I'm still waiting for the other problem...

At my job, people complain. A lot. Some more than others. I was sitting around working the other day when a co-worker somes over to me and says, "Hey, I've got a real dilemma."

So the co-worker explains her problem and I'm waiting for the other one to be explained, but they don't. They finish. Leaving me to ask, "So what's your other problem?"

Dilemma is one of those words that's being mangled today. It means that it's "a situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive." It's like choosing to eat a piece of moldy cheese or expired yogurt as your only food choices for a meal. Both are okay to eat, but not the best tasting.

People call Dr. Laura all the time (or they did years ago when I listened to her bored in the afternoon delivering pizzas) with this same intro. "Hi, Dr. Laura. I have a dilemma." They then explain that their lone problem is something inane that is partly their fault because they're being stubborn. Dr. Laura invariably yells at the caller, but not about the misuse of dilemma. Shame...