Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Trends, June 26, 2000

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, June 26, 2000 | 2:28 a.m.

Celebrities say the dumbest things.

Need proof? Pick up a copy of the recently published book "They Said That!" (Renaissance Books, $17.95). Author Larry Engelmann compiled asinine quotations from more than 2,000 of the biggest stars on the planet, documenting their slip-ups, backhanded compliments and twisted insight.

Original shock rocker Alice Cooper on his modern-day counterpart, Marilyn Manson: "The guy's got a girl's name, and he wears makeup. What an original idea."

Songstress Mariah Carey on her one-time relationship with baseball's Derek Jeter: "I'm just a singer, not some magical baseball genie who can make or break someone's game."

Athlete Bo Jackson on higher education: "It takes the dignity out of college athletics when you have a guy playing football who can't spell football."

Wire-tapper extraordinare Linda Tripp on her belief that President Clinton wanted her dead: "I'm not paranoid; I'm not delusional. I'm normal."

Fun with words

Another book that might be worth reading: Webster's New World College Dictionary.

The latest edition took into consideration current language trends, especially when it comes to slang, and recognizes the differences between the speech patterns of older and younger people.

What was "groovy" to "flower children" of the 1960s is "huge" to members of "Generation X."

If something used to be "hunky-dory," now it's "the bomb."

In the '80s a "dink" couple had a double income and no kids. Today they're "dins" (double income, no sex).

Don't call them "old fogies" anymore -- seniors would probably prefer "opal" (which stands for "older person" with an "active liftstyle").

Girls' stuff

Hallmark knows what women think, thanks to a survey the card maker recently conducted.

The company's Girlfriend Survey revealed that women share all sorts of information with their female friends. Ninety-one percent would "very likely" tell a friend if they were considering moving elsewhere in the country, while 89 percent would spill the beans if they thought they were pregnant.

Forty-three percent would admit to their buddy if they bounced a check at the grocery store. And 40 percent would tell if they thought a gal pal was wearing an unflattering outfit. Now that's a friend for life.

Coinciding with the survey, Hallmark has released a line of greeting cards that girlfriends can give to each other. Called "Fresh Ink," the tongue-in-cheek line includes a card bidding best wishes on a pregnancy with the sentiment, "Hope everything goes well until you can see your feet again." Another knee-slapper: A cartoonish card featuring all sorts of high-heeled shoes. It reads, "Sometimes I feel sorry for men and how empty their lives must be."

Lisa Ferguson is an Accent staff writer. Her Trends column appears Mondays. Reach her at lisa@lasvegassun.com or 259-4060.