After filling up at the gas station the other day I decided to purchase the optional drive through car wash. When the selection screen came up to select the desired wash, my options were: Deluxe, Complete or The Works.

I had NO idea which option was as better than another.

I finally walked over to the entrance to the wash and read the sign listing what was included in each wash, then made the appropriate selection. Who knew “Complete” was the ultimate wash of the three?!

I am finding more and more our culture has systematically neutered the negative elements from everything! I go to Starbucks and I don’t have Small, Medium or Large I have Tall, Grande and Venti. Not that this is necessarily bad. But when we leave out anything “less” or “negative” in our naming or descriptions of things, we lose objectivity. I would go so far as to say that we need Bad in order to know what Good is!

I am fine with marketing departments coming up with whatever naming convention they want to differentiate their product from a competitors product. But please people, it is OK to call something small that is…well small! Or call something big that is big!

What are some other example of our culture giving everything a happy name?