Patricia Stoltey

Author

Y is for Yada Yada Yada

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This is the next to last day of the A to Z Blog Challenge. Don’t forget Monday, May 3rd, is the day to check this blog and others that participated in the challenge for our thoughts — why we participated and what we learned in the process.

Back to my Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary:

Yada yada yada (or yada yada or yadda yadda or yadda yadda yadda) — “boring or empty talk (listening to a lot of yada yada about the economy) — often used interjectionally esp. in recounting words regarded as too dull or predictable to be worth repeating.”

Although most of us probably attribute this phrase and usage to the Seinfeld series, the dictionary says it probably originated with yatata meaning idle chatter or yatter-yatter meaning chatter.

I apply the phrase when describing political speeches, Senate committee hearings, and talk shows. There is also a certain amount of yada yada yada on blogs and in blog comments (but not ours, of course).

Y is also for Yawner

Yawner — “1: one that yawns 2: something that causes boredom (the show was a real~)”

This is what today’s post is turning out to be. A real yawner.

“What did she blog about today?”

“Uh, the letter Y.”

“Yeah? What did she say?”

“Uh, I don’t know, something about the dictionary and yada yada yada. It was a real yawner.”

Y is also for Yoicks

Yoicks — “used as a cry of encouragment to foxhounds.”

Really? Wow.

And, finally, Y is for Yogurt which is Yummy, especially when mixed with frozen blueberries and a little granola.

I have nothing else to say about Y.

Yawn.

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Comments

  1. Not a bad topic at all, I think Yawn and Yada Yada Yada are things we need to leave out of our fiction writing, or at least gain the skills to spot them so we can slash them in the edits! 🙂

  2. Hi, Sounds rather funny to say yadayada, even musical, doesn’t it? Reminds me of the song, Jada Jada, Jada Jada Jing Jing Jing, which was popular back in the 40’s I think.
    Or it may have been yada yada yada yada jing, jing,jing. It has been too long since I heard it to be sure.
    Right now, I am sleepy and yawning but not from reading your post. It is 11 p.m.
    Bye for now.Ruby

  8. Hi everyone — glad no one is yawning yet.

    After I brushed the two inches of snow off my tulips and scooped the snow off my pansies and rosemary, I went to Whole Foods. For you Northern Coloradoans who stop by, WF has those good tomatoes back in stock (and the Harmony Farmers Market opens up on Sunday so I’m sure the tomatoes will be there as well).

    And Stephen, that’s a great “Y” word — I’m hoping for a bit of that myself.

  9. How about “YES” the word I expect an agent or mainstream publisher to say to me this year. “YES” is a very good word to hear. Here’s hoping you all hear that word often in 2010!

    Stephen Tremp

  11. “Y” is for “You’re terrific, Patricia.”
    The A to Z posts have been great fun and I’ve enjoyed them all.
    (The Yoicks thing made me laugh out loud).

  12. Thanks for a really chatty post Patricia,
    we have much YADADADAD TALK over here as next week is our General Election so that’s all we hear about.
    I love yougart also, apart from being a healthy food there are so many varieties.
    Take care and have a lovely day from another “Y”
    Yvonne.

  14. I like ‘yoicks,’ Pat. This morning, my ‘y’ is for ‘you gotta be kidding me,’ which is what I said when I saw all the snow on the ground. And still coming down!