Thursday, January 14, 2010

100 Percent

Ok, there are a few little sayings that annoy me just a little bit. I wrote about one of those phrases that pesters me in my blog a little while back. This time, another phrase caught my eye while watching American Idol. This little idiom comes into play after all of the judges have given their opinion about the participant. One of the judges brings up the fact that they need to vote on whether to keep the minstrel or toss them out of the show. If the vocalist is horrible, the critics tell the poor schlub how terrible they were and march them out the door in tears. However, if the warbler is good, each of the judges try to explain just how magnificent they sang. Unfortunately, their vote sounds like this. "I vote yes! One Hundred Thousand Percent Yes!"

Ok, a hundred thousand sounds good, but then they said percent, what is that? I think when you are talking about a percentage, once you reach 100%, you have reached the max you can go. Have you heard people say they will give 110%? I hear it all the time. Once you hit 100, you are done, thats all there is. You can't give more than 100%. So, if you are excited about something, or you are trying really hard at something, please just say you are giving 100% and end it.

If you don't like only giving 100%, try using something that doesn't use a percent. You are the best vocalist I've heard and so you get a total YES from me. Lets see, you could say I'll work harder than everyone else. I'll stay later, I'll sing higher, practice longer. That all works.
110%?
Not so much.