🤝 Our Mutual Misunderstandings: Exploring Mutual Clichés 🤹

Dive into the delightful intricacies and common missteps of using 'mutual' appropriately (and not-so-appropriately)!

🤝 Our Mutual Misunderstandings: Exploring Mutual Clichés 🤹

Is it really mutual, or are we just dancing around the same idea but not quite getting it right? In the grand theater of clichés, “mutual” is often miscast in roles that defy its original meaning. While we’re here to iron out these linguistic wrinkles, let’s also indulge in the humor, history, and heart that make our language so delightfully complex.

1. 😆 The Feeling is Mutual

Strictly speaking, mutual means reciprocal. When Jack says, “I can’t stand your affected accent,” and Jill replies, “The feeling is mutual,” Jill is saying she feels the same way about Jack’s accent. And yet, in the course of the twentieth century, this expression became a cliché often misused to describe a common or shared feeling about something or someone else. For example, when Jill says, “I think the president is marvelous” and Jack responds, “The feeling is mutual,” he means he thinks the same as she does, not that they reciprocate feelings about each other.

Related Terms: reciprocal, shared, common
Similar Expressions: “Same here,” “I feel the same way,” “Ditto”
Proverbs: “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”
Humorous Quotes: “I know we’re on the same wavelength. You’re just sending from a different location.”
Books: Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens (an ironic example since Dickens himself made the same mistake!)
Songs: “Same Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Movies: When Harry Met Sally - Mutual realization of feelings done right!

2. Mutual Admiration Society

This phrase evokes imagery of two people excessively praising each other. It also brings to mind a 1956 song by Teresa Brewer which used the term humorously.

Synonyms: adoration club, praise party
Antonyms: mutual disdain, animosity circle
Proverbs: “Birds of a feather flock together.”
Books: The Mutual Admiration Society by Lesley Kagen
Movies: Mean Girls - The Plastics are practically a ‘mutual admiration society’!

Quizzes

### Which of these is a correct use of "mutual"? - [ ] Jack and Mary have a mutual pen. - [x] Jill and Jane have mutual respect. - [ ] Matt and Emma both think the pizza is tasty; the feeling is mutual. - [ ] They are members of a mutual admiration shoe club. > **Explanation:** "Jill and Jane have mutual respect" is correct because mutual implies a reciprocal feeling. The others misuse the term or are nonsensical. ### In Dickens' novel, 'Our Mutual Friend', what is the irony in the title? - [x] Mutual implies reciprocity, but the title suggests a common friend. - [ ] Mutual actually means individual. - [ ] There’s no irony; it's correct usage. - [ ] It's a mistake on purpose to engage readers. > **Explanation:** There is irony because “mutual” implies reciprocation between individuals, but the title suggests a common friend, which doesn't fit the correct usage of "mutual." ### True or False: "Mutual joy" is an example of correct usage - [x] True - [ ] False > **Explanation:** Definitely true! Mutual joy means joy that is shared reciprocally between parties.

Farewell Thought 💭

Isn’t it splendid that language evolves and takes unexpected turns? Yet, even within this grand tapestry, clarity remains a guiding star. So let’s celebrate our mutual love for linguistic quirks, ever mindful and appreciative of each nuance. Keep questioning, keep exploring, and, above all, keep the joy of language alive!

Stay verbose, stay curious! – Verbiage V. Vocabulary