Watching paint dry: Difference between revisions

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}[[File:RydeWet buspaint stationsign weton paintblue warningsteps.JPGjpg|thumb|WallA sign warning withof wet paint]]

"Like '''Watchingwatching paint dry''', closely related to "watching the grass grow",<ref>{{cite book|title=Watching Grass Grow: A Sequel to Watching Paint Dry|author=Howard Hellman|year=2019|isbn=9781070195599}}</ref> is an [[English-language idioms|English-language idiom]] thatdescribing meansan somethingactivity isas being incrediblyparticularly boring or tedious.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/something-is-like-watching-paint-dry|title=something is like watching paint dry|work=Collins Dictionary|accessdate=23 September 2020}}</ref> It is believed to have originated in the United States.<ref name="Tréguer">{{cite web|last=Tréguer|first=Pascal|date=4 October 2017|title=Like watching paint dry|url=https://wordhistories.net/2017/10/04/watching-paint-dry/|urlaccess-status=live|accessdatedate=27 September 2020|website=|publisher=Word Histories}}</ref> A similar phrase is "watching the grass grow".<ref>{{cite book|title=Watching Grass Grow: A Sequel to Watching Paint Dry|author=Howard Hellman|year=2019|publisher=Independently Published |isbn=9781070195599}}</ref>

In 1959, Geoffrey Warren of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that a theatrical presentation of ''[[The Shrike (film)|The Shrike]]'' was "as exciting as watching paint dry.".<ref name="Tréguer" /><ref>{{cite news|date=19 May 1959|title='The Shrike' Offered at Horseshoe|page=I-28|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59853574/the-shrike/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1969, sports announcer [[Red Barber]] warned that, due to the dominance of [[pitcher]]s over [[Batter (baseball)|batters]], [[baseball]] at that time was "as exciting as watching paint dry."<ref>{{cite news|title=Baseball is as exciting as watching paint dry|newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald|date=March 28, 1969|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60568697/red-barber-watching-paint-dry/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

The expression was well known by the 21stlate 20th century and has led to real-life activities. In 2012, the World Watching Paint Dry championships were held by online trade merchants localtraders.com, in order to promote various brands of paint. Entries were received from all over the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://metro.co.uk/2012/01/09/watching-paint-dry-championship-attracts-international-interest-279060/|title=Watching Paint Dry Championship attracts international interest|work=Metro|date=9 January 2012|accessdate=23 September 2020}}</ref><ref>; {{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/14/watching-paint-dry-championships_n_1147690.html|title=Could You Win The World's First 'Watching Paint Dry' Championships?|work=Huffington Post|date=14 December 2011|accessdate=23 September 2020}}</ref>
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In 2016, director [[Charlie LyneShackleton]] released a 10-hour -and -7-minute-long film of paint drying entitledtitled ''[[paintPaint dryingDrying]],'' toas a protest against the requirement antagonisefor the [[British Board of Film Classification]] asto aapprove protestfilms, againstand theircharge censorshipper andminute steepfor fees,their whoobligatory wereservice. forcedThe board had to watch all of it in orderto be able to awardclassify it (it was given a [[U certificate (United Kingdom)|U certificate]], "suitable for all"), charging £5,936.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bbfc-declares-paint-drying-film-a-u-after-sitting-through-all-607-minutes-a6834671.html|title=BBFC rates Paint Drying film 'U', after sitting through all 607 minutes|newspaper=The Independent|date=26 January 2016|accessdate=23 September 2020}}</ref>

Ironically,Observing watchingthe process of paint drydrying has been found to be important in the development of modern environmentally friendly wallwater-based covering materialpaint, replacing earlier [[solvent]] -derived paints and coatings. ThisThe drying process is doneobserved in order to furtherbetter understand how aqueous material dries on athe wallsurface being painted, and forms a protective layer.<ref>{{cite webjournal|url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/sm/c5sm01505g#!divAbstract|title=Watching paint dry; more exciting than it seems|workjournal=Royal SocietySoft ofMatter|date=16 ChemistryJuly 2015|accessdatedoi=2310.1039/C5SM01505G September|last1=Van Der Kooij |first1=Hanne M. |last2=Sprakel |first2=Joris |volume=11 |issue=32 |pages=6353–6359 |pmid=26205733 |bibcode=2015SMat...11.6353V 2020}}</ref> This is particularly important for the marine and shipbuilding industry, to demonstratedevelop theeco-friendly feasibilitycoatings ofthat suchcomply materialswith onincreasingly strict shipsregulations.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.drycargomag.com/watching-paint-dry-marine-paints-and-coatings-more-interesting-than-you-might-think|title=Watching paint dry? Marine paints and coatings: more interesting than you might think|magazine=Dry Cargo Magazine|date=11 June 2014|accessdate=23 September 2020}}</ref>