Titles With Colons: How Annoying Can You Get?

Quote of the day:
“I never forget a face, but in your case, I'll make an exception."
--Groucho Marx

Search facts of the day:
A Google search for “I’d like a middle seat” brings no results,
while “I’d like to die in a plane crash” does.
A Google search for “armpit hair topiary” brings no results,
while “nose hair topiary” does.
--Gene Weingarten, “The Washington Post,” August 5, 2007

I have a question. What is with this trend of putting colons in book titles? Sometimes it seems that every nonfiction book published has a colon. Do we think there is no meaning in our titles if they do not contain colons? Do we feel such a burning need to elaborate on a title that we must add a colon followed by a descriptive clause?

Not only are they everywhere you look when you walk in the bookstore, but listen to these ten colon-ensconced books coming soon:

“Lose Weight in Three Weeks: A Foolproof Way to Shed Pounds While Scarfing Carbs”

“Hard Truths: What Your Mother is Not Telling You About Your Father”

“Hemispheric Imbalance: The New Science of Nerdishness”

“Wads of Cash: Five Spiritual Strategies To Lose It Fast”

“Boiling Hot Coffee: Don’t Get It On Yourself”

“Making a Million in Real Estate: 8 Keys To Admitting You’ve Really Screwed Up”

“Government: Everything You Fear is True, But Too Bad”

“Beyond Badness: A Life Spent Sitting in a Birdbath”

“My Goodness: That Is a Large Growth”

“This Title Does Not Have a Colon: Oops, I Made a Mistake”