Tuesday, August 08, 2006

 

BEING UBER

So lately E and I have been using a specific word a helluva lot. This term is "uber."

Used in a sentence, it goes: "That girl is soooo uber." "Oh, that was SO UBER of me!"

We picked it up about a month ago, I do believe that I was the one who coined the phrase. Two days ago I was thinking about it, and I realized that we hadn't quite nailed down an exact definition. I mean, we use it for the same situations, but there's always a chance of confusion. Afterall, when I say "lunch bag" I mean those brown ones, E thinks I mean the plastic sandwich holders. I say "oil" and I mean olive oil...E pictures vegetable oil.

At any rate. So, we talked about it. And here it is.

UBER: (oo-ber)
- someone who thinks they're being unique, special, or original, but is really just being a cliche. e.g., "Ashlee said that she hates to diet, and loves to chow down on a burger and beer at a ballgame."
- someone who takes a certain trait and enlarges it to fit a stereotype; or enlarges it to make a point about him/herself that isn't necessarily a reflection of reality, in order to appear a certain way to someone else.

Basically, when someone is being uber...you're listening with a pleasant look on your face, but what you're really thinking is "Um. No one gives a crap."

Another example of "uber" is an ad in the September issue of Vanity Fair. It's a picture of a woman, perched on some rocks, facing the sun with laughter flowing out of her mouth. And the Golden Gate Bridge is in the background.

The text reads: considers shopping an art form. rides the cable cars every chance she gets. always has a mai tai in the tonga room when staying at The Fairmont San Francisco.

The tag line, at the bottom: everyone's an original.

Right.

I miss those fun little sentences that we all used to do in elementary school, middle school, and (if you were lucky) high school. So, here goes!

EXAMPLES OF UBER

Frank looked deeply into her eyes, and popped the question. "Do you like camping?"
Carrie, her face registering shock and horror for a nanosecond, recovered admirably, and replied, "Oh, it's fantastic. It makes me feel whole...walking on dead pine needles, seeing drops of water in spider webs, smelling burgers on the grill."

Hesitating, E scribbled that she loves volleyball and surfing in the information form for CUA's orientation. Her mom, peering over her shoulder, protested that she's never done either. "Details!" E sang, as she sealed the envelope.

"This yogurt is...chocolate from Switzerland good," said the perky brunette in yoga clothes. "No...it's...sale day at Bloomingdale's good," said the beautiful black girl in yoga clothes. "No...it's...the yard guy cutting the grass with his shirt off good," said token chubby friend, swathed in yoga clothes.
(Note: this is also an example of that annoying breed that we call "toppers")

"I sleptwalked last night," said Meg, for the bazillionth time, during lunch.

Comments:
I'm not going to lie, I don't really care for the word. There, I said it.
 
good to know!

I'd love to know why - is it the sound? the meaning? the idea behind it?
 
bub: I know. I've adapted it to my uses, while keeping the spirit of the original.
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?