[munificent]

> Yet people insist on you naming a design pattern in interviews, like it's a secret handshake, or asking a carpenter if they know any kinds of wood. What does it prove?

It proves you can communicate succinctly with other developers. I can't count the number of times I've had a coworker laboriously explain some design they "invented" only to reach the end and realize they just described an observer, or command, etc.

Sure, I get sad when people overuse design patterns too, but I find them incredibly helpful as a communication tool.