Two Word-Related Pleas: Please!

1. Now that we're officially in the "dead of winter," could we all agree to avoid the phrase "the white stuff"???

It's SNOW, people. Snow. Or something else, which might be "sleet" or "mixed rain and snow," depending on your country. It's not heroin or cocaine, it's not cotton balls, it's not wool, it's not printer paper, it's not milk--any or all of which could also be called "white stuff" (based on what I see on TV about drugs).

Calling it "the white stuff" doesn't make the snow, or you, any cuter. It's snow.

2. After events like the shooting in Tucson last Saturday, use of the phrase "in the wake of" spikes. For example, "In the wake of the Tucson shootings, pundits are falling all over each other to distance themselves from the event."

Just stop. The event, whether it's the Tucson shooting or Columbine or some other sudden violent event, is horrific, and what you say will not in any way be as important as the event itself. So stop borrowing drama. The word "after" conveys the same timeframe. If you want to make the case that what you're saying is related in some way to the event, make that case--don't assume it.

Okay, end of lecture. Just: please?