Clive's New Black Game

I've had a bit of fun recently playing 'Clive's New Black Game'. That's where you get in a conversation, preferably with someone you don't know all that well, and occasionally punctuate your comments with "[something] is the new black". I recommend that [something] at least be related to the topic under discussion, but it's not mandatory.

The real secret to success in this game is not to overdo it. In any given conversation any less than twice is clearly too little, and more than thrice is probably too much. Space them out—don't get too eager too early. And in a subsequent conversation with the same person, just drop it in once, preferably fairly late in the conversation.

Occasionally, someone will ask you what you mean. Just stay calm and say, "Well, you know..." then change the topic seamlessly. If really pushed for an explanation, just say "[something] is the new black" again, but with increased exasperation in your voice. Trust me, it'll work.

As a matter of interest, I ran a Google search on the phrase "is the new black". Towards the top of the 20,700 matches were the following:

• black
• red, orange, blue, grey, gold, pink, green... (hmmm, I think I sense a pattern here)
• awkward
• scar tissue
• Australia (woo, hoo!)
• plagiarism
• flatiron steak
• chocolate
• fat
• java
• bashing Bush (hard to argue with that)
  
• imperialism (now we're talking)
  
• poverty
• war
• idiocy
• apathy

and perhaps the ultimate wisdom du jour:"butt crack is the new cleavage".