British Invasion

‘Ello Mates! Right, then, how about a spot of photos from today’s walk?? (heavy british accent if you can’t tell here…)


After hundreds of a few reads through of Bridget Jones Diary, Harry Potter the series, and various other Nick Hornby/Jenny Colgan type Brit fiction, I have to say my fascination with British speak has been piqued a bit. There are some words we all know…

“loo”or “watercloset” will bring you to a toilet
a “flat” is an apartment
and a “pram” is a stroller of sorts.

We all know “fish and chips” and might like a “biscuit” with our tea.

But have you ever heard the term “poppet,” lovey? Do you know that out of context I have determined that it is a term of endearment similar to “sweetheart” that I find to be the most adorable word. I’m going to attempt it now in upcoming days and see if I can pull it off…

Have you ever been able to pull off calling someone a “cow,” a “prat” or a “git“? Yeah, me neither. I’m the wrong kind of Anglo- the non anglo anglo, that is…

Do you enjoy referring to the “telly,” or the “lift” or discuss “snogging” and/or “shagging” with your “mates“? Well, if so, and if you don’t in fact reside in the U.K., I’m guessing your “mates” discuss this behind your back… it’s incredibly “wanker“ish to attempt.

Now, there are also words used to refer to others- a “tarty” girl on the “tube,” or your rich friend who you think acts a bit “posh” or “flash” with her new “jumper” (what is this? a sweater? a dress? I have never figured this out from context…)

Perhaps my favorites are the Hugh Grant-ish expression, “sticky wicket” and, if you haven’t noticed yet, my affinity for abusing the expression, “telly” as well as the use of “mad” to describe something a bit unruly or out of control, oftentimes to describe hair or dress.

What have I missed here? Have I abused any meanings? Are there quirky expressions you’d like to share?

Off to celebrate the short work week with a couple of Britneys! (The only cockney rhyming slang I ever effectively learned, as in Britney Spears- rhymes with Beers. Britneys=Beers. At least in the year 2003 or so… I’m guessing a lot has changed though.)

Cheerio mates!
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Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo- Jargon, part 2

So the question is: to use or not to use? (jargon, that is). There are certainly arguments for both “plain language” and “jargon” when attempting to function in a professional environment. I prefer to do this in a pros/cons type format, as I don’t feel strongly either way. I can clearly see the benefits of each, and yet think it is interesting to go into where some of it may have evolved from. I shall not let myself be so riddled by cynicism today, as yesterday I was feeling quite “antijargon” as I pondered the ghosts of employers past. So off I go again, on the merry go round. 


Ah, but first: (yes, there is always something else I feel is pressing to detail first these days…)

fruits- an excuse to use libs’ favorite word!

In honor of my nieces baptism, we celebrated at the Downtowner today. I will not review what I thought of their pancakes, and instead just say the fruit and coffee were splendid…


I had been watching Elf this evening, and gearing myself up for some holiday cheer, but then the network decided to play it again right after, so I changed the channel to some music award show. And who should I espy with my little eye? Why, none other than resident cheesebag Justin Bieber! Lo and behold, the tot’s voice cracked right on the live telly! I laughed heartily for about a minute and a half. More on him, Miley Cyrus, Taylor swift, and the other pinnacles of all that makes me itchy on another day…


Back to jargon for pete’s sake! (who the dickens is this pete???)


To Jargon or Not To Jargon:


To Jargon
-I find jargon to be incredibly useful for accurately and easily describing a situation to a co-worker. For example, by using the term “5 point scale” I can relay to a peer how I deescalated a kiddo in the throes of  adolescent angst without whipping out a bunch of papers and worksheets and describing what I said to them. It makes life easier. Or, alternately, if you’re at a retail location and your manager shrieks “shopbacks” at you, you don’t have to listen to a tirade of what to do with your time, you just go return the items to their departments.


