Every once in a while I will hear someone say that they believe in karma or that they get enjoyment out of karma. In some instances I will hear of someone getting their just desserts as karma exacting revenge on that person. This usage of "karma" is not technically accurate.
First, I should note that since I am Christian I do not believe in literal karma, no matter how it is defined. It is important to understand what I am disagreeing with when someone declares karma, however.
The real definition of karma comes from the Hindu religion. The idea is that good deeds, thoughts, actions, etc. eventually result in good outcomes for people, and that bad deeds, thoughts, actions, etc. eventually result in bad outcomes for people. The key is that this is supposed to be experienced in a person's next life. Someone's karmic state is intrinsically linked to his or her reincarnation, and so payback would probably be in the quality of someone's next life, which would be lived without an understanding of the evils committed in the previous life. Based on my understanding of the concept, which is admittedly imperfect, karma would have to be experienced a long time later, and probably in a future life rather than in this one.
I believe that a better word for what people mean when they say, "karma," is, "schadenfreude." It's also a much more fun word to pronounce! I believe that most of my audience knows what it means, but for the uninformed the dictionary.com definition is, "satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune." I have mostly heard it used in conjunction with enjoying someone else's misery because one believes that misery is deserved. So, when I hear that someone believes in karma, or enjoys seeing examples of karma, I understand that they simply like seeing the suffering of those they believe to be immoral. This is more accurately the practical definition for schadenfreude.
Christian believers are not permitted to believe in Hindu karma or partake in schadenfreude. Real karma is in direct contradiction to Heb 9:27, which states that people are destined to die once, and then to face judgment. Schadenfreude is founded in a desire for vengeance that violates the spirit of Rom 12:17-21, fun as it is to say.
I'll certainly grant that both concepts are interesting, and have some allure. At the very least, they can make you sound intelligent to adeptly use them in conversation. However, a Christian believer shouldn't revel in either.
Showing posts with label linguistics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label linguistics. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
marker words
The professor who taught my undergraduate Business Communications course offered a free service to review students' resumes and provide recommendations for modifications. She definitely helped me craft what was the first draft for the resume that I would continue to use for years to come, so for that I am immeasurably grateful. There was one minor thing that always stuck out to me that I have thought of throughout the ensuing years. She recommended that I note that I was looking for an environment that offered employee empowerment.
Employee empowerment was a specific concept that she taught in one of the classes I took from her, though I don't remember which one. I took three classes from this particular prof. The idea was simply that a business that espoused this belief allowed employees the leeway to make decisions (and potentially mistakes) because the net result for a good employee would be positive. It's not a bad concept, but the phrase has always been odd to me.
What seems weird about the phrase is that I don't believe I have ever in my life heard a man use the word "empowerment" or "empowered," even though I have heard several women use it. It seems like one of those words that I suspect both sexes have that serve as markers for, "A woman said this," or, "A man wrote that."
A few other words that stick out to me as marker words that a woman said it are "blessed", "tacky", "sweet", and "vile." I may have heard the odd man or two use them, but they show up far more in women's vernacular.
I tried to think of marker words for men, but I must have a natural blind spot to it. Everything I have been able to think of has too many exceptions to be usable. As an example, in the past most crass language probably served as marker words for men, but things are different today.
Are there any marker words that you have noticed in your interactions? Is there a word or phrase that, if you see it in an article or book, you immediately have a guess at what the author's gender is? Do you disagree with any words I mentioned above?
Employee empowerment was a specific concept that she taught in one of the classes I took from her, though I don't remember which one. I took three classes from this particular prof. The idea was simply that a business that espoused this belief allowed employees the leeway to make decisions (and potentially mistakes) because the net result for a good employee would be positive. It's not a bad concept, but the phrase has always been odd to me.
What seems weird about the phrase is that I don't believe I have ever in my life heard a man use the word "empowerment" or "empowered," even though I have heard several women use it. It seems like one of those words that I suspect both sexes have that serve as markers for, "A woman said this," or, "A man wrote that."
A few other words that stick out to me as marker words that a woman said it are "blessed", "tacky", "sweet", and "vile." I may have heard the odd man or two use them, but they show up far more in women's vernacular.
