Friday, July 2, 2010

What's In A Word?

I was taken aback by part of a comment that June made after my last post. She has a friend who doesn't want to read the books that June recommends because she "doesn't like to learn new words". EGAD and OMG! Writing and reading are the greatest developments of the human species. It's what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. With the possible exception of domestic felines. Jezebel sits next to the laptop and corrects my spelling and grammar. This friend of June is a communications anarchist! She's engendering a mutiny upon the human race! She should be pilloried--immediately after that word is defined for her.

Perhaps her lexicophobia is due in part to the confusion of word meanings. So many words in the English language have multiple meanings that can derail the rational thinker's train of thought. For example--just the other day I heard it announced that Prince Albert of Monaco was engaged to be married. To a commoner. It's a rather dismissive description for someone who isn't Royalty. Despite being an accomplished human being, this beautiful young lady is a commoner. She's about to marry Royalty. I hope she doesn't believe marriage is going to 'up her ante'. I mean, after all, getting paid a lot of money to do little or nothing except cut a few ribbons and pose for photos isn't exactly contributing to the greater good is it? I guess since their faces are on the currency they assume it belongs to them.

The word 'common' is an interesting word and shows up frequently in our daily language. Let's take a look at some other examples, shall we?

Common Ground: A mythical land where people of contradictory opinion seemingly create a level playing field from which each opponent can plot to seize the moral high ground.

Common Market: A place where everyone from everywhere is invited to make money fulfilling supply and demand. Except for those who have more demand than supply and vice versa. The only one making a profit is the landlord.

Boston Common: (This also applies to any city's 'common'). A pastoral area set aside in an urban setting where people of all classes, creeds, and colours can ignore one another equally.

Common Courtesy: Thoughtful consideration of others. Practiced by thoughtful, considerate people and is becoming rarer as these people are on the verge of extinction.

Common Sense: The application of practicality. Something everyone has access to but rarely utilizes. Invoked by people in judgement of others. Politicians use it as a campaign vote-getter but widely ignore its existence until they can figure out how to regulate and tax it.

Common Soldier: An oxymoron. There is nothing common about soldiers. They are extraordinary individuals.

I hope this little exercise helps those who fear words and the power they have. They are healing balms in the right mouths and hands and weapons of acute destruction in the wrong ones. Choose your words carefully--you may have to eat them someday. It's a common fact of life. Please pass the salt.

11 comments:

  1. I'll tell you what is engendering a mutiny upon the human race: slang in place of everyday speech coupled with purposeful misspelling. "Kwik Kopy"? GAH! "Koffee Korner"? DUMB. That and he-be she-be talk."Uscuse me"? "Axe a question"? SHUT.UP.

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  2. I so agree Red. And how about backwards letters and bad grammar like at Toys R Us? The other thing I hate is text writing. Too many shortcuts and no punctuation. A friend from high school on facebook does it and I can hardly understand what she's talking about. Its like trying to read a rebus puzzle! Of course, I am probably dating myself with that last sentence.

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  3. R U 2 4 real? What harm could this possibly do to the inheritors of the English language? Death is very quick--it's the path leading to it that hurts the most. The sad thing is having to explain to a child: "You call it a Hi-Def special FX surround sound movie. When I was your age we called it a 'book'. Of course, we had to hook it up to something called an 'imagination' but somehow we managed to be entertained."

    Lady H.--I'm older than you but I don't know what a rebus puzzle is.

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  4. Gosh and I thought Common Sense had already died! I am relieved.Great having you back and hope Jezebel keeps up the good work.Has she thought of starting her own blog? Or isn't she saying?

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  5. I think Ms. Jezzy (who, by the by, is a ravishing Russian Blue) has a blog because whenever she comes up from the studio she has a singularly smug look on her face. Haven't been able to find it though. In answer to a previous question.....The Imperious One is doing well and her hair is looking splendid. She's had a cut and is preparing for another perm. Executed by a professional this go-round.

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  6. All the rest of your witty and well-written post aside, I'd be thrilled to death to be paid a lot of money to do little or nothing except to cut a few ribbons and pose for photos.

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  7. And then you'd have plenty of time to post even more faboo blogs---which would certainly add to the greater good. Unlike those wastrels under the tiaras.

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  8. A rebus is where a sentence or 2 is written partially with pictures and what is now termed text speak, though technically it should be text write. Picture this. (picture of an eye) (picture of a tin can) C U very (picture of a wishing well) 4 U R in the (picture of a little boy)...translated: I can see you very well for you are in the sun. Maybe it was a Michigan thing or just not a European thing.

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  9. Ahhh, now I know what they are--I had no idea that's what they were called. I always thought it was a play on hieroglyphics. Thanks for telling me what they're called. See, John, I don't know everything!

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  10. Do not run right over to John and enlighten him.

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  11. I made him extraordinarily happy on the 4th because I didn't have a clue as to how to get the grill going or HOW to grill for that matter. Ahh, that sublime look of triumph upon his face. After all, no one who lived for 26 years in Texas would possibly know anything about bar-b-q.

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