If the pandemic has a catch phrase, it’s undoubtedly “now more than ever.” You’ll see or hear it in public service announcements, but also ads for any number of commercial enterprises.

Frankly, it’s overused. And when a phrase is overused, it either loses its impact or has the opposite than effect than was intended. I am reminded of my first job as a copywriter in the college textbook advertising department – yes it was a thing –of a publishing company. We were all fresh out of college, with dreams of literary greatness, whether it was writing the Great American Novel, being published in the New Yorker, (heck just being published), or landing a job in a “real advertising agency.” Sure, we were a little stymied by our subject matter, but that didn’t stop us from seeking to perfect, and at times overuse a beloved turn of phrase. I remember one meeting with marketing when a colleague defended (pleaded for was more like it) his use of the work apotheosis to remain in an ad. Within or outside of a college textbook advertising department, there is never a permissible time to use that word. There are many smaller words with the same meaning which will get your point across without guaranteeing someone, or perhaps many people, will think you are a pompous ass.

Pedagogy was a word we were in fact compelled to use. (College textbooks, after all.) I must confess to using words like hoopla and hyperbole (and yes in the same sentence), as well shamelessly copying the trends I saw in the ad industry magazines. To whit; The best text on database management systems. Period. It was all about emphasizing the punctuation in those days.

In the spirit of that first writing job, and in an effort to blast myself out of apathy and despair, I’ve come up with some alternative phases to replace the offending “now more than ever.”

It’s the Pandemic, Stupid.

Armageddon. We Told Ya.

Welcome to the Dystopia!

I Still Can’t Believe It, Can You?

Not Now, Not Ever

Never More Than Now (just for a change of pace.)

End of Days for Days on End

Feel free to add your own, and stay safe.