Saturday, February 5, 2011

영어 Hint of the Day #32: You have a wonderful "command of the obvious." Who Me?

"Command of the obvious" is a sarcastic way of saying "everyone knows that, you dummy."
Sometimes, a person you know may say something that is very obvious.  It may be so obvious, you may wonder why that person said it at all.  On certain occasions, it may be because that person likes to impose his/her air of authority or superiority.  When this occurs, you, as the listener, may not be very happy.  You might say that the speaker has demonstrated an excellent "command of the obvious." 

Example:  OECD Reports Korea #2 in Food Inflation
The other day, this article on food inflation in Korea appeared.  Readers of the Seoul Gyopo Guide have known, for months, that inflation is problem for everyday Koreans.  The idea of a USD $4 gallon of milk has not been news to nearly anyone living in Korea.  The continuing pressure of food prices due to rising energy prices, continually increasing demand from China and emerging markets nations has made this a problem for everyone.  However, this is hardly newsworthy:  it is, and has been, painfully obvious to Koreans living in Korea.  You can say The Korea Herald has a very good "command of the obvious."

Note:  This phrase is very sarcastic.  It is essentially ridiculing the speaker/writer.  It may also imply that the obvious is the only thing that the speaker/writer knows at all.  If you use this phrase, use it carefully.




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