At the end of the day . . .

‘At the end of the day’ has finality and a hint of righteousness.  No surprise that every talking head, politician, sportscaster and game show host lunges for it like a linguistic life preserver, reports Tim Kidwell (WSJ, July 8, 2009).

He proposes a challenge:  “Come on, folks.  Surely we can come up with a few worthy metaphor replacements for this tired old saw.  Allow me to share a few humble submissions.

• Domestic:  When the Pop Tart’s out of the toaster.
• Legal:  When all appeals are exhausted and all clients are broke.
• Lyrical: When that last, lone swallow is perched upon the cliffs of Capistrano.
• Speculative:  When the closing bell sounds and every fund’s been hedged.
• Legislative:  When the filibuster’s broken, the bill is up for vote, and senators are running for cover like roaches in a brightly lit kitchen.

After all, when you stop and think about it, at the end of the day there’s really only one thing left to say: Good night.”

-trivialities by d. Quayle

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