This newsletter is legendary!: Today So Far

• Does that word mean what you think it means?
• Skagit County is aiming to protect farmland, which has been dwindling in recent years
• Crime is up, way up, in Seattle.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for February 8, 2023.

This one is for the word nerds.

Does the Boeing 747 deserve to be called "iconic"? How about "legendary"? It might qualify as iconic if you ask KUOW's Bill Radke. It certainly does if you ask Wikipedia, which states the 747 set a standard for decades. It's why we have the term "jumbo jet." It was featured in more than 300 films. The 747 was the plane that President James Marshall saved in 1997, and it was the plane that heroic Officer John McClane went up against in 1990.

Bill, however, argues that something or someone needs to be fictional to be legendary. Yet, "legendary" gets thrown around more than Barney Stinson planning a night out. It's one example of how some words get used so often their meaning is weakened.

"Headline writers are the worst," GeekWire's Mike Lewis said on KUOW's Week in Review. "Because they want something that is going to grab you into the story, but frequently when they use the word 'slams' ... and you read the story, it's very mild criticism."

As a headline writer, I am greatly offended by Mike's comments. He clearly has an axe to grind and has abandoned all reason! OK, he's actually a beautiful human being, and I admit, he's right. Here's a tip: If there is an excessive adjective in a headline, that's your first clue that it's more hype than anything else.

This conversation on Week in Review about "iconic" and "legendary" eventually made its way to the celebrated, venerable, renowned, and acclaimed Beth's Cafe in Seattle.

"I'd say neither, and I like Beth's ... that omelet is something," Mike said. "I don't know that I'd go down the legendary or iconic road."

I'll have to counter Mike's opinion on this one. Beth's may represent something more than itself in this regard. Classic, genuine dives and diners have been disappearing from Seattle, which is now more filled with boutique this and specialized that. The kind of places that make getting food in a jar feel hip and fancy (how did that happen?). I'd argue that the longevity of Beth's represents the now legendary Seattle dive that has faded away. The kind of place you stuck around because your feet literally stuck a little bit to the floor. That's legendary. But I digress.

Moving on from "iconic" and "legendary," Bill now needs your help. What are some words that are so overused, they've lost their impact? Or words that are commonly misused? Email bradke@kuow.org, or text at 206-926-9955 with your thoughts.

I would like to suggest the word "unique." It's just used way too much. It's not as bad as the also overused word "literally," which people often say when they actually mean "figuratively." And sure, "unique" is not on the level of writing an entire song about irony but failing to provide an actual example of irony in the lyrics, which is pretty ironic, don't ya think?

"Unique" means one-of-a-kind or distinctive, yet I find it in a lot of copy, including my own. Try "special," or "quirky," "peculiar," or even "sui generis." Those words will make you sound unique.

Skagit County is aiming to protect farmland, which has been dwindling in recent years. That's important, because, you know ... food.

As KUOW's Ruby de Luna reports, it's estimated that Washington state lost about 100,000 acres of farmland between 2001 and 2016. The Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program has just established programs that will protect 105 acres in its corner of the state. The programs basically purchase development rights from a landowner. It sounds a bit weird, but essentially, the landowner still owns the land, but they cannot develop on it. Read more here.

Crime is up, way up, in Seattle. Anyone who has watched headlines over the past year won't be surprised by this. Or those who have experienced a stolen catalytic converter, Kia, or gun. Or those who have heard gunshots blasting through their neighborhood. In fact, according to the Seattle Police Department's recent 2022 crime report, violent crime and car thefts hit a 15-year high in 2022, while gun violence hit an 11-year high.

It's a little unfair to single out Seattle when reporting the recent rise in crime. Crime is more or less up or down nationally, but locally, it's a regional issue that is not isolated to one community. In other words, folks fixing to commit crimes aren't taking into account the borders between Seattle and Bellevue, or Shoreline. That's why I've also pointed out an alarming trend in Tacoma. Police there say that a gun is being stolen from a car every 48 hours.

In 2022, a total of 202 firearms were stolen out of cars in Tacoma. This reflects the number of guns stolen out of cars, and not the number of guns that happened to be inside cars that were stolen and driven away. So the number could very well be higher. Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore says that most of these guns are getting into the hands of juveniles and used in violent crimes. Read the story on this here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

The FRIENDS Experience opened in downtown Seattle recently. It's part immersive experience and part museum, entirely dedicated to the iconic 1990s sitcom. Fans can expect to spend about an hour touring through recreated sets (the apartment, Central Perk, the fountain) and taking endless photos. There are also deep cuts for hardcore viewers, and exhibits detailing various behind-the-scenes aspects of the show. (Dyer Oxley/ KUOW)

DID YOU KNOW?

It used to be common that folks moved away from home once they got old enough, graduated high school or college, etc. Heck, my grandmother started charging her kids rent once they turned 18. That seems to be changing, however. The USA is seeing increasing rates of grandparents, parents, and older kids all living in the same home. The primary force behind all this is economics and the high costs of living.

"These rates are extremely high," University of Kentucky Professor Hope Harvey told NPR. "They’re about as high as they were around 1950, which is the historical peak of multigenerational co-residents. And they’re more than double what they were in the around the 1980s when a historic low of around 5% of kids were living in these households. So what we’re seeing today is really sort of a return to the historical peak that we saw."

NPR reports that 60 million Americans (1/5 people) now live in multi-generational homes, which is more than double the number in the 1970s. About 1/3 of Americans aged 25-29 live in such households (more men than women in this demographic). Some parents say that having their 20-something kids (even without college debt) sticking around home is their way they're helping them save and get started on their future, considering the sky-rocketing costs of living in most cities.

"We’ve seen housing costs growing far more quickly than wages," Harvey said. "We’ve seen higher child care costs. And so living in these multigenerational households through economies of scale and through help with child care, that can lower both of those. There has been some great research … that [has] linked the increases in multigenerational households in recent decades to higher rates of unpartnered parenthood. So parents who might need the economic and child care assistance that multigenerational households can provide."

Check out NPR's full story here.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Microsoft revamps Bing search engine to use artificial intelligence

Microsoft is relaunching its Bing search engine by incorporating leading artificial intelligence technology, a move that company executives hope will reshape how online search operates. Microsoft is teaming up with OpenAI, the San Francisco research lab behind ChatGPT, to retool Bing in an attempt to unseat Google as the leader in searching the web.

SUBSCRIBE TO TODAY SO FAR