For Tuesday, April 23: Busy doesn't necessarily equal productive

Be sure that being busy equals being productive. Time wisely used is immeasurable. Ian S. Ardern

Just because *you* are busy doesn't mean you are being productive. There is a big difference between busy and productivity. Too many people equate the two and that simply isn't true. I know many people who are busy but so unproductive. And usually occupying yourself with "busy work" usually means you are doing things half-assed. (Yeah, not apologizing for that.) When we use busy work as a cover for looking productive we don't do things with excellence, we don't put all that we can into it, we don't actually accomplish anything that is useful. Be smart about your work. Is your "busy work" done with excellence and does it end up furthering productivity or is it done half-assed (still not apologizing) and as a cover so you don't have to really apply yourself? Be wise with your use of time. If you aren't going to be productive and do something with excellence then don't do it at all. Please. Usually people's busy work that is unproductive ends up placing a greater burden on others. So please, do *us* a favor and don't be busy just for the sake of pretending. Please.

Butter someone up

There are two probable origins for this idiom and I think both are equally plausible. The first one is that when you spread butter on bread you are buttering it up like one would do when trying to flatter someone. The second is in ancient India there was a practice of throwing balls of butter at statues to ask for favor, i.e. buttering them up. ( source ) When we use the phrase today we generally mean that extreme flattery is used to gain information or favor. It's not always necessarily a compliment.

A dime a dozen

"It's said that in the year 1796, the first U.S. dimes were produced for circulation. Hence, it would make sense for this phrase to originate sometime after." Read more here . Today the phrase carries the meaning that something is cheap or without value if it can be lumped in with other similar or exactly-like things. It's more of an insult than anything.

More bang for your buck

This phrase was used a lot in 1953 but an earlier citation puts it at 1940 in a Metals and Plastics Publications advertisement. Read about it here . The phrase means you get more for your money.

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