The two-year anniversary of our Great Global Unpleasantness approaches. To mark the event, 30-Second Read today celebrates the most uttered new phrase in the English-speaking world.
You might think we refer to “Wear a mask!” or “I damn well won’t wear a mask!” Good guesses, given our cultural frictions. But no.
Instead …
“You’re on mute.”
And its frisky sibling …
“You’re on mute!”
The Unpleasantness, of course, drove businesses, schools, friends and families to connect through video calls – to the point that big “Z” Zoom may, like big “Z” Zipper long ago, become a little “z” verb.
The connections themselves are grand, so “thank you” to Zoom and other video conferencing services. And muting is vital. How else to ensure participants don’t hear a barking dog or flushing toilet?
Googling “you’re on mute” yields what the search engine says are “About 558,000,000 results.” And ’tis no surprise the phrase adorns hundreds of mugs and shirts for sale online.
Yet “you’re on mute” is a gentle admonishment, unlike its often thought but too seldom said antonym:
“Shut the hell up!”