I tried to think of marker words for men, but I must have a natural blind spot to it. Everything I have been able to think of has too many exceptions to be usable. As an example, in the past most crass language probably served as marker words for men, but things are different today.
Are there any marker words that you have noticed in your interactions? Is there a word or phrase that, if you see it in an article or book, you immediately have a guess at what the author's gender is? Do you disagree with any words I mentioned above?
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
no problem
A while back—probably a year or two ago—Golden asked me why I always respond to people thanking me with, "No problem." She noted that, "You're welcome," would be better. Old habits die hard, so I have not really changed things, though I think about it more. I do think that this has exposed a difference in how I think versus how she and I am sure many others think, and I would never had even considered it had that conversation not occurred.
I do not know this for a fact, but I suspect that most people answer one way or the other, and do not alternate between the two too much. The reason I think this is that there is a very specific reason that, "No problem," seems natural to me. If someone does not have that same personality quirk, I would suspect that they would tend to use, "You're welcome," more than, "No problem," as well.
For one reason or another (or a hundred) I am very highly motivated not to put someone out. I view it as a personal failing to have unnecessarily inconvenienced someone. I called it a quirk earlier, but I think that most people don't like inconveniencing others. At the extreme I reach it is a flaw or worse. It has caused me more problems than good, for sure. So, to me the act of thanking someone is a form of apology for requiring them to go out of their way. I like to receive the response, "No problem," because this signals that the person in question is not bothered by being put out.
I suspect, though I do not know first hand, that those who prefer to hear, "You're welcome," prefer that because they are more likely to see someone doing something for someone else as a gift. The "You're welcome," would then signify that the gift was sincerely given and can be genuinely appreciated.
Do you have a preferred way to respond to thanks, or a preferred way for others to respond to your thanks? Do you have your own theories regarding why someone would prefer one response over the other? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
I do not know this for a fact, but I suspect that most people answer one way or the other, and do not alternate between the two too much. The reason I think this is that there is a very specific reason that, "No problem," seems natural to me. If someone does not have that same personality quirk, I would suspect that they would tend to use, "You're welcome," more than, "No problem," as well.
For one reason or another (or a hundred) I am very highly motivated not to put someone out. I view it as a personal failing to have unnecessarily inconvenienced someone. I called it a quirk earlier, but I think that most people don't like inconveniencing others. At the extreme I reach it is a flaw or worse. It has caused me more problems than good, for sure. So, to me the act of thanking someone is a form of apology for requiring them to go out of their way. I like to receive the response, "No problem," because this signals that the person in question is not bothered by being put out.
I suspect, though I do not know first hand, that those who prefer to hear, "You're welcome," prefer that because they are more likely to see someone doing something for someone else as a gift. The "You're welcome," would then signify that the gift was sincerely given and can be genuinely appreciated.
Do you have a preferred way to respond to thanks, or a preferred way for others to respond to your thanks? Do you have your own theories regarding why someone would prefer one response over the other? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
toy cars and fireworks
Last week we visited my parents' house for the Independence Day holiday. There were two noteworthy things about the visit.
First, my mom pulled out some of my old toy cars for the kids to play with. I did not expect CD to get excited about playing with them, but she found some Micro Machines that she liked. Her statement to me was that the were cute, and she asked if I thought they were cute when I was a kid. I told her that is not the word I would have used.
Second, I do not recall being anywhere where there were more fireworks being set off by random people in the neighborhood than this last weekend in the town in Nebraska where my parents currently live. Every July Fourth brings some fireworks no matter where I am, but I was not used to half the neighborhood in their driveways setting off fireworks at once. I think this is due to the official display being on the night before the Fourth.
First, my mom pulled out some of my old toy cars for the kids to play with. I did not expect CD to get excited about playing with them, but she found some Micro Machines that she liked. Her statement to me was that the were cute, and she asked if I thought they were cute when I was a kid. I told her that is not the word I would have used.
Second, I do not recall being anywhere where there were more fireworks being set off by random people in the neighborhood than this last weekend in the town in Nebraska where my parents currently live. Every July Fourth brings some fireworks no matter where I am, but I was not used to half the neighborhood in their driveways setting off fireworks at once. I think this is due to the official display being on the night before the Fourth.
