Between credit cards, online payment services, and good ol’ cash, many consumers have sequestered their checkbooks into cupboards and drawers that seldom see the light of day. Still, not everyone has left their checkbooks to waste away; many consumers use the notebooks from time to time, whether it be paying a bill, rent, or other expenses where plastic or cash aren’t options. [More]
words
Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
By 1.29.16
Here are six of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness. [More]
Dictionary Legitimizes Lazy, Overused Online Abbreviations
By 3.25.11
FYI: In a move that may make English language purists go OMG and LOL, the Oxford English Dictionary has embraced all the abbreviations used in this sentence. [More]
Ticketmaster Tries To Evade California Law By Calling "Gift Card" A "Discount Card"
By 5.3.09
See this gift card, the one that says “GIFT CARD” in big letters? Ticketmaster insists it’s really a “Discount Card,” and thus, not covered by the California law preventing gift cards from expiring.
Internal Geek Squad Memo Acclaims "Notorious" Service
By 6.10.07
We received an internal Geek Squad memo that acclaims the world-renowned service for which they are “notorious.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines notorious as: “famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed.”
McDonalds Wants To Literally Redefine "McJob"
By 6.9.07
Webster’s dictionary defines McJob as, “a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement,” a definition that McDonalds’ lobbyists are working overtime to overturn.
The company is leading a “word battle” on behalf of the wider service sector. The object, according to David Fairhurst, a senior vice-president of McDonald’s, is to change the definition of McJob to “reflect a job that is stimulating, rewarding … and offers skills that last a lifetime.”
The Oxford English Dictionary, which specifically notes that McJobs are “unstimulating,” claims that they track the popular usage of words, and do not respond to pressure from interest groups. What do you think? Tell us in the comments. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
