flag your catchphrases

June 7, 2021

Catchphrases are extremely valuable, and often overlooked.

If you have catchphrases or riffs that you use often, that are sticky and memorable, you should google them to see if others have used them before you. If nobody’s used it much, you should “plant your flag” in it. I did this with my book FRIENDLY AMBITIOUS NERD, and I’ve also done it with the phrase “magic junkyard” to describe Roam Research, and I intend to do it with phrases like “constructive ADHD” and “unlearning coercion“.

I don’t think there’s a shortcut to getting good at coining catchy phrases. In my experience, you have to dabble obsessively with words for a long time. And you have to talk to people to see what sticks. I seldom get catchphrases by trying to be catchy, I seem to get them instead when I’m making an effort to communicate clearly. Then the catchphrase arises almost by accident.

Sometimes you can identify catchphrases in retrospect by reviewing your old writing. You can do friends a favor by pointing out catchphrases in their writing and speech.

If you’re prolific enough in public and you cultivate an audience, over time your audience will also likely identify your catchphrases on your behalf. These may not always be the catchphrases that you want to be known for, but if they arise, it can be worthwhile to figure out how to work with them rather than against them. Trying to suppress or deny a phrase that’s associated with you is usually a losing game. It’s almost always better to “get ahead of the story”, and to be thoughtfully deliberate about choosing the connotations and implications that you want.

To be continued.

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Some attempts at flag-planting: