Some people have a tendency to give wrong answers in casual conversation.  Not like

Person 1:  Who did you vote for?
Person 2:  John McCain.
Person 1:  Wrong answer!

More like

Person 1:  Hey, what's new?
Person 2:  Pretty good.
Person 1:  Wrong answer.

It usually happens because of a miscommunication or a misunderstanding.  But sometimes it's also because people get nervous in social situations.  For me, it only happens when I talk to specific people, who, for whatever reason, make me nervous.  I keep seeing this one guy in a social setting (I don't know how to make that sound less gay) and I keep saying the wrong things.  This was our most recent conversation: 

Guy:  Hey Dave, how was your holiday?
Me:  Hey, you too.

I thought he said, "Have a good holiday."  It was more of a conversation-in-passing, and once I realized my answer didn't match up with his question, it was too late to go back to him and say, "I misheard what you said.  My holiday was great.  How was yours?"  Sometimes you just need to give the wrong answer and move on. 

The checkout lines that say "10 items or less" are grammatically incorrect, and the people who know of this like to point it out with much grandeur and pomp.  Less should be used with things you measure (less coffee, less talking, less annoying) while fewer should be used with things you can count (fewer items, fewer baby-eaters, fewer exploding M&M's).  Oddly enough, the opposite of both less and fewer is more, thus adding to the confusion. 

Similar to my problem with barbecued pork, I've actually developed a dislike for Chinese food because every time I eat it, I lose control and overeat, making me feel like I could pop.  Oh it's a problem. 

These days, the word organic has some very specific connotations concerning health and the environment, while up until about 2004, it simply meant carbon-based. 

About.com says a recession is when there's a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters.  A depression is when the GDP declines by more than 10 percent. 

Both definitions are up for debate, but one rule of thumb is that people can't decide when we're in a recession or not, but nobody questions when it's a depression.  In other words, if you're eating meals at food kitchens, we're probably in a depression.  If not, it's probably a recession. 

Thanks again, Dove. 

I like any advice that comes from a candy. 

A Ponzi scheme is a type of pyramid scheme where investors are paid returns from the enlistment of new investors, instead of from profits.  Bernard Madoff, former chairman of the NASDAQ, just got in trouble for this.  Neatorama makes the case that Social Security is essentially a Ponzi scheme as well because it provides investors (retirees) returns from the enlistment of new investors (taxpayers).  But those returns also include a little bit of profit because they're invested in government bonds.  However, the number of retirees will likely eventually outgrow the number of taxpayers, which will make the whole system implode.  Don't worry; I'm sure somebody will fix it eventually. 

I remember being in about third or fourth grade when I first heard someone say, "See you next year!" in reference to the arbitrary calendar event of December becoming January.  It boggled my mind.  What do you mean "next year"?  Are you moving to a different school?  Is school closed for the rest of the year?  What other explanation could there be for why you won't be seeing me until next year?  I don't underst--oh.  I get it.  That's funny. 

Like any kid, I used the saying a few times myself, joining in on the fun that is exposing other people's ignorance of calendar-based wordplays.  Oh the fun. 

Things changed sometime around, oh I don't, the age of 12, when the saying lost its affect on me.  See you nex--yeah yeah I understand.  It's funny.  Look how we're all laughing. 

For the life of me, I can't figure out why grown adults still say this to other grown adults.  "See you next year" should be "See you in one to two days, or whenever you come back from your work-sponsored vacation." 

Why aren't books rated for content?  The MPAA rates movies.  The RIAA rates music.  The FCC and TV networks rate TV shows.  The ESRB rates video games.  Why are books exempt from this?  Not that I think the world needs more censorship, but it just seems a little unbalanced. 

I've heard a few stories in my time about pet owners deciding they were "done" with their pets, as if the animals came with a specific lifetime of usability, and that lifetime had been reached.  That's why there are so many older pets in adoption centers.  It's really ridiculous if you think about it.  Pets aren't cell phones.  You don't just get one for a few years then give it to your neighbor when you're done with it.