly a prince of a fellow. (And by "prince," I mean if he were still around, he would try to "pay like it's 1999." See how many raspberry berets THAT will buy.)

Most supervisors would have greeted my concerns with either "I think you're exaggerating" or "Let's find a solution."

Instead, my boss merely found it "interesting" that I would keep score with those "less than one break every two weeks" statistics (rather than continuing to throw myself on the metaphorical grenade for The Team).

So, yes, "interesting" remains one of my trigger words.

I encounter the term quite frequently while watching videos of debates or interviews. Whatever the topic at hand, someone always gets caught flat-footed.

Typically, one participant is told some basic information ("Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit," "Inflation is caused by too many dollars chasing too few goods," "‘Die Hard' was a Christmas movie," etc.) and murmurs, "Interesting…," while displaying a brow furrowed by skepticism.

(Sometimes they go above and beyond the call of duty and switch to my other pet peeve: "Well, you might be right about that." If they really wanted to vary their vocabulary, they should channel Mr. Spock and say, "Fascinating" instead. This would mesh well with their inner thoughts of "Ooo, I wish I could give you a Vulcan nerve pinch when you spout that malarkey about the United States having more than 48 states!")

Invariably, they use either that stereotypical NPR host cadence or a grating Valley Girl inflection. Folks, it wouldn't kill you to use an operatic baritone just once. ("Not fatal. Hmm. Interesting…")

Sometimes the guilty parties know they're busted and are trying to save face. Other times, they remain blissfully ignorant, safely swaddled in their information bubble. ("Who's the cutest widdle preconceived notion in the whole wide world? You are! You are!").

Sure, after their adversary lays some wisdom on them, they may SAY they "probably should research this some more"; but — good intentions or not — they usually find a six-pack or true-crime podcasts to be MORE interesting. ("Shh! There's an epiphany outside the front door! Turn off the lights and keep quiet.")

On the other hand, some people keep injecting "interesting" into a conversation because they don't want you to know how bored they are with the topic and/or you. These losers get hoist on their own petard when you decide not to give them cash for their birthday but to enroll them in the Victorian Nose Hair Trimmer of the Month Club. ("I had no idea I had found a kindred spirit until we had our rousing chat!")

Monitor your overreliance on certain words. Be open to learning something that rocks your world. Don't let defensiveness make you MORE vulnerable.

"So you have this theory that throwing yourself on a grenade is problematic. I find that inter…AIIEEE!"

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Controversial author Harlan Ellison once described the work of Mr. Tyree as "wonkily extrapolative" and said his mind "works like a demented cuckoo clock." Tyree generated a particular buzz on the Internet with his column spoofing real-life Christian nudist camps. A lifelong small-town southerner, he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications.

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