I’m partial to “picking up what you’re putting down.” I have no idea where it comes from apart from I had a friend whose dad said it all the time when we were teenagers.
In the late '70s, Martin Mull wrote a song that implored the listener do what sounded like two different things, but apparently, in the land of disco, they meant exactly the same thing! You see, in disco, to get down (boogie, I guess), you had to get up (off your fanny)! But, don't take my palabra for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kaLaGHxrPc And, whatever you do, Andrew, get down (but, get up first, or you may pull something)!🕺
There have always been these kind of disagreements, but in previous times, they took place behind closed doors among small groups. Modern technology allows people who had previously been shut out to participate in the dispute, however uniformed their positions are. and this is one of the main ways the world has changed.
I think both takes are right. There's much more unison than ever before, and yet there's also much more disagreement than ever before. That's because there's much more communication in general.
So, ideas about reality (EG, the laws of physics) AND cultural ideas (EG, rock and roll music) are shared by far more humans as a percentage of the total than ever before, but disagreements within subsets of knowledge are far more common.
The idea of people "seeing eye to eye" and being "on the same page" in most sectors of life are far less true now than they once were, if they ever were.
David, I'd like to go further down this rabbit hole with you, if you're down for it. I think it's a serious mixed bag.
In many ways, we humans have been disconnected from one another - virtual islands of thought. We each had our own ideas about fairness, human rights, etc etc. Over time, the viewpoint about "right and wrong" have converged, not diverged. I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of years here, but I think the same thing applies to the last few centuries. Do you see this differently?
I think anecdotes are amplified, but data is reality.
Seems to me that “on the same page” has taken a passive aggressive tone in the last few years. I’ve increasingly noticed people say “let’s get on the same page” when they mean “F you, you’re wrong, we are going to argue until you see it my way.”
Or maybe that’s just another casualty of how people speak to each other these days!
I like being on the same page and use it more often than those other phrases. To me, it simply conveys alignment. I don’t know anyone using it passive aggressively, thankfully.
Good point, although I kind of wonder if the other two are just as susceptible to being used maliciously. Like, "are we seeing eye to eye?" could be nasty AF if you use the right tone of voice and in the right context.
"Same wavelength" seems like it's inevitably more whimsical and less aggressive to my ears for some reason I can't quite pin down!
I’m partial to “picking up what you’re putting down.” I have no idea where it comes from apart from I had a friend whose dad said it all the time when we were teenagers.
See also: smelling what I'm stepping in!
Haha! Ok I don’t know if that version fits my idiom, but now I kind of want to make up my own.
Leave it to me to write about a poop version of everything.
We all have our place in the world!😝
In the late '70s, Martin Mull wrote a song that implored the listener do what sounded like two different things, but apparently, in the land of disco, they meant exactly the same thing! You see, in disco, to get down (boogie, I guess), you had to get up (off your fanny)! But, don't take my palabra for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kaLaGHxrPc And, whatever you do, Andrew, get down (but, get up first, or you may pull something)!🕺
Nice!
Given the... uh, particular theme... of some of your articles, I'm surprised you didn't mention "smelling what you're stepping in."
I can only adequately respond by way of a Hall and Oates song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHd84mloIYk
There have always been these kind of disagreements, but in previous times, they took place behind closed doors among small groups. Modern technology allows people who had previously been shut out to participate in the dispute, however uniformed their positions are. and this is one of the main ways the world has changed.
I think both takes are right. There's much more unison than ever before, and yet there's also much more disagreement than ever before. That's because there's much more communication in general.
So, ideas about reality (EG, the laws of physics) AND cultural ideas (EG, rock and roll music) are shared by far more humans as a percentage of the total than ever before, but disagreements within subsets of knowledge are far more common.
The idea of people "seeing eye to eye" and being "on the same page" in most sectors of life are far less true now than they once were, if they ever were.
David, I'd like to go further down this rabbit hole with you, if you're down for it. I think it's a serious mixed bag.
In many ways, we humans have been disconnected from one another - virtual islands of thought. We each had our own ideas about fairness, human rights, etc etc. Over time, the viewpoint about "right and wrong" have converged, not diverged. I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of years here, but I think the same thing applies to the last few centuries. Do you see this differently?
I think anecdotes are amplified, but data is reality.
Oh there’s “singing from the same song sheet” too!
Yes! I read (briefly) that "on the same page" could also have come about from a musical origin, or else that could have reinforced it.
Seems to me that “on the same page” has taken a passive aggressive tone in the last few years. I’ve increasingly noticed people say “let’s get on the same page” when they mean “F you, you’re wrong, we are going to argue until you see it my way.”
Or maybe that’s just another casualty of how people speak to each other these days!
I like being on the same page and use it more often than those other phrases. To me, it simply conveys alignment. I don’t know anyone using it passive aggressively, thankfully.
I think it's between "same page" and "eye to eye" whenever I'm talking about a personal connection. Both seem pretty harmless, broadly speaking.
Good point, although I kind of wonder if the other two are just as susceptible to being used maliciously. Like, "are we seeing eye to eye?" could be nasty AF if you use the right tone of voice and in the right context.
"Same wavelength" seems like it's inevitably more whimsical and less aggressive to my ears for some reason I can't quite pin down!
Yes absolutely. I feel wavelength is the least co-opted by the passive aggressive crowd.