Today's Overused Expression that Bugs Me (Thanks Bret Michaels!)

If you know me at all, you know I'm a ridicuously huge (obsessive? manic?) sports fan who has heard this expression practically daily on Sportscenter for the last 20 years of his life. Yet somehow, until two of the "contestants" on VH1's dating sensation, Rock of Life 2 with Bret Michaels said the phrase within seconds of each other, it didn't occur to me how stupid it really is.

The expression?

"I'm going to give 110 percent..."

I know, I know. It's an obvious one. We hear it all the time, we probably even say it ourselves. All the speaker is trying to convey is that they're going to give their utmost effort, whether its for our football team, finishing that project at work, or earning the right to be first big-haired, multi-tattooed, corseted skank to go down on a former 80's rock star (this week...).

But let's face it, if you're already giving 100 percent, you're giving your all. You're giving everything your body and mind have to offer, so where is this "extra" 10 percent coming from?
It's not like you can steal it from your neighbor... "Oh, Sally is pretty lazy today, she won't notice if I borrow 10 percent from her, so I can really excel!"

Anyway, I know there's hundreds of examples of where people don't really say what they mean, and say something far stupider, so perhaps I'll try to make this a running commentary when they occur to me. I have a feeling ROL2 will provide me with a bit more fodder in the coming weeks... and no, I'm not embarrassed that I watched it, I swear... I mean really, I'm fine with it...