Spike

[David Myer]

The Covid disaster has seen a tsunami of misuse of the word 'Spike', at least in Australia.

We are told that there is a spike in calls to Lifeline, domestic violence, unemployment and dozens of other things.

But the defining element of a spike is that it has two sides - starting from the left it rises sharply to a point and then comes down the other side. Electricity supply prices tend to spike on the short term market during hot weather when everyone turns on their air conditioners. But just because there is a likelihood of a corresponding drop does not mean that a spike has formed. Surely if the incidence of the item in question is still rising, we don't have a spike but perhaps a surge, a sharp increase or even, if we want to be dramatic, a tsunami. But it isn't a spike yet!

[Slava]

But this means you can't spike the punch!