silly season
noun phrase

- a period (such as late summer) when the mass media often focus on trivial or frivolous matters for lack of major news stories

- a period marked by frivolous, outlandish, or illogical activity or behavior

Merriam-Webster

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The term "silly season" originated in the late 19th century and refers to a period, usually during the summer months, when there is a perceived lack of serious news and an abundance of frivolous or trivial stories in the media.

The term "silly" in this context means foolish or nonsensical. It's believed to have been coined by journalists to describe the slower news cycle during summer when politicians and newsmakers are often on vacation, leading to the reporting of lighter and less significant stories to fill the news space.

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SILLINESS IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS

1 . Cycling Backward With A Violin - Christian Adam cycled 60km in five hours and nine minutes. While sitting on the handlebars, facing the seat which had been converted into a music stand, the violinist cycled backwards playing J.S Bach.

2. Longest Ear Hair - Radhakant Baiijpai from India set the record for longest ear hair growing from the centre of the ear in 2003. His longest hair was 13.2cm.

3. Typing All Numbers from One to One Million in Words (Not Numbers) - Les Stewart decided to type out all the numbers between one and one million on a typewriter in words, not digits. It took him 16 years and 7 months – from 1982-98 – to go from “one, two, three” to “nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine-hundred ninety nine, one million!” In total, he used seven typewriters, a thousand ink ribbons, and 19,890 pieces of paper to accomplish his goal.

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SYNONYMS

asinine, bananas, barmy, batty, birdbrained, boneheaded, bubbleheaded, buffoonish, chowderheaded, cockamamie, cockeyed, crackpot, cuckoo, daft, dippy, dingbat, dopey, daffy, dotty, featherbrained, flakey, gaga, goofball, goofy, harebrained, imbecilic, insect-brained, jellyheaded, kooky, loco, loony, madcap, moonstruck, moronic, mushy, not all there, nutty, out to lunch, puddingheaded, screwball, SILLY, slackbrained, wacko, wacky, zany, zonked

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THANKS to Sabine for suggesting today’s OWAD.

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Looking at popular news items over the whole year, I have the feeling that the SILLY SEASON is beginning to last 12 months!”

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