Friday, August 19, 2011
cute
I mentioned not long ago that a lot of words have different meanings to men and women. I don't have a good way of judging how well this applies to all men and women, but one word that has stuck out to me, especially when I was growing up, is "cute." It is completely possible that I am alone on this, but that word has devalued a lot of compliments in my life. The following example uses my grandmother as an example, and I have chosen to use this since she has passed and so will not read this some day in the future with embarrassment.
I like to share things that I think are funny with others. So, if I come across something I think is genuinely funny I like to share it. More than once when I was at my grandparents' house I read some joke I liked out of a Reader's Digest to my grandmother, to which her response was to say it was cute. It wasn't a huge deal because I knew it was supposed to be a compliment, but that was never the response I wanted.
I think "cute" is a go-to generic compliment for a lot of women because the word implies the sort of thing a lot of women want to be or that they want to own. In my life I've heard a lot of women say things in the vein of, "You look cute in those earrings," or "Those shoes are so cute," or "You have a cute baby," or "You two look cute together." In most contexts; though, the word is feminine. I haven't heard many men use the same sort of compliments, and it sticks out like a sore thumb when a man actually does say something like that.
The real problem is that a compliment is only effective if it makes the recipient feel how he or she wants to feel about himself or herself. Giving a man who would prefer to be masculine feminine compliments or a woman who would prefer to be feminine masculine compliments drains the value from those compliments.
In thinking through this I realized that I do not know which compliments men give that aren't really compliments to women. Is there a reverse version of "cute" that I am not aware of? I should probably learn before I start giving Golden or CD compliments that mean less than I think they do.
I like to share things that I think are funny with others. So, if I come across something I think is genuinely funny I like to share it. More than once when I was at my grandparents' house I read some joke I liked out of a Reader's Digest to my grandmother, to which her response was to say it was cute. It wasn't a huge deal because I knew it was supposed to be a compliment, but that was never the response I wanted.
I think "cute" is a go-to generic compliment for a lot of women because the word implies the sort of thing a lot of women want to be or that they want to own. In my life I've heard a lot of women say things in the vein of, "You look cute in those earrings," or "Those shoes are so cute," or "You have a cute baby," or "You two look cute together." In most contexts; though, the word is feminine. I haven't heard many men use the same sort of compliments, and it sticks out like a sore thumb when a man actually does say something like that.
The real problem is that a compliment is only effective if it makes the recipient feel how he or she wants to feel about himself or herself. Giving a man who would prefer to be masculine feminine compliments or a woman who would prefer to be feminine masculine compliments drains the value from those compliments.
In thinking through this I realized that I do not know which compliments men give that aren't really compliments to women. Is there a reverse version of "cute" that I am not aware of? I should probably learn before I start giving Golden or CD compliments that mean less than I think they do.
Friday, March 12, 2010
ending sentences with prepositions
A while back I claimed that I thought the rule about not ending sentences with prepositions was stupid. It has always gotten under my skin because the process of working around this "rule" requires using ridiculously awkward sentences. While I obviously still agree with my earlier assessment, I am a bit wiser on the topic now.
A year or two ago I composed my rationale for why having prepositions at the end of a sentence is not a big deal and I sent it to a few coworkers who care about grammar. While I have since found that my below rationalization is not technically accurate, the following are the arguments I put forth.
After all of the effort I put into rationalizing why a preposition at the end of a sentence is acceptable, it is a bit deflating to know that I was right for the wrong reasons. I will claim that I was at least close with my noting that the prepositions often function as adverbs, but I still did not get the explanation correct. At least I am assured now that I have it figured out.
A year or two ago I composed my rationale for why having prepositions at the end of a sentence is not a big deal and I sent it to a few coworkers who care about grammar. While I have since found that my below rationalization is not technically accurate, the following are the arguments I put forth.
From my perspective, the acceptable sentence-ending preposition can come in three forms.I recently listened to an old Grammar Girl podcast episode that addressed the issue in much simpler terms. Most of the time that a preposition is placed at the end of a sentence it is part of a verbal phrase and acts as part of the verb in the sentence rather than as a preposition. So, technically the verb is at the end of the sentence in these cases rather than the preposition.
