I should tell you now that the mention of Christmas in the title up above is absolutely the last time that I will be talking of Christmas in this here blog post. Well, except of course for the two mentions of Christmas in my opening sentence. And the single mention of Christmas in the sentence previous to this one. And also the one mention of Christmas in the again previous sentence. Etc.
I won’t be instantiating the term “Christmas” here (excepting the unfortunately quite unavoidable mentions of Christmas thus far, and also the equally unavoidable uses of Christmas appearing in this very sentence) because, frankly put, talking about Christmas sucks. Specifically, what is annoying about Christmas is the inescapability of it. That’s what I mean by instantiation: when people just repeat the word of the day (in this case, Christmas) incessantly, over and over again, until it just creeps quietly into your consciousness, and you can’t get it out. Like this: Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. See what I mean?
You’re probably thinking that there’s a clever point to be made here, in relation to the unfortunate over-use of the word Christmas from certain quarters, about the reductive qualities of language in general. One might make productive comparison, perhaps, between the current problems with Christmas vocabulary over-exposure and the linguistic straining of Shakespeare’s later tragedies, where certain words are repeated into meaninglessness in order to point to the indescribable nature of the events they purport to describe: for example, Macbeth’s “horror, horror, horror” (ii.iii.62) or King Lear’s “howl, howl, howl, howl” (v.iii.257) and “never, never, never, never, never” (v.ii.308).
But it’s not like that at all, because there’s nothing clever about simply repeating the word Christmas. I’m fed up of Christmas, and not just because of this suspicious rash that you gave me. No, I dislike the fact that people in general just can't seem to stop using the word Christmas in every single sentence. They might as well just stop you in the street and shout the word Christmas right at you, while frenetically waving a large placard with “Christmas” emblazoned on it in a large, bold font. Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Seriously, there’s nothing more annoying than the constant and unbroken repetition of the word Christmas. Why, you can’t even escape Christmas on a blog post that is deliberately trying not to write about Christmas.
Look, I'm a man of faith. Consistently troubled faith, but faith nonetheless. I would like it if this time of year actually meant something. I would like it if we could use certain words with a modicum of understanding. I would like it if we could use this time to treat each other with compassion, respect, and love. But, apparently, we'd all prefer to buy stuff instead. So, to repeat myself a little, Christmas sucks.
Christmas instantiation count = 31 (including this line and below)
Christmas combo count = 2
Final score = could do better.
I won’t be instantiating the term “Christmas” here (excepting the unfortunately quite unavoidable mentions of Christmas thus far, and also the equally unavoidable uses of Christmas appearing in this very sentence) because, frankly put, talking about Christmas sucks. Specifically, what is annoying about Christmas is the inescapability of it. That’s what I mean by instantiation: when people just repeat the word of the day (in this case, Christmas) incessantly, over and over again, until it just creeps quietly into your consciousness, and you can’t get it out. Like this: Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. See what I mean?
You’re probably thinking that there’s a clever point to be made here, in relation to the unfortunate over-use of the word Christmas from certain quarters, about the reductive qualities of language in general. One might make productive comparison, perhaps, between the current problems with Christmas vocabulary over-exposure and the linguistic straining of Shakespeare’s later tragedies, where certain words are repeated into meaninglessness in order to point to the indescribable nature of the events they purport to describe: for example, Macbeth’s “horror, horror, horror” (ii.iii.62) or King Lear’s “howl, howl, howl, howl” (v.iii.257) and “never, never, never, never, never” (v.ii.308).
But it’s not like that at all, because there’s nothing clever about simply repeating the word Christmas. I’m fed up of Christmas, and not just because of this suspicious rash that you gave me. No, I dislike the fact that people in general just can't seem to stop using the word Christmas in every single sentence. They might as well just stop you in the street and shout the word Christmas right at you, while frenetically waving a large placard with “Christmas” emblazoned on it in a large, bold font. Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Seriously, there’s nothing more annoying than the constant and unbroken repetition of the word Christmas. Why, you can’t even escape Christmas on a blog post that is deliberately trying not to write about Christmas.
Look, I'm a man of faith. Consistently troubled faith, but faith nonetheless. I would like it if this time of year actually meant something. I would like it if we could use certain words with a modicum of understanding. I would like it if we could use this time to treat each other with compassion, respect, and love. But, apparently, we'd all prefer to buy stuff instead. So, to repeat myself a little, Christmas sucks.
Christmas instantiation count = 31 (including this line and below)
Christmas combo count = 2
Final score = could do better.