Words...have you ever thought about them? I mean, we use them all the time, but really, the beauty of words is that most of us don't even think about how we use them - they just....get used. Some are over used. I work in a corporate world, and I can tell you (moving forward), that some words (in the current climate) get so over used (so to speak), that they loose all meaning. Most meetings, phone calls, emails & memo's could take half the time if such superlatives were just omitted. If we have to use so many words in a day, could we not (at the very least) find new words to replace the old? It really would make the work place so much more educational. I mean, thesaurus's were invented for a reason...
I think of this because I do work with some very intelligent people. I work very closely with a migrant (we'll call her Dallas), who - despite her not arriving in Australia until 3 years ago - has a better grasp on the English language than I do. This perturbs me somewhat. Instead of saying "we get along together as the relationship works for the both of us" she will instead say "we share reciprocity".
Then there are the other two characters you probably know - MD and Al.
MD has almost been banned from Friday night quiz. As if her English wasn't good enough, she can also answer in another - somewhat exotic - European language (not sure if you'd like me to give away what this language is MD- is that getting too personal?). Then she could probably tell you the country of origin of where that question came from, and the history of any related fact...anyway - MD just has a way with words.
Then there is Al. He walks up to my desk ranting and raving about whatever the latest thing to rant and rave about is, and somehow manages to throw "duplicitous" into his descriptive. This made me feel somewhat offended, and at the same time, in awe of the somewhat adventurous use of such a descriptive adjective (tautological I know, but I like to get my point across doubly so).
Oh words.....don't even get me started on double entendre's, oxymoron's, acronyms and thing-a-lings...and what's the word for when you put two words together and somehow it makes sense (read: "Spork = implement that converges spoon and fork)??
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7 comments:
Oh Deb, you crack me up. So to speak.
Duplicitous was the only way to describe that person!
You neglected to mention the acronym obsession within the workplace - STS.
hi deb, thanks for visiting me :) i think language is a means to get a message across, there is no point in communicating if the other person cant make out what your are saying or *ahem* is discombobulated.
so don't blame yourself if you are just a naturally good conversationalist.
Oh bugger it, throw a few slang words around and shock the pants off the silly arses :P
I vote for the inclusion of 'indubitably' in this post.
I concur - in fact, it is Dallas's favourite word....
Words...have you ever thought about them?
I try not to, but sometimes it's inevitable.
Spork = implement that converges spoon and fork
...often used as weapons by local youth gangs.
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