-Jargon is useful for alerting personnel to a “situation” without alarming the other peons in the general area. At one retail location, we had “fox calls” which entailed a cashier such as myself paging a “Mr. ____ Fox,” and input the name of a manager on duty (MOD) to notify them of a theft in progress. Similarly, at my current location we page “Mr. Houdini” if a child has momentarily been unaccounted for… I promise this always ends well though. Thus, no one else need worry or the thief be tracked skulkily (a bit unlike what goes down in Empire Records, I might say…)


Not to Jargon
-When I ask somebody at a computer store about something that I want or do not want for my lovely macbook, IT IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY AND PRETENTIOUS TO USE PHRASES THAT ONLY THE TECHIEST OF TECHIES MAY HAVE HEARD. My usual MO for this situation is to completely ignore them when they do this, then keep repeating the question different ways using plain language, until they are forced to deign to my level of stupidity and just answer the question. I must add here that I always preface these interactions with, “I’m not sure what all of these things are called, but this is what I’m specifically looking for a computer/ camera/ phone/Ipod/ TV/ Printer to do.” Thus, these pretentious hacks know EXACTLY how much I know, and I believe them to be either bragging, or so lost in their world they don’t even see it.


-When you are using jargon to try to upsell something or scam somebody into something they don’t need by trying to confuse them. I find this obnoxious and unethical. I relaid to some friends/family members today my history of not excelling in the world of retail due to my refusal to due this past my “rude awakening” about the real world at the age of 15/16 years old. For example, when you go to get your car fixed and you hear, “carburator…40 clicks and a… brake pad… rotor…this particular model… warranty…alternator fluid and combustion…” Dude- if I may be so kind, if you don’t tell me what will or will not make my car explode when I drive once every 2 weeks or so… I will hurt you. JUST USE PLAIN LANGUAGE WITH ME. This is the type of thing that I will end up not being a car user for someday, I think. Another similar area is home repairs. Don’t BS me about my leaky drains or the refrigerator or water heater, just quote me some prices and tell me what will happen if I do or do not do as you say. I PROMISE you will end up making more money this way. People can smell a damn upsale a million miles away, and will not appreciate it if you do it. If your company tries to force you to do this, I apologize. I’ve been there. There has GOT to be another way though… ideas?


-Similary, doctor/dentist/nurse/pharmacist- Please just tell me what I need to do to get better. I don’t care if it’s called atopic dermatitis or “dry skin,” just please get me in and out of the bloody urgent care before daybreak. I will still find you professional if you use plain language. I will still buy the 40 dollar skin cream even. Just don’t make me google something or have a panic attack when what I have is dry skin from Minnesota winters/ washing my hands a lot/ genetics…


To sum up as best as I can, 


To Jargon- when interacting with coworkers and you need to save time, why not use some “in words” that are meaningless to the general public? When you want to let a few people know some pertinent info without giving the game away or alarming others, why not throw some jargon around? When you feel the need to show a little solidarity with fellow coworkers, go ahead and use a term they will relate to and appreciate. And for crying out loud, when you need an insurance company to pay for something, use the jargon! It will impress (for evidence of some hypocrisy on my part, see below…)


Not go Jargon- for the aforementioned nefarious sales schemes employed by retailers, technicians, sales associates, service workers, techies, and even restaurateurs. Your true colors are showing people, and I’m exposing you. Also, when communicating with clients, please just use plain language. No one cares if you sound impressive. I sure don’t, and I try not to use it with my own clients because I think it’s a bit obnoxious to try to make others fight to understand you, especially in an interpersonal field. Get a grip and communicate effectively, not ornately.




Jargon seems to evolve from naming ordinary things with “in” words to make them more interesting, or from one-time situations where they stick, or in order to impress someone or sell someone something by confusing them, or to get an employee to do something without thinking about it, such as filing a report or selling something or attending to the “daily QET report” without realizing how utterly mind numbing it really is. 


What do you people think? Where on earth does jargon come from? Does it irritate you in your own field or do you have your own favorites that create a more “club” like atmosphere at your work? More importantly, do you have issues with jargon when you are trying to survive in a world outside your own?


Also, if anyone has any feedback about the Miley Cyrus skit on SNL this weekend or wants to commiserate with me about her existence, you will be rewarded somehow. Similarly, Taylor Swift seems to have gotten some nasty looking veneers put on, and they just make her look like hilarie duff. I think veneers are ridiculous looking. why are they so shiny?




Ahhh, I digress. I need a night job. I love comments.

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Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo- Jargon, part 1

Hi folks!


I’ve been working out my ideas for what I want to discuss about jargon for a few days now. I figured to do it justice, I’m breaking it into two parts:


Today: specific jargon to different fields, real and imaginary (the real comes from my lovely acquaintances who helped me out, or my own humbling job experiences, the imaginary is for fields I am more unfamiliar with, in which case I will rely on the authenticity of such gems as “law and order, SVU” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”)


Tomorrow: what I think about jargon, why I cynically believe it is used, and more about the evolution and use of jargon in the world, and what it means to us and our identity.


Ready to play? Wait, first, I have to show you what I saw out on a Saturday Drive today:

take one…

take two…

take three… i give up…

What on earth is going on? In case you haven’t yet discovered that clicking a photo enlarges them, go ahead and do so. Yes, those are shoes. Those are all shoes. Why in helter skelter is that tree full of shoes? It’s a shoe tree! I’m sure I’m missing something important here, but to be honest I’m not even sure I care… that’s incredible.


Anyway, again, ready to play JARGON? Step right up folks!


Let’s start with my own field, working with kids/families with Autism and other mental health diagnoses in a one-on-one therapy type setting. 
       -When writing my session notes, I might refer to “modeling,” “behavior modification,” “redirection,” or “shared control,” to basically say that I act out appropriate behavior, play with kids, and point them in a generally more appropriate way to behave. 
       -Interesting jargon thrown around by mental health practitioners and speech/occupational therapists include, and are not limited to: “edging” or “stimming” (seeking sensory input), “echolalia” (repeating after adults or movies rather than spontaneous speech), “chewies” and “brushing” for sensory needs. When I meet with families for Visual Consults we discuss “social stories,” “visual supports,” “task organizers,” and “PECS” which is fancy schmancy-ese for “information laid out visually for your visual processing child/ daily routine list.”


Before I held the lofty position I currently hold, I moonlit as a “runner” at a lovely pizzeria where I did not in fact “run,” but brought food out to tables when waitrons were otherwise engaged. When an order was “on the fly” it did not mean that food was sailing through the air, but that it was to go through to the chefs or patrons right away. I needn’t have worried when I was told I was “cut,” because this doesn’t hurt- it just means I get to GO HOME after ONE HOUR of working in the middle of the day! Yea! Rent is due and I had a one hour shift!


Even earlier than this, I worked in retail purgatory at more now bankrupt franchises than is even believable. From about 15 years old until I declared myself finished with retail “for good” at the age of approximately 22, I was faced with “moving merch,” “running shopbacks,” and “upsaling” with garbage like batteries and CD Towers. I can’t for the life of me remember (blocked it out?) the name these impulse and high profit margin items were called. I might have to call in some former co-workers as reinforcements here? I was confused for about 3 months by what “hardlines” were, and could have cared less about where the “POS” was. Kiosk, till, reg(ister), ringing, ugh ugh ugh. If I never have to learn this language again I will be pleased.


Some of my lovely acquaintances have enlightened me to the wonderful world of office jargon, which I have actually never experienced firsthand. My own knowledge was approximately Office Space, which after reading some of my friends’ replies, sounds fairly accurate.
     -there are “call blitzes” and “stat sessions”that workers are responsible for. You might be asked to “bottom line it” or attend a “town hall meeting.” All concerning and mind numbing “buzz talk” is thrown around, and if you “cyberslack” too often you might be “demoted.” You are “please advised” to find a “seat warmer” by the “EOD” (end of day) or “EOM” (month) and be sure to “knock it out of the park.” And for crying out loud, if you don’t have the “capes” to “make it all hang together,” and “make it sizzle” with your “pitch,” you surely won’t get called a “rockstar” 
      -Besides the EOD/EOM, officees better be aware of CTA, RFP, SEM, SEO, CRM, CRS… I could relay to you what these acronyms stand for, but would that make it mean anything? Didn’t think so.


Other professions are peppered with the lovely lovely Latin that is oh so blessedly easy to use as a tool to  “figure out” your way through human bio and science exams for us word nerds in university. How great it was when I could memorize a few prefixes such as “cyto,” and “ecto” and never have to memorize another thing? 


However, Latin is a huge element of legal jargon. I will report back a few gems from a local barrister/ legal eagle who was so kind to enlighten me to a few I didn’t know the translations of. These are fun!
-if you are “in camera,” it doesn’t mean you are in the shot of the court reporter. It just means you are in the judges chamber!
-a “non-sequitor” is not to be confused with the political cartoon I never understood when I was younger in the comics- but had I translated it I would have known that in fact, it “doesn’t make sense!” Well, I could have told them that!
-if you are “in absentia” during one of your law classes, you might start taking off your clothes when “habeas corpus” is brought to the table (meaning is similar to “show the body”) when really, you are just being saved from being unfairly sent to prison. whew! 


Now on to some more imaginary jargon that could or could not have any real usage in the “real world.”


-do cops really refer to “perps” and mention “rap sheets” and “priors?” Do they really say, “book em” and “187” or refer to a “sting” or a “dirty cop?” Who knows, but it sure does throw some lovely local color in the script of some really bad tv shows! In fact, I get so uncomfortable with all of the one-liners used on these bad shows that I can’t even bring myself to watch one more episode to get some research done for this post. 


-medicine/hospitals is another world where my knowledge is some hybrid of the dramatic spewage they say on TV and the senseless information I hear at the doctor’s office, wondering what it could possibly mean. 
        -We all know “stat,” “triage” and “scrub in” as well as where the “ER,” “OR” and “ICU” are. But what on earth is in that “GI cocktail” that we are given to shut us up? Can we understand a word of those abbreviated drug types? (Do we even care at that point?) 
        -If you hear that you have some sort of “itis,” fear not- it just means something is swollen. If you hear about a “drip” don’t be insulted, it just means you’re getting some drugs! Now be quiet!
        -Finally, one I heard on grey’s anatomy some time in college, where they referred to a “whipple” which I have no clue what it means, but I thought it was a cool name. Probably for a not-so-cool experience for the operatee though…


What jargon do you use in your field? What did I miss?


Tune in tomorrow for my cynical thoughts on jargon, and if we are better off with it or without it.

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yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

Argh, Mateys!
What’s a pirate’s favorite letter? yep, it’s ARRRRR. no, wait, actually its P because its an ARRRR with it’s leg cut off!


After years of nannying for families with all organic food, browsing it at the co-op or Whole paycheck Foods, I FINALLY cracked and bought this stuff.


On sale at the local co-op. The best time to try a new snack, me thinks! Inside, it looks like this:

Cheesy poofs!

A bit strange to the taste, I would say these little nuggets of gold are. They have sort of a spicy aftertaste, but are slightly cheesy. At first I thought they were gross/ disintegrated into my mouth, but then I found them strangely addicting. I think they  might be dusted with coca.


Anyway salty dogs- what better occasion to whip out some of the mangiest words around! Yarr!

And please, in the name of Captain Jack Sparrow add your own pirate speak if you please! OR ELSE YOU’LL HAVE TO WALK THE PLANK!

-yo ho ho and a bottle of rum… a pirate’s life for me!
-i might as well re-mention doubloons, as in the previous mentioned “double 0, no seven” post
-we already used salty dog somewhere, but what about calling someone an old tar!
-if you wanted to insult someone, they might be a barnacle or a wench! (wench is one of my all-time favorite insults. Not incredibly PC, but if you think I”m PC I guess you better read some back-posts)
-commandeer/ pilllage/ plunder
-parley (not sure, something from pirates of the caribbean. I was distracted by captain jack sparrow)
-corsair (not sure, its always in crossword puzzles though…)
–me hearties– this might be the single most underrated thing to call your loved ones. seriously. I’m bringing this back- or bringing it, period. Listen up cause it’s coming…
–Davy Jones Locker! Eeeek!
-buccaneer!
-jolly roger (can not erase the memory of the “bloody jolly roger” that a client drew for me from my brain, ever)
-bilge rat (is this pirate speak even?)
–Scurvy dog! I once heard a story of some college kid who got scurvy from eating only ramen. I stopped eating ramen.
-Shiver me timbers! (or as man-go-round just said, “plunder me timbers…”)
– Arg, me hearties- I’m a pirate, and I’m here for your BOOTY!!!
-Grog (word of warning… only drink the Grog at ye olde Red Dragon if you WANT to wake up in Davy Jones’ Locker! with the barnacles!)

And finally, in the honor of papa-go-round,

“rise n shine… hit the poop deck!”

Happy Friday Me Hearties! It’s a wench’s life for me!

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taste da rainbow

I don’t like skittles, but I do like colors!

Meri-skittles!


I not only like to eat rainbows of colors, I like to bust them out in high hand-me-down fashion!

see the rainbow!

hmmm… raise your hand if you owned/ wore this sweater before me…


It felt like sweater weather today, so I reached up to the high closet shelf and brought it out. Lucky I did, because ye olde bank thermometer (don’t get me started on its “accuracy”) said it was below 30 degrees on my walk to work this morning. I also had a technicolor scarf on, but I just remembered and don’t want to get up and photograph it. You’ve probably seen it if you know me, since I bought it some time during high school. It’s about 40 feet long, but I coil it up like an intestine so it looks much smaller than it is! Ewww gross, intestine scarf!

I digress. Of course. I’m pretty sure man-go-round implied earlier that I have the attention span of a cricket. He might be right, but I choose to take this as a compliment.

and I already moved onto something else and have forgotten it again…

In honor of the many lovely colors that paint our earth, I will focus on the dual meanings of many many Color Words today. Yesterday I sat in a session with a kiddo and he proceeded to rattle off his list of “top 87” colors or similar. I know it started out, “red, orange, blue” and then ended up somewhere in “primrose, bronze, pink” towards the end. I had just finished telling him that I quite like pink. I chose not to be offended. However, I was distracted sitting there thinking about the meanings of some of them.

For example, 

Colors that also mean the name of a fruit: orange, plum, peach, tangerine

Colors that also are the name of a flower: lavender, rose, fuschia, 

Colors that are stones/minerals: copper, turquoise, silver, gold, 

Colors that have an unrelated other meaning: maroon! (also a double-o word, and a cool word. bonus points!)

Verb colors: yellowing (papers), graying (hair), browning (food)

Noun colors: blues

Colors with another meaning when spelled differently (this is getting desperate…)-red/read, blue/blew


Colors I can’t categorize, don’t fit my post: purple, indigo, white, black, platinum, pink, magenta


What do you think? Is your favorite color on here? Do you have a favorite color?

I don’t think I do. I like the whole rainbow. (Exit music here must be something cheesy)

g’night!
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hats off!

what up jerks and twerps?


Did that get your attention?


I went back out on a short walk after my walk home from work tonight, cause I wanted to capture some of the night’s character. Some of the neighbors have strung up white lights, and I could see the skyline glittering over the freeway wall…

twinkle twinkle little… skyscraper…

I also did some experimenting with the night settings. I didn’t reset any of the ISO or any of that who-what, just played with the flash and distance. (Daily thank you to mom and pop for the idiot proof canon powershot!)


Here’s some other scenery:


Now, to return out for my short walk, I grabbed this guy from my house:

hat’s on!

So, in honor of my gorgeous headwear from I Like You that I’ve been waiting to bust out, here is the daily WORD: (stephen colbert, don’t sue me for that usage… I’ll never be as popular as you…)


Hats! Why do hats have such silly names? I believe it’s to make us giggle and be happy! Here are some of the best:

-porkpie
-bowler
-derby
-fedora
-beret
-cloche
-sombrero
-yarmulke (spelling? is that considered a hat?)


can anyone tell me what those russian cylindrical hats are called? the fuzzy ones? Karkaroff wears one in the movie adaptation of harry potter goblet of fire…

Man-go-round thought of the straw hats worn in some Asian countries… name of these?

Does anyone have any other good hat names? Or favorites? Why are they all so silly?

Later y’all- and everybody buy coconut m&ms so they never get discontinued.


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Gretchen- stop trying to make "fetch" happen!

Hey kids!


Silly weather today (I am a Minnesotan, so I must get my requisite weather chitchat in each day! It’s a genetic trait!)

On my way to work, this:

 








Little snow droplets! Luckily I didn’t spend a lot of time on my toilette today (hair looked slicked down anyway, so what’s a little snow matted on top?)


On the way home from work, there was some sizzle snow-rain that was making crackling noises, but DIDN’T SEEM TO EVER LAND ON ME… it was very eerie, and very cool.

Cool as a…

Cucumber!!!

