Yogiism
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A Yogiism is an amusing speech error or paradox of a kind associated with Yogi Berra, a Hall-of-Fame baseball player for the New York Yankees. Similar utterances are called 'Colemanballs' in the UK, 'Cruijffiaans' in Holland and Trapattonismi in Italy). In Australia they are called 'Dyerisms', after Australian rules football legend Jack Dyer.
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[edit] Examples
- It ain't over till it's over.
This quotation is one of the best-known Yogiisms. However, what he really said was You're never out of it till you're out of it in regard to the 1973 National League pennant race. The misquote is also uttered by Rocky Balboa in the eponymous film.
- I want to thank you for making this day necessary.
This was said at Yogi Berra Day in St Louis in 1947. It is supposed to be the first Yogiism. By his account, he asked teammate Dr. Bobby Brown to write a short speech, and he misspoke, replacing the word 'possible' with 'necessary'.
- It's like déjà vu all over again.
Many people think that Berra would have never said the word déjà vu, as it was not his kind of language. But Yogi himself claims that he said this in reference to home runs by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, who often hit homers.
- When you get to a fork in the road, take it.
Berra has claimed that this is part of some driving directions to his house. In his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, there is a fork in the road and either way you take, you will get to his house. Some people find this to be a very poignant quotation, thinking it means that when you find a challenge, overcome it.
- It gets late early out there.
During day games at Yankee Stadium, the left fielder is forced to contend with a low sun for the last several innings. Berra was referring to the difficulty of playing the position in the late afternoons.
- I never said half the things I said.
Yogi cannot even escape creating a Yogiism in his disclaimer for not creating all of the Yogiisms. He was pointing out that he did not say everything that people think he said, which is very likely.
- Our similarities are different.
This quotation was actually said by Dale Berra, Yogi's son.
- I thought they said steak dinner, but then I found it was a state dinner...
- ...It was hard to have a conversation with anyone; there were so many people talking.
This was about a fancy dinner he attended at the White House.
- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.
This was quoted in the introduction of the book Secrets and Lies by Bruce Schneier.
- Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded.
- If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.
- Ninety percent of the game is half mental.
[edit] In context
- When asked what makes a good manager of a baseball team, he said "A good ball club".
- When asked what time it is, he said "You mean right now?"
- His wife Carmen asked where he would like to be buried, and he said "Surprise me!"
- When his wife Carmen told him she had taken one of their sons to see the movie Doctor Zhivago (1965 film), Yogi asked, "What the hell's wrong with him now?"
- When then-governor Rockefeller's wife complimented Yogi on the "cool-looking" suit he was wearing, Yogi replied, "Thanks. You don't look so hot yourself."
- "I don't know if it's good for baseball, but it sure beats the hell out of rooming with Phil Rizzuto." – on hearing team-mate Joe DiMaggio was to marry Marilyn Monroe
[edit] In advertisements
Television commercials have taken advantage of Yogi's fame in speaking, specifically his Yogiisms, and advertisers have scripted some things for him to say that, though not true Yogiisms, are similar to his malapropisms.
- In an Entenmann's commercial, Yogi said, "You can taste how good these cookies are just by eating them" and "this box is always open until it's closed".
- In an AFLAC commercial, Yogi says, "It's the one you really need to have. If you don't have it – that's why you need it", followed by "If you get hurt and miss work, it won't hurt to miss work" and "they give you cash, which is just as good as money".
- In a print advertisement for the Yankees' YES Network, Yogi said, "I love the YES Network so much, I don't watch TV anymore".
- In an ad for J&R Music World he says, "Their customer service is so helpful and their prices are so low you can't afford not to go there".
[edit] Others
- Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.
- You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.
- You can observe a lot by just watching.
- I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.
- You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there.
- The future ain't what it used to be.
- A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.
- Prediction is very hard, especially about the future.
- Pair up by threes.
[edit] Nature of Yogiisms
Yogiisms should not be confused with Farberisms (popularized by Prof. David J. Farber). The former are typically either pleonastic or oxymoronic redundancies, while the latter are most often non-sequiturial mondegreens, though both usually share the goal of making a point through surreally humorous, absurdist mis-use of language, especially the alteration of clichés through malapropism and mixed metaphor.
[edit] Publications
- Yogi Berra, Dave Kaplan, "When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes", 2001 ISBN 0786867752 (hardcover)
[edit] See also
- Bushism
- Colemanballs, which is how many British people would refer to 'Yogiisms'.
- Cruijffiaans, after Johan Cruijff, which is how many Dutch people would refer to 'Yogiisms'.
- Dan Quayle
- Eggcorns
- Mondegreens
[edit] External links
