The problem with no problem

Houston, we have a problem.” Running out of oxygen 200,000 miles from earth? That’s a problem. Refilling your water glass at a restaurant? Not so much. So what’s the problem? Unless they ran out of water the problem is there is no problem. Our language has devolved to such an extent that we respond “no problem” to any mundane request that comes our way.

Maybe “you’re welcome” is out of date as a response to “thank you”. But “no problem”? Not a good answer. “No worries?” Even worse. I understand that language grows and changes over time which is probably why “thou” is not a part of my everyday vocabulary. But “no problem” is just plain lazy.

Should we “unpack that”? Not unless it’s a suitcase. Unpack has been appropriated, mostly by the media, as a poor substitute for “explain”. NPR, cable, and talking heads everywhere endlessly unpack issues for us when what we really need is an explanation.

And it doesn’t end there. Science and technology has contributed its fair share of words and expressions that we mindlessly repeat in our everyday chatter. “I’m not wired that way.” “I don’t have the bandwidth”. “It’s not in my DNA”. Are you telling me you’re uncomfortable with this; you’re not interested and you don’t have the time anyway?

And while we’re on the subject, do you know anyone who can accurately list their genetic makeup? Like lambs to the slaughter we have blindly adopted metonymies that are further and further away from the intended target. The “White House” for the President? “Hollywood” for the film industry? Probably ok. “Suits” for business executives? A little shaky. The suit is in danger of going the way of spats and a bowler hat.

Our culture has an almost unlimited tolerance for repurposing a word or phrase no matter how odious its origins. Hence, “scoring” drugs has given way to “scoring” tickets to a Broadway show.

I’m told I shouldn’t get worked up about this stuff. Exactly the wrong way to get me to back off. I’ve conceded that a virus can infect the digital world and that modern “trolls” don’t necessarily live under bridges, although I suspect some do. But “bad optics” is overused and don’t get me started on “woke”.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Is that too much to ask?

“No problem”.

Apparently it is.

 

M.A. Duca is a resident of Twin Lakes, narrowly focused on everyday life.

Latest News

Student recital returns for 43rd year

Jazz and classical ensembles from Salisbury School and Indian Mountain School, and solo pianists and a cellist, will perform for the 43rd annual student recital at the United Congregational Church in Salisbury on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Photo by Nathan Miller

The annual student recital is returning for its 43rd year at Salisbury Congregational Church at 30 Main St.

This year’s performance is set for Sunday, Feb. 23, at 3 p.m.

Keep ReadingShow less
McCarron wins silver at state meet

Indoor track BL champs

Provided

Housatonic Valley Regional High School senior Kyle McCarron’s 1600-meter time of 4:30.31 earned him second place in this year’s indoor state meet. He was within two seconds of first-place finisher Matthew Kraszewski from Nathan Hale-Ray High School.

McCarron was one of eight runners to represent HVRHS in the 2025 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class S indoor track meet at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven Feb. 15. In addition to his 1600-meter silver medal, McCarron placed sixth in the 3200-meter run.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy Brown’s retrospective celebrates 50 years of women at Hotchkiss

Joy Brown installing work for her show at the Tremaine Art Gallery at Hotchkiss.

Natalia Zukerman

This year, The Hotchkiss School is marking 50 years of co-education with a series of special events, including an exhibition by renowned sculptor Joy Brown. “The Art of Joy Brown,” opening Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Tremaine Art Gallery, offers a rare retrospective of Brown’s work, spanning five decades from her early pottery to her large-scale bronze sculptures.

“It’s an honor to show my work in celebration of fifty years of women at Hotchkiss,” Brown shared. “This exhibition traces my journey—from my roots in pottery to the figures and murals that have evolved over time.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Special screening of ‘The Brutalist’ at the Triplex Cinema
Yale professor Elihu Rubin led discussions before and after “The Brutalist” screening at Triplex Cinema on Feb. 2. He highlighted how the film brings architecture into focus, inviting the audience to explore Brutalism as both a style and a theme.
L. Tomaino

A special screening of “The Brutalist” was held on Feb. 2 at the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington. Elihu Rubin, a Henry Hart Rice Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at Yale, led discussions both before and after the film.

“The Brutalist” stars Adrien Brody as fictional character, architect Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian-born Jewish architect. Toth trained at the Bauhaus and was interred at the concentration camp Buchenwald during World War II. The film tells of his struggle as an immigrant to gain back his standing and respect as an architect. Brody was winner of the Best Actor Golden Globe, while Bradley Corbet, director of the film, won best director and the film took home the Golden Globe for Best Film Drama. They have been nominated again for Academy Awards.

Keep ReadingShow less