Adverb
In this case the purpose of the preposition is to modify a verb, adjective, or noun. For example, in the sentence below "about" modifies "wrote."
"I am interested in the topic you wrote about."
Rewording the sentence could make it more "correct," but it adds no value to the communication of the idea other than forcing the sentence structure to fit better into the Latin mold. It actually makes the sentence quite awkward. The rewrite would probably look like the following.
"I am interest in the topic about which you wrote."
Broken Prepositional Phrase
In this case the prepositional phrase exists, but the preposition comes after the noun. This probably overlaps the other two forms. In the example below "where" is actually part of the prepositional phrase.
"Where do you come from?"
The fix below is just to move the preposition to the beginning of the prepositional phrase. Do you really believe that the following is an improvement?
"From where do you come?"
Implied Prepositional Phase
In this case the purpose can be described as laziness, but that is still an acceptable rationale in English. The following sentence is an example I found online.
"Get in!"
In this case, this is short for "Get in the car!" Something worth noting is that the grammar gods appear to care about the missing (and implied) prepositional phrase a lot more than the missing (and implied) subject. If you are anal about the missing prepositional phrase, why not require that people utter the sentence as follows?
"You, get in the car!"
It is my opinion that the prepositional phrase rule only exists because this is the way we have always done it. This is how Latin is structured, so this is the mold into which we are going to force English. If those who enforce "right" and "wrong" grammar cared more about usability and communication than fitting within the Latin mold, then this rule would not exist.
After all of the effort I put into rationalizing why a preposition at the end of a sentence is acceptable, it is a bit deflating to know that I was right for the wrong reasons. I will claim that I was at least close with my noting that the prepositions often function as adverbs, but I still did not get the explanation correct. At least I am assured now that I have it figured out.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
what's in a word
I thought I had posted on this topic earlier but I cannot find any posts on the topic in my searches of the blog, so here it is (possibly again).
One of my friends in high school frequented the youth events for a church that neither of us attended. As a result I sometimes went along as well, but not very frequently. One night we were riding in the church van on the way back from an event, I think it was bowling, when the guy sitting next to me mentioned that he wanted to kill himself. I don't remember how we got on that topic, but my impression of the little that I knew about him led me to believe that he was partially serious, but that the main point was to find a reason not to do something so permanent. It could be that he was just pulling everyone's leg, but I have to say that he did not seem the joking type.
There is something weird that happens when you are around someone who you believe might actually be intending to kill himself or herself. Everything all of a sudden becomes about that one person and there is an edginess that everyone gets because they don't want to say or do something they would regret and be responsible for someone doing something so drastic. As would be expected, at least a few of the people in the bus felt that it was important to quickly convince him that life is worth living. This is when two of the girls in the bus started telling him that God loved him. Honestly, it sounded cliche and I think (and I thought at the time) that that was the last thing that he wanted to hear and that it was the last thing that would stop him from doing anything rash. I can't remember what specifically I said to him and I don't know that it was any better, but I remember his disappointed expression at people resorting to, "God loves you," as if he had never heard it before.
I don't know what happened with that guy. As I said, I didn't attend that church and he apparently rarely did either. I knew his name at the time, but I forgot it soon afterwards as I am apt to do. I have often thought back to that conversation, though. Had I been given the chance to do it over again I probably would have gotten his contact information and tried to give him more opportunity to describe what was so crappy about his life. I also have thought about how much a shame it is that, "God loves you," and the similar phrase, "God is love," are so cliched that when I hear it I don't think about what that really truly means.
There is probably no more important truth, as far as Christianity is concerned at least, than, "God is love." I think that so many people misunderstand the word love, though, that we interpret the phrase with a more superficial meaning or a just plain different meaning. I think that love in this context means a willingness to selflessly sacrifice. I think that it would be just as accurate to say, "God is sacrifice. He gave it and He demands it." This is backed up in Paul's letter to the Romans.
