Perspectives: Sam’s Perspective – Words

Words do have meaning but a great many of us talk retro. Meaning essentially we use words and phrases from our generation that many times are lost on younger folks and vice versa. For example, how common is it to see a younger person with audio buds in their ears, tuning out the world as he or she listens to something much more pleasurable to them than reality. It also eliminates the need to interact with people around them. Tiny audio buds replaced larger headsets or ear phones but why are they called buds? There was a time buds were the first sign of approaching spring, a sign of new life in nature.  Ear buds?   Moving on.

There is a local weather person who has given new meaning, I think, to the phrase “be advised”. Every time he wants to emphasize something he considers important, he includes the phrase, “be advised”.  Hand to God, I don’t know what that means.  I know what he wants it to mean but that’s not the same thing.  Also on local television weather folks are fond of their phrase, “moving on in” or “moving on out”. Back in the day, there was a writer and talk show host who was a master of the English language.  An hour spent with Dick Cavett was like dinning at a five star restaurant knowing someone else would be picking up the check.  Yale educated, it was very clear he paid attention in class.  Plus you also felt mentally refreshed after his show and many times inspired to learn more.

Make no mistake, I too am guilty of butchering our language but at least I’m not guilty of inventing words or phrases.  I am told that our language turns over every 10 years or so.  That we jettison much of what we say for much more hip communications structure. Here are some examples you either don’t hear anymore or if you do, you are unsure as to the meaning:   Little pictures have big ears,  shake a leg,  pert  near,  g.i.g.o.,  shotgun wedding, Pablum,   live or Memorex  and  Elmer Grantry. Believe it or not, there was a time when these phrases were as common as download, hard drive, app and iphone.

Phrases pass with age and new ones come along to deal with whatever’s current.  Chances are, ten years from now we’ll all be learning a new set of them.  But words have meaning as do most phrases so when someone says ‘that cold front is moving on in’ but tomorrow it will ‘move on out’ then someone has a limited vocabulary.   Made up phrases are more common than made up words,…  ‘Be advised’ for example.  Ugh!

When I was much younger, the adults in my family all had a farm connection.  From them I learned that Kids, were young goats. Today when most folks say kids, they mean children so depending on how its used, ‘kids’ always provides for me, an unusual mental picture.  For example, if they say “We have four kids but we only have five seatbelts in our car.”  I immediately wonder what the state trooper says after he walks up to the car and sees a man and a woman in the front seat and four goats sharing three seatbelts in the back.

Politicians used to be the world’s worst for making up phrases and words.  But when more and more voters became high school and then college graduates, made up words sort of fell away. They still make up phrases.  ‘GITMO’ for example. Obama Care is another. I find that the CBS Television Network News writers are the best in the business. Charlie Rose is a standout and there are a few others. But close to home, on the local television affiliates, it’s a different story. For example, a few days ago, a local anchor was interviewing the guest of a cooking show and with a straight face ask,…“so all of the ingredients can be found at the grocery store?” Words have meaning.  Guess we should add, intelligence is also important.

One more item for your amusement,… I truly enjoy hearing a local weather anchor ask a weather spotter, “Where you at?” Makes me feel all warm inside just knowing that the weather anchor has to “be aware”,… all the ingredients can be found at the grocery store.
That’s my perspective.