Our new catchphrase

(that actually isn't a word)

Just like ‘Oh my god’ suddenly changed to ‘Meine gute’ and everyone suddenly used ‘on fleek’ while ‘how nice is that?’ came around the corner, we have now collectively switched to something else.

“You have a little tick, May,” said my dear colleague Daan. I didn’t notice anything, but I seemed to be sucking in air before I said anything. Daan was doing it too by now, but I was unaware of any wrongdoing. In fact, I didn’t know what she was talking about.

Until I was in the car this Sunday with my eight-year-old daughter. She was doing it too. Phrase, gasp of air with a sucking sound and on we go. That was it. I was doing it. Suddenly I heard myself doing it. And Daan. And Joost Karhof on TV. And the man I had a business appointment with. And my daughter, of course. It’s contagious. Don’t talk to me or you’ll be gasping (and sucking) through life.

How did we get here? And how do we get rid of it? The positive thing is that it’s definitely better than those empty, hopeless ‘wah that applies’ interjections that everyone seems to be cramming in everywhere. Or that somewhere ‘point nl’ is added. That was already hopeless in 2005. So it might be annoying and contagious, but it’s definitely a lot better than our previous collective tics.