For the record, that is not a post-effect on those cukes. It was just some routine overexposure due to switching rooms in tricky mid-afternoon post daylight savings time light. I like how it turned out though! Anyway… back on topic. 


Today’s topic is like, cool, man…

The word cool.

And all of its million trillion synonyms and wannabe replacements. 

Now I’m not sure you can ever have a word sub for “cool” that will ever catch on or be as long lasting or all encompassing/ inclusive in meaning and popularity. But people have sure tried to reinvent the wheel and create lots of slang words for cool. So here goes my short list of some words throughout the ages, some longer lasting, some lame (see “fetch”, mean girls, 2004 and “rufus”, never been kissed, 1999).

Current/ 2000s
-the aforementioned and hated “epic”
-sweeeeeet
-slammin (saved the last dance, not a minute before, not a minute after…)
-crunk
-bamf (never letting this one die)
-tight
-off the hook
-the S&%^$
-T*&s (man, us kids are potty mouths!)

1990s
-excellent (wayne’s world anyone?)
-(da) bomb
-phat
-dope
-dank (hmm, sensing a pattern here)

1980s
-b%&$in’
-tubular
-radical
-choice
-awesome
-wicked/ wicked cool

1970s/1960s
-groovy
-far out
-happenin’
-heavy
-“the most” (marcia brady)
-all the rage

1950s/1940s
-hip
-hep
-neat(o)
-(peachy) keen?
help me? what did people say in these decades?


Personally, I’m not sure what words I use for “cool.” I think I often wait til I’m totally blown away by something, and then mid-gush start to refer to things as “incredible,” “unbelievable,” and other superlatives a bit beyond cool. Otherwise I think I”m a bit hard to please and respond drily, “nice.” 

What words do YOU all use? What am I missing?

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ish don’t think so!

Tonight I was chopping some veggies, and singing my usual song when I chop radishes, sung to the tune of “Savages” from Disney’s “interpretation” of the story of Pocahantas.


“Radishes, Radishes, barely even human
Radishes, Radishes, barely even ______”


(the blank at the end is filled in with whatever I feel like at the given moment. Tonight I think I just repeated human or made some lame dig at man-go-round.)

Gahh! My eyes!!!





Now, I realize that singing to your radishes is a weird thing to do. I also realize that I’m a rarity that I even like radishes. (bonus points for beauty radishes with their blood explosion pink insides. awesome). However, the word radish is pretty cool, so my word(s) of the day are “ish” words that I like!


Such as:


Brandish! How Outlandish to Furnish such an extravagant word to Distinguish between simply waving a weapon and an art form with a sword.


Vanish is a mysterious and vigorous verb that I use to banish all tedium from my words.


Radish is a vegetable that has a reddish skin. It does astonish with its brutish bite. I admonish any fool who feels to foppish to enjoy a Radish and turns gamely to their Cornish hen instead.


Wow. This feels great. I wonder if I have any more?


I just asked man-go-round as I was typing and he said, “Quidditch.” This proves two things- that my Harry Potter mania is beginning to seep into his consciousness, and that he doesn’t know how to rhyme. Muah ha ha.


Um…


Standish, Mannish, Extinguish, Diminish,Varnish…


I’m running out of good ones now.


Anyone else have any good ones?


I am Finished! (not to be confused with Finnish.)


Merish

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once upon a midnight dreary…

Hi folks! Just had a pretty cool experience out my back window. 


Earlier on today, I was enjoying the “winter” wildlife out back


mr. cardinal

mr. bluejay 
squirrels vs. birds
 

the squirrels fight the birds for the food from the feeder, and the birds (sparrows I believe) fly back and forth in a flock. Then, periodically, the bluejay comes in squawking to mark it’s territory, eats for 10 seconds, then swoops off to its kingdom of loudness (I’ve been a bit put off by their early morning squawk… perhaps biased…)


This is all general, everyday bird watching. We also had a family of wild turkeys all summer (mysteriously vanished recently… perhaps someones thanksgiving dinner?) and have heard rumors of other creatures. 

Tonight, the motion light in the backyard went off, which is usually either the wind or a “creature.” Who did I see prowling out back tonight? 


How cool is that? I didn’t get my camera in time, so you’ll have to take my word for it. It was pretty darn neat though. I “emergency whispered” for man-go-round to come observe, thinking for some reason that the opossum would hear a normal speaking voice…and he and I watched it for a few seconds, then it was gone.