The reason I have been thinking about the topic of cliched words lately is that I have noticed, especially in my more recent classes, that a lot of the concepts behind the overused business buzzwords are actually quite good. I know this is a step down from talking about love and God, but it is still what got me thinking. Synergies are the abilities of groups within a company to work together in ways that their output is greater than the output of the groups individually, and they are vital for most mergers to make any rational sense. Paradigms are the mental constraints under which we think and they often disallow us from understanding the value of finding other better ways of doing what we do, and ignoring paradigm shifts usually results in the company in question going out of business. There are other cliched words that represent important concepts as well, but my point is already made. A few people at some point thought that using the buzzwords without giving the associated concepts the required respect to be effective and all we ultimately ended up with were Dilbert strips mocking synergies.
Since I don't think that anyone who reads this abuses religious or business buzzwords and cliches, this is probably written to the wrong audience. Perhaps this could be a word of warning lest anyone consider starting to use them without paying proper respect to the underlying concepts. Just say no.
One of my friends in high school frequented the youth events for a church that neither of us attended. As a result I sometimes went along as well, but not very frequently. One night we were riding in the church van on the way back from an event, I think it was bowling, when the guy sitting next to me mentioned that he wanted to kill himself. I don't remember how we got on that topic, but my impression of the little that I knew about him led me to believe that he was partially serious, but that the main point was to find a reason not to do something so permanent. It could be that he was just pulling everyone's leg, but I have to say that he did not seem the joking type.
There is something weird that happens when you are around someone who you believe might actually be intending to kill himself or herself. Everything all of a sudden becomes about that one person and there is an edginess that everyone gets because they don't want to say or do something they would regret and be responsible for someone doing something so drastic. As would be expected, at least a few of the people in the bus felt that it was important to quickly convince him that life is worth living. This is when two of the girls in the bus started telling him that God loved him. Honestly, it sounded cliche and I think (and I thought at the time) that that was the last thing that he wanted to hear and that it was the last thing that would stop him from doing anything rash. I can't remember what specifically I said to him and I don't know that it was any better, but I remember his disappointed expression at people resorting to, "God loves you," as if he had never heard it before.
I don't know what happened with that guy. As I said, I didn't attend that church and he apparently rarely did either. I knew his name at the time, but I forgot it soon afterwards as I am apt to do. I have often thought back to that conversation, though. Had I been given the chance to do it over again I probably would have gotten his contact information and tried to give him more opportunity to describe what was so crappy about his life. I also have thought about how much a shame it is that, "God loves you," and the similar phrase, "God is love," are so cliched that when I hear it I don't think about what that really truly means.
There is probably no more important truth, as far as Christianity is concerned at least, than, "God is love." I think that so many people misunderstand the word love, though, that we interpret the phrase with a more superficial meaning or a just plain different meaning. I think that love in this context means a willingness to selflessly sacrifice. I think that it would be just as accurate to say, "God is sacrifice. He gave it and He demands it." This is backed up in Paul's letter to the Romans.
"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."- Romans 5:7-8John wrote the following on our responsibilities.
"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome..."- 1 John 5:3I can only speak for myself, but if I were cynical about how cliched the phrase, "God is love," is I would take it as a breath of fresh air for someone to tell me that God is sacrifice. It's specific. It's stark. It forces a decision as to whether I am going to accept that sort of a God or not. Most importantly, that God is sacrifice is more difficult to say with the pretense that what the listener is going through isn't such a big deal.
The reason I have been thinking about the topic of cliched words lately is that I have noticed, especially in my more recent classes, that a lot of the concepts behind the overused business buzzwords are actually quite good. I know this is a step down from talking about love and God, but it is still what got me thinking. Synergies are the abilities of groups within a company to work together in ways that their output is greater than the output of the groups individually, and they are vital for most mergers to make any rational sense. Paradigms are the mental constraints under which we think and they often disallow us from understanding the value of finding other better ways of doing what we do, and ignoring paradigm shifts usually results in the company in question going out of business. There are other cliched words that represent important concepts as well, but my point is already made. A few people at some point thought that using the buzzwords without giving the associated concepts the required respect to be effective and all we ultimately ended up with were Dilbert strips mocking synergies.
Since I don't think that anyone who reads this abuses religious or business buzzwords and cliches, this is probably written to the wrong audience. Perhaps this could be a word of warning lest anyone consider starting to use them without paying proper respect to the underlying concepts. Just say no.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
permanent typos
Several years ago I remember seeing a case on one of those court TV shows where tattoo parlor customer was suing the parlor due to a misspelling in a tattoo. I remember thinking that having a typo permanently etched on my body would be horrible, but I figured that it was an isolated incident. It appears that it may not be as isolated as I thought.
I recently came across a website detailing some of the worst tattoo misspellings (language warning). There are quite a few, and one is even on a celebrity, so I guess that it is something that happens more often than you might think.
I don't make any judgments on most tattoos, but I wouldn't get one. They probably make sense for someone who knows that they will like the tattoo in five, ten, or fifty years. My tastes are so subject to change, though, that it wouldn't make sense for me. So many tattoos are prone to be dated, like the barbed wire around the bicep tattoo, that even if I were looking to get a tattoo I would have to take that into account. If I got a tattoo I also think I would avoid getting any words to avoid the possibility of having a misspelled word inked into my body for a lifetime.
If they weren't so permanent the misspellings would be hilarious. Actually, I still think they are.
I recently came across a website detailing some of the worst tattoo misspellings (language warning). There are quite a few, and one is even on a celebrity, so I guess that it is something that happens more often than you might think.
I don't make any judgments on most tattoos, but I wouldn't get one. They probably make sense for someone who knows that they will like the tattoo in five, ten, or fifty years. My tastes are so subject to change, though, that it wouldn't make sense for me. So many tattoos are prone to be dated, like the barbed wire around the bicep tattoo, that even if I were looking to get a tattoo I would have to take that into account. If I got a tattoo I also think I would avoid getting any words to avoid the possibility of having a misspelled word inked into my body for a lifetime.
If they weren't so permanent the misspellings would be hilarious. Actually, I still think they are.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
a poem, i wish
Poetry is pain
Poetry is happy
Poetry is plain
Poetry is snappy
I write by the line
But this is no great feat
I use the best rhyme
But I can't keep a beat
Matching sounds is nice
Matching cadence neater
My rhymes are precise
I just can't use meter
I would if I could
Pen a weighty work now
Still might not be good
With no syllabic count
It would not be cheap
And would be from the heart
I might make it deep
And I'd attempt at smart
For style not substance
Would my verse be undone
Many the instance
Would the beat miss by one
Though the form is low
I still inscribe my thought
Trying to find flow
I have constantly fought
When I write flowery
What most everyone knows
I say poetry
I should really say prose
Poetry is happy
Poetry is plain
Poetry is snappy
I write by the line
But this is no great feat
I use the best rhyme
But I can't keep a beat
Matching sounds is nice
Matching cadence neater
My rhymes are precise
I just can't use meter
I would if I could
Pen a weighty work now
Still might not be good
With no syllabic count
It would not be cheap
And would be from the heart
I might make it deep
And I'd attempt at smart
For style not substance
Would my verse be undone
Many the instance
Would the beat miss by one
Though the form is low
I still inscribe my thought
Trying to find flow
I have constantly fought
When I write flowery
What most everyone knows
I say poetry
I should really say prose
Monday, April 07, 2008
dust words
I think that in just about every serious relationship there are words that one person uses that the other person thinks are weird. I definitely use a few words that Golden has questioned.
The first time I can recall Golden making a big deal about one of the words I used was in a presentation I did in a class that we were both in. Twice in the presentation I used the word "disparity." Golden's opinion was that I sounded like I was trying to show off that I knew what the word meant. Maybe I did, but every time we have heard the word used since, I have given her a nudge.
Another word I use quite a bit is "munch." Golden used to tease me about saying that I needed something to munch. Now I have influenced her enough that she uses the word as well. Heh, heh, heh.
A final word that I use that sticks out to Golden is "crisp." If it is a freezing morning, I will describe the cold as biting. However, if the morning is simply chilly, I will describe the temperature as crisp. For a while, Golden was not convinced that I was even using the word correctly.
I have to be fair, though, that Golden and her family use words that I haven't gotten used to either. If they say to put food on your plate they tell you to, "dip your plate." She also uses a word the word "swig" to describe a sip. This is a word that my dad uses as well, but that I simply have never gotten used to.
I should be thankful. Apart from a few differences in the words we use, we really aren't very different. I would say there is hardly any disparity between us at all.
The first time I can recall Golden making a big deal about one of the words I used was in a presentation I did in a class that we were both in. Twice in the presentation I used the word "disparity." Golden's opinion was that I sounded like I was trying to show off that I knew what the word meant. Maybe I did, but every time we have heard the word used since, I have given her a nudge.
Another word I use quite a bit is "munch." Golden used to tease me about saying that I needed something to munch. Now I have influenced her enough that she uses the word as well. Heh, heh, heh.
A final word that I use that sticks out to Golden is "crisp." If it is a freezing morning, I will describe the cold as biting. However, if the morning is simply chilly, I will describe the temperature as crisp. For a while, Golden was not convinced that I was even using the word correctly.
I have to be fair, though, that Golden and her family use words that I haven't gotten used to either. If they say to put food on your plate they tell you to, "dip your plate." She also uses a word the word "swig" to describe a sip. This is a word that my dad uses as well, but that I simply have never gotten used to.
I should be thankful. Apart from a few differences in the words we use, we really aren't very different. I would say there is hardly any disparity between us at all.
Monday, January 21, 2008
nothing but the truth
I have been told in the past that I am very calculated in my responses. I prefer the word, "thoughtful," but I will not disagree. At least part of the reason for this was illustrated to me yesterday.
I was talking to someone in the hallway at church yesterday morning when the service started. About five minutes into the song service I told the person I with whom I was speaking that I needed to get to the service since I was supposed to usher that morning.
Later, I found that someone had miscounted the ushers so there were too many of us. As a result of this I did not usher. This is great except that I am concerned the person I told that I was going to take offering thinks I fibbed to break off the conversation.
There are a lot of reasons why I usually pause to think before I talk, and that I choose my words carefully. One of the big reasons, though, is that I do not like the idea of passing on bad information or other people thinking that I lied. I figure that I am always one mischosen word away from saying something wrong. That's no lie.
I was talking to someone in the hallway at church yesterday morning when the service started. About five minutes into the song service I told the person I with whom I was speaking that I needed to get to the service since I was supposed to usher that morning.
Later, I found that someone had miscounted the ushers so there were too many of us. As a result of this I did not usher. This is great except that I am concerned the person I told that I was going to take offering thinks I fibbed to break off the conversation.
There are a lot of reasons why I usually pause to think before I talk, and that I choose my words carefully. One of the big reasons, though, is that I do not like the idea of passing on bad information or other people thinking that I lied. I figure that I am always one mischosen word away from saying something wrong. That's no lie.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
slash
I like communicating through text, but one serious weakness that frustrates me is that there is no punctuation to express moderate excitement or surprise. I will often send an email or instant message to someone with a comment that I want to be expressed with some excitement, but not the level that an exclamation mark provides.
As an example of what I am talking about, take a look at the two following sentences.
The exclamation marks make it seem like the person who wrote the comments is piling it on. It is almost like when an adult takes a fake excited tone with a child, so I sometimes see exclamation mark overuse as patronizing.
So, what is a person to do if none of the choices for punctuation seem acceptable? Create a new form of punctuation. I propose that new sentence ending punctuation is adopted that expresses excitement, but not to the level of an exclamation mark. This could be done using punctuation that is already available, like the backslash.
If the backslash is adopted for this purpose, I will no longer have to choose between the apathetic period and the patronizing exclamation mark. I don't know about you, but that makes me moderately excited\
As an example of what I am talking about, take a look at the two following sentences.
- "That joke you sent to me is funny."
- "That joke you sent to me is funny!"
- "Your newborn child is cute."
- "Your newborn child is cute!"
The exclamation marks make it seem like the person who wrote the comments is piling it on. It is almost like when an adult takes a fake excited tone with a child, so I sometimes see exclamation mark overuse as patronizing.
So, what is a person to do if none of the choices for punctuation seem acceptable? Create a new form of punