hoddy-noddy - noun - a foolish person (Lexico.com)
Was it P.T. Barnum who once said, "There's a hoddy-noddy born every minute?" Or was it "a sucker born every minute"? Okay, it was "a sucker." Close enough. Originating in the 17th century, hoddy-noddy is another word that is never used today. Yet I'm beginning to think it should be. Perhaps the English language may need a few more synonyms for "fool"?
Case in point: this morning, I opened up my laptop and noticed an ad promoting traveling placed in a central location. It was no ordinary, sensible advertisement for a bus tour or a cruise; however, it was designed to make the viewer think that it was. The promotion was for a virtual tour of exotic locales. Okay, I understand why some might wish to stay home since we are just getting through a global pandemic, but why would we want to spend serious dollars on a photographic montage of on-line destinations when we could Google them ourselves and pay nothing? Truly, only a hoddy-noddy would fall for such a scheme. But then again, the advertiser is counting on attracting a legion of them, and probably is doing so at this precise moment. Why? There's a hoddy-noddy born every minute.
Ironically, the older we get, the more naive we become. The more naive we become, the more ignorant of grifters that only wish to rob us of whatever savings we have. "Let the buyer beware" is the quote we need to keep in mind as well as Barnum's.
In short, don't be a hoddy-noddy and fall for scams. The actual and cyber thieves out there are counting on lack of common sense to earn a decent living.
Happy Friday before July 4th!
#word of the day, #vocabulary, #writers, #writers and poets, #words, #inspiration, #optimism, #inspiring words, #humor, #spilled thoughts, #motivation, #inspirational thoughts, #inspiration, #inspirational words, #words of wisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poets and writers, #writers community, #writers, #readers #writing
No comments:
Post a Comment