‘These Unprecedented Times’

The cliché heard around the world

Just like “Talk to the hand” or “Gag me with a spoon,” “these unprecedented times” was the verbal refrain that defined an era, embraced by everyone from the marketing director of Bath & Body Works to your great-aunt Mildred in Iowa. It wasn’t until about halfway through the year — let’s say May-ish — that the gravity of this lexical misstep came to light. “These unprecedented times” wasn’t a mantra after all, but a jinx, as the year itself cackled maniacally at the humans’ stupidity with their stupid phrases they couldn’t stop stupidly saying. You thought that was unprecedented? I’ll show you unprecedented. And so it did.