What’s Not to Like? 🌟
What’s not to like? - The subject being spoken of is without fault or blemish. Originating in the latter half of the 1900s, this phrase skyrocketed to popularity by the 1970s. In a 1974 “Juliet Jones” cartoon strip in the Lowell Sun, a woman details an ideal man, saying, “He’s brave, handsome, industrious, an enemy of criminals… what’s not to like about such a man?”
However, “What’s not to like?” does double duty as a phrase. Occasionally, it sashays into the room swathed in sarcasm, implying that the subject is, indeed, quite unlikeable. Take, for instance, a starkly ironic Newsweek article headline, “What’s Not to Like? Reform? Why Do We Need Health-Care Reform? Everything Is Just Fine the Way It Is” (July 31, 2009).
There you have it—the charming chameleon phrase: applause-worthy one minute, laced with bitter irony the next.
Related Terms & Expressions
- Not a hair out of place: Synonymous for impeccable or flawless.
- Couldn’t ask for more: Indicates absolute satisfaction.
- A nickel short of a dime: Humorous counterpart indicating something’s lacking.
- Bull in a china shop: When irony makes “what’s not to like” turn clumsily wrong.
- Ugly duckling: Transforms into a swan; hard to resist admiring the literal glow-up.
Quotes & Humor
- “Everything is perfect about him apart from his imperfection.” - Imaginary Friend on Dating Sites, Circa 2023.
Proverbs & Wisdom
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: Not all impeccable qualities are universal.
- There’s no accounting for taste: Even the perfect has dissenters.
Literature, Movies, Songs & More
- Book: “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty – A tale where perfect facades hide chaos.
- Movie: “The Truman Show” – Perfect-looking lives are not always so under inspection.
- Song: “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel – Celebrates what’s already beloved, flaws and all.
- Poetry: “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare – Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thought-Provoking Farewell
“There are moments that prick with both perfection and paradox. The next time you ask yourself, ‘What’s not to like?’, let curiosity lead the charge, and perhaps you’ll find a treasure even in those perceived flaws.” — Verbose Verity, 2023