In honor of the super sneaky marsupial that crept outside my window this evening, I shall compile a list of my favorite eerie/ sneaky/ mysterious words for you on this dark dark night…

1. “noir”- love this word. film noir (especially in this usage), pinot noir, I have a love/hate relationship with french words almost all of the time, and this one falls under the “love” category!
2. “skulk”- what is better than accusing someone of “skulking” around when they might just be sharing the same hallway as you, or coming over to say hello? I guess I just like this word. It’s cousin, of course, would be “stalk.”
3. “macabre”- if not for my one semester of french 101, this word might have been in another post (words I can’t pronounce post…) but instead, I enjoy alex trebek-ing this one up and using it here and there, not too often… just often enough…
4. “sinister”- this one, like skulk, is quite accusatory in nature. I like this as it covers a lot of contexts and is deeply mysterious like dr. claw from inspector gadget.
5. “liason”- I know this isn’t always used in a questionable context, but I like the way it sounds. Particularly when paired with “dangereux.” 
6. “malicious,” “malignant,” “malady,” “malinger,” “malevolent,” “maleficent” (yes, the baddie from sleeping beauty…” Same prefix, all great words, methink.

And now, signing off, the most mysterious creature and my personal childhood hero…

Goodnight Friends! I’m off to an undisclosed location… until tomorrow’s post…
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you’re hot and you’re cold…

… nope, this post has nothin’ to do with Katie Perry. But did it catch your attention?


You know what caught my attention? Having no power when I woke up this morning (ahem, 10:00) until almost 1:00. I had a “mini panic attack (see yesterday’s post for that joke…) about my food in the freezer, then stared out in bliss at this:

my feet…

hmmm compared to man-go-round’s yeti footprint…

not to be confused with the ice that dropped on my face

enjoying the snow while it is still a novelty

all along the watchtower-this one’s for you bobby d!

So after warming myself back up with some tea (good earth, then celestial seasonings “gingerbread tea” from last xmas season) I resumed thinking about something strange that had been on my mind off and on all day…

you guessed it, more word nerdery.

Why is it that English speakers tend to slangify (obviously i’m guilty of this too inventing “slangify”) and misuse words to the point where they basically have no meaning out of the specific context? If I’ve lost you a bit, I’m thinking of words (most likely prepositions or adjectives) that technically have opposite meanings, but could be used interchangeably depending on context. How very, very confusing for a non-native speaker! Do other languages/cultures do this too and I just don’t know about it?

Cases in point (if you can think of more please do share to add to my petty cause)
Exhibit A– “in/out,” for example if a kid walks into best buy and inquires,
-“Is the new X-box game in?” vs. “Is the new X-box game out?”
same meaning, using words that mean opposites. Get my drift?
Exhibit B- “hot/cold”
-“the new pumpkin spice latte is so hot right now” vs. “the new pumpkin spice latte is really cool right now.”
Next Exhibit- “afloat/sunk” let’s say there is a business that is not doin so hot:
“we’re still afloat” vs. “we’re SUNK”

– it’s ALL about intonation/ context, the words do not seem to matter… is anyone else sensing my angst about this??? Can we just input ANY word and use sarcasm or inflection to get our meaning across? For crying out loud, we’re either geniuses or imbeciles for existing like this. I believe this is the main issue with email/online relations and communication. As much as this word nerd wants the words to matter, it is usually the nouns that people give importance to. It sure isn’t the prepositions, as we Minnesotans are widely known for ending our sentences with a handy “with,” “”too,” “along,” etc. etc. etc. and not caring that we are just adding words senselessly…

Another exhibit “up/down”- this one’s admittedly pretty slangy
“are you up for it?” vs. “are you down with it?”

This “exbibit” is a stretch: “save/close down” when at a computer
“sure, let me just save this” vs. “sure, let me just close down quick”

Okay, I think I’m dwindling here. My point, however, remains.

WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE ALL THINK?

Did anyone else lose power today? Did anyone else practically hibernate today? Are any of you jerks in warmer climates…? If so, enjoy my beautiful pictures, and know that it was cold. Not hot, just cold. 

🙂

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