While it's clear from the entry that I was not the first to use it (the LA Times got there first), I'm remarkably impressed with the truly ask-and-you-shall-receive nature of things these days. Earlier this week, I directed you to Doubletongued, a "lexicon for fringe English, focusing on slang, jargon, and new words." I half-jokingly suggested that my use of matchy matchy should be added to the record book, so vital is its meaning. What would future generations do without such an employable phrase? A way to capture that horrific sensation that makes itself known when one is faced with things that seem, by cunning calculation, to look the very same? To belong together in a way that is unnatural?
It seems I've made my case. The folks at Doubletongued have added matchy matchy to their dictionary. More still, Counterbalance is cited as one of the preeminent (perhaps that's pushing it a bit) sources that legitimizes this phrase as slang. According to the double-tongued crew, I first employed this important phrase on September 6th, 2006 when talking about matchy matchy book covers.
I'm a citation! For fringe English, for jargon, for slang! Who knew I would make such important contributions to our cultural dialogue? To the documented record of the language spoken in our time? I feel strangely important. I'm sure it will pass.
