When I describe what I do for a living, I sometimes tell people that it's all about the appositive phrase. For example, there's
- "corporate gadfly Jeremy Rifkin"
- "troubled banking giant Citigroup"
- "Apple visionary Steve Jobs"
- "lifestyle guru Martha Stewart"
These are media shorthand, and once they stick, it can be hard to change them, so it's important to have your own ready. However, for real people, it's an interesting skill to try and write your own appositive phrase.
For fun, why don't you try writing one or two for yourself. I've started you off with a few:
"degenerate snowman"
"paste-eating boulevardier"
OK, those are jokes, but you get the drift. Who you are, what you do and why you're being mentioned, in two words. Your official title is not allowed.
For myself, I'm considering "whimsical curmudgeon" since curmudgeon is now a recognized career option.
