Comments on: Words I Will Never Say

By: D.K.Milgrim-Heath

D.K.Milgrim-Heath — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:56:28 +0000

The Beautifully Spoken English Language That I Once Knew
By D.K. Milgrim-Heath©2010
The beautifully spoken English language that I once knew-
From my 1950’s/1960’s childhood has became slanged for all of you.
Daily words change constantly that I don’t understand-
So one has to get new word definitions really on command!
My 3 children have found the need to really explain –
Hip Hop’s meanings by mainstreamed definitions they pertain.
When one’s a foreigner learning to speak English to communicate-
Never do you find Hip hop speak words in grammar books I must state!
Helping a dear friend of mine understand my birth language you see-
I only use proper English at all times by normal standard of necessity.
Not in books for foreigners learning English as another language does it show-
Hip hop peak as ‘the newest English derivative’ in any way so.
Are you going to tell me successful people in business or governments do speak?
Hip Hop for communicative purposes for any dialogues that they seek?
Of course proper grammar is the choice of most-
As I myself can for all reasons really do boast!
Imagine Shakespeare‘s works becoming modernized with any Hip hop jingle?
That thought makes my nerves upset so they’ll heavily tingle.
Think of English/worldly classics (God Forbid) changed for the 21st century grammatical age-
That started with Hip hop/computer words that would sound horrible on any modern theatrical stage.
I prefer proper English usage and of course it explains who you really are-
None of this new Hip hop language is part of me as a writer by far.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:42:27 +0000

Our Mother loved female comedians, Carol Burnett and Erma Bombeck. One of Erma’s chapters dealt with mysterious family sayings, so dense that no one, probably including the author, could figure them out. Her favorite was “I never got a watch till I was 12!”

I have a couple of these from my experiences.

Skiing Colorado one year, mid 90s. We would gang up to share on gas and lodging expense. Along on this trip was a notorious cheapskate, John. He would buy a new parka every year! From Bargain Barn! Lots of neon! Construction so shoddy insulation would start leaking from the seams after a few falls. He also sported rear entry boots, long after their heyday.

My technique was improving this year, thanks to new equipment. Shaped skiis had just come out. Watching John flounder down the hill, I think out loud.

“Buy some new boots John! You’re so cheap!”

“I am Not! My boat cost more than your house!”

“I don’t see your boat out here.”

“Well I don’t see your house out here either!”

Fast forward to Oct 07. Just returned from Moab, where a different group rides mountain bikes. One of my favorite trails is Porqupine Rim. This is a 5 mile climb to the Rim – cliff edge of Castle Valley – followed by 12 mile singletrack up and over a saddle or ridge, thru scrub pine forest, down and up ravines, finally down into Jackass Canyon and out at the Colorado River. Very gnarly, very fast, very rocky and rough. Lots of double diamond spots which translate to skiing double diamonds – expert only. Ridden this trail a dozen times, with all kinds of good riders. Once I followed a blood trail down, one of my friends had crashed and bled for the next 5 miles down, then got in a race with a cocky girl rider on his way to the hospital – another 5 miles on the hiway back to town. 50 stiches in his lip. Even this guy won’t ride 3-4 foot drops on the trail. Everybody dabs on these. A dab is uncleating from pedal, jump off and walk down obstacle or tripod. Tripod is to stay on bike, put a foot down on uphill side and ride – if possible – on a sideways attack, like a traverse on the ski slope.

This year I came up on 3 French kids, 2 boys and a girl, in their early 20s. They had a straggler, so we would pass each other. By doing so I observed their technique on the giant drops. Fearlessly they would accelerate to the edge, bunny hop off and control their crash landing! Then they would regroup and chat in French, German or flawless English. Naturally they rode, no dabbing, the extra scary stuff where you are right on the edge of a ravine, blind curves, etc.

Being inspired, I tell Jennifer “I want to learn how to ride like that!”

“Jim! They are half your age! And besides, were they attractive?”

Speaking of attractive, I forgot to tell the Frogs I was mad at them for not electing Sevigne Royal as their President.

Jim

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:04:26 +0000

I am vastly irritated these days by the girls (ours) using text speak. OMG, IDK. I was trying to figure out what was so irritating, though and I think it’s just the laziness of it. Responding to me with letters lets them off the hook to create thoughtful statements, and leaves me ill-informed about their feelings… except that they don’t feel highly enough of me to use complete sentences. Sigh.

By: Tommyboy

Tommyboy — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:50:49 +0000

Literally is peppered into my daughter’s speech without regard to it’s literal meaning, but the words I won’t say are “crispy,” (as crisp covers it quite nicely) and “yaddy-yaddy-yaddy.”

By: John

John — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:47:37 +0000

If you’ve ever heard of the comedian Eddie Izzard (English, very funny, literate, and until recently a transvestite — I’m sure Ian would be familiar — all the jrs. are), he has a whole bit in his show, Glorious, about how we now use “awesome” for things like hot dogs and thus it has no meaning.

By: emariegrant

emariegrant — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:39:46 +0000

I, too, hate the word “amazing” for all the reasons you sited. Glad to know I’m not the only one. My dad — who is 60 — has started saying “that’s cool” in recent years, which always sounds a little bizarre to me.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:15:08 +0000

Oh my! Jim’s post made me laugh and laugh! Great idea for a discussion, Jennifer, as there is such a line of demarcation when one ceases using the latest slang. I, like Jim, love using arcane slang. I prefer to say Right On! and Solid (sporting the Black Panther fist), call people pal-y, and I especially love the word ‘weirdsmobile’ which I picked up from Bing Crosby in White Christmas. I can’t say dude, do the knuckle knock or wear pants with ‘Juicy’ splashed across my ass. And, since living in New England, I love to use the phrases wicked awesome and, of course, wicked pissah. When I lived in the Philadelphia area I loathed the words ‘hoagie’ and ‘yo’ and would never let them cross my lips. And while I still find ‘hoagie’ unbearably ugly, I’ve found I now frequently say ‘yo’. Yo, whassup wi dat?

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:09:18 +0000

Funny you mention ‘dang.’ Saying Dang It is one of Malcolm’s catchphrases – so much so that his 5th grade class voted to put it on the T-shirts they were making. However, a couple of moms objected so now the shirts say D-I.

By: becky up the hill

becky up the hill — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:29:52 +0000

Growing up in the 50′s/60′s..my Mom would not let me say ‘crud or dang’..okay..so today I told my sister..who is 64 that something ‘sucked’..she primly reminded me not to say that word. Dang it.

By: jim crabb

jim crabb — Sat, 24 May 2008 01:23:25 +0000

Words – lots of them. But what makes me feel out of it are the gadgets. Everybody but me has the iPod. They play Grand Theft Auto, steering cars with x y keys. Never will I sport a Bluetooth gizmo in my ear. Johnathan Franzen wrote an essay where he goes to the Tool Museum in the Mercer Tile Works, sees a rotary dial phone atop 8 tracks. Title “Obsolete Technology”. He takes umbrage, as he clings to his 6 pound bakelite rotary phone. Makes one nostaglic for the party line. Jim