APAD: A perfect storm

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)

Meaning:

   A situation, or set of circumstances, where there's an extraordinary

   convergence of multiple factors, such as tensions building up, to create

   several simultaneous and dramatic events. (Usually in the negative sense.)

 

Background:

   The first known use of the phrase dates back to 1850, when the Reverend Lloyd

   Withington describes a meteorological event, and the subsequent rainfall as

   follows: `A perfect storm of thunder and lightning all over England (except

   London) doing fearful and fatal damage'.

 

   There was also a more recent storm in 1991 given the moniker `Perfect storm'

   by the author and journalist Sebastian Junger, in his book The Perfect Storm,

   published in 1997. The book describes how the convergence of weather

   conditions beforehand were `perfect' for the formation of such a cataclysmic

   storm. This was when the phrase truly came into popular use.

 

   Today, the term is not used to refer to meteorological events alone. For

   instance, the outbreak of World War I could be seen as a perfect storm of

   alliances, political assassinations, and nationalism.

 

   Alternative words for this phrase include: catastrophe, disaster, trainwreck,

   fiasco, omnishambles. However, these alternative words don't do as much to

   depict the convergence of multiple factors to produce such a powerful and

   dramatic result.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I haven't listened to Joe Rogan since Spotify but his first two podcasts with

Sebastian Junger were among my favorites. In his book Tribe: On Homecoming

and Belonging, Junger brought up Ben Franklin's observation that while many white

Americans, men and women, joined the Indian tribes but no Indian chose to live

among the newcomers.

 

Junger grew up in a rich neighborhood, took up journalism, missed the

sense of bond after the wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) in the modern American

society, and hated isolating suburban middle-class McMansions. He was lost (and

got ADHD of course) but he never took depression drugs. In his words: "The

depression is mine," or something like that.

 

I haven't read Perfect Storm the book and would like how Junger came up with the

title. At 52 he picked up boxing. Now that's something I can aspire to.

移花接木
2020covid strike, house closing, flight cancel etc made

perfect storm to me.

I was in my hometown, 

7
7grizzly
So you made it back to Toronto in time?
天边一片白云
same here. I was in Hubei, almost stuck there
天边一片白云
If I didn't escape before finishing Chinese New Year dinner
暖冬cool夏
the convergence of factors = perfect:) .又看到 moniker一词. 谢谢!
7
7grizzly
Seemed a lot of peeps visited back in 2020 new year.
移花接木
aftermath, aborted vacation,got back with HaiNan Airline,

before the pandemic; everything stopped, coming new house closing on April 1st(what a day, the date picked by the builder), 

now it turned out what really meant by essential service. need bank service, moving service, law service, etc, etc..    

移花接木
I got back after the lantern festival
最西边的岛上
another good writeup. Didn’t readTheBook,butSawTheMovie w/
最西边的岛上
sameTitle basedOn it, very dramatic indeed. someQuotesBelow:

From IMDB:

最西边的岛上
4Sure. I have 2Cousins&families living in WuHan went through
最西边的岛上
the “storm”. Never again… …
7
7grizzly
Thanks! Guess have to watch the movie to appreciate the
7
7grizzly
scripts. A surprise Junger wasn't the author.
妖妖灵
perfect这么阳光的一个词,为什么用在这么negative的词组里?应该是a catastrophic storm~
移花接木
perfect强调是多种因素完美地凑成了一个综合的条件,catastrophic是表示的程度
最西边的岛上
eg.: perfectlyWicked, perfectlyWrong, perfectlyImperfect ;-)
妖妖灵
Wow,lucky us!Lucky MYSJ!:)
妖妖灵
拒绝接受“完美”用在这个地方:)how about “diabolical”? “di”seems double
妖妖灵
I understand these except of “A perfect storm”:)
最西边的岛上
anything can b perfect, a perfect storm is the strongest and
最西边的岛上
the most powerful storm! ;-)
妖妖灵
这才叫Perfect:)看视频:

 

最西边的岛上
觉得perfect有多种含义,其中一种用来形容一件事情到了极致的地步,不论好事坏事还是无好坏事件。完美是另一个含义。
最西边的岛上
haha, maybe you chould send it to Sebastian Junger ;-))
最西边的岛上
as he is the author & understands it better than anyOf us;-)
最西边的岛上
EOD. Good night 灵美眉 ;-)
7
7grizzly
AHD perfect: 6. Complete; thorough; utter: a perfect fool
最西边的岛上
seeHow small&insignificant we r compare2perfectMotherNature:

 

Taken today in CA Redwood State park:

 

7
7grizzly
I might be small but my ego is Brobdingnagian:-)
最西边的岛上
hahahaha, go&see Redwood, U ego may b small again. Mine did.
最西边的岛上
APAD is messenger Only. "Don't shoot the messenger" !!!