Hello everybody,
In the last post I briefly discussed how to be cool in the business world (i.e. how to transfer your cool onto your brand) and while that might help some people, it definitely doesn't apply to all of us, mere mortals. So what are we if we're not cool? Well, there are plenty of options. For starters, we could be normal/ average/ regular people, couldn't we? 'Nice' is a good word too, isn't it? If someone doesn't think you're interesting enough, 'nice' is always a good alternative. Nice and kind, I think. And on the other end of the spectrum we've got 'corny' and this is the word I would like to dedicate this post to.
When I first started hearing people use the word corny, I was a little bit confused. See, I might have studied English but every now and again I was too lazy to bother checking what a given word meant. That's what happened with me and the word corny. I didn't know the exact meaning of the word. However, I noticed it was used in roughly three different contexts: when a) someone was about to make an emotional and heartfelt comment, b) to describe a romantic comedy or c) tomildly offend someone by criticising their taste in clothes or their choice of jokes. And if we take into consideration how many different meanings cool has, it seems right that the opposite of cool, corny, should be just as versatile.
Corny is defined as
- uncool
- trying to be cool/ to impress but failing
- unoriginal
- overused
- uninspired
- formulaic
- stupid
- lame
- cliché
- banal
- excessively sentimental/ romantic
- cheesy
- sickly sweet
- soppy
Now let's take a look at different examples of how the word corny is used:
IT MIGHT SOUND CORNY STATEMENTS
It might sound corny, but I actually enjoy learning new things.
It might sound corny, but I wanted to try and make something different.
It might sound corny, but I don't do it for the money. I do it cause I really enjoy it.
It might sound corny, but I'd like them to follow their dreams.
It might sound corny, but I love it when someone holds the door open for me.
It might sound corny, but I try to treat absolutely everyone with a lot of respect.
It might sound corny, but I think nursing was and still is my vocation.
It might sound corny, but I really believe in the product.
It might sound corny, but I get more satisfaction out of giving than receiving.
MOVIES
This movie is so cornyand cheesy it made me want to gag.
This movie is so corny but he looks so gorgeous that I can't help but watch it 50 more times.
“The Holiday” is corny done right.
CORNY PICK-UP LINES
If you were a new hamburger at McDonald's, you would be McGorgeous.
Are you a parking ticket? 'cause you got fine-fine-fine written all over ya.
Baby, you must be a broom, cause you just swept me off my feet.
Girl, you must be tired 'cause you've been running through my mind all day!
Do you have a map? I just keep on getting lost in your eyes.
If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together.
Do you come here often?
CORNY JOKES (these need to be read out loud)
Q. What did one toilet say to the other toilet?
A. You look flushed. flushed – red in the face
Q. When is a door, a jar? a jar – a small glass container
A. When it’s open. ajar – describes a door that is slightly open
A. When it’s open. ajar – describes a door that is slightly open
Q. What did the lawyer name his daughter?
A. Sue.… to sue – to take legal action against a person or organization,
A. Sue.… to sue – to take legal action against a person or organization,
Q. What did the pony say when it had a sore throat?
A. I apologize, I am a little horse!
A. I apologize, I am a little horse!
hoarse (sounds like 'horse') – having a rough voice
Q. What did the football coach say to the broken vending machine?
A. “Give me my quarter back!”
A. “Give me my quarter back!”
quarterback – (in American football) the player who receives the ball at the start of every play and tries to move it along the field
Q. What do you call a shoe made from a banana?
A. A Slipper. a slipper – a type of shoe you usually wear around your house
A. A Slipper. a slipper – a type of shoe you usually wear around your house
OTHER
These kids are planking. That's so corny.
Keeping the stickers on your hat is corny!
Does my shirt look corny to you? Ladies?
 | |
| Planking |
 | |
| A corny hat |
I'm just going to leave you with this quote from The Holiday:
I like corny. I’m looking for corny in my life.
GLOSSARY:
briefly (discuss) – pokrótce (for a short time)
to apply to– mieć zastosowanie (to have a connection or be important)
mere mortals – zwykli śmiertelnicy
I might have studied English – Co prawda studiowałam filologię angielską.
every now and again– od czasu do czasu (sometimes but not often)
to bother doing something – zawracać sobie głowę czymś (to make the effort to do something )
heartfelt– płynący z głębi serca, szczery (strongly felt and sincere )
given – dany (particular)
roughly – około, mniej więcej
to be about to– zamierzać właśnie coś zrobić (to be going to do something very soon)
to mildly offend – nieco obrazić
a taste – gust
just as – równie
versatile– mający wiele znaczeń, nadający się do użycia w różnych kontekstach (or able to be used for many different purposes)
uninspired – przeciętny
formulaic – utarty, schematyczny
lame – słaby
cliché – oklepany
excessively – zbytnio
cheesy – tandetny
sickly sweet– ckliwy, przesłodzony, sickly – mdlący (causing a slight feeling of wanting to vomit)
soppy – ckliwy, sentymentalny
a vocation – powołanie
to gag – zbierać się na wymioty
gorgeous – śliczny, cudny
a fine – grzywna, mandat
a broom – miotła
to sweep – zamiatać
to sweep somebody off their feet– powalić kogoś na kolana
a vending machine – automat do sprzedaży napojów, słodyczy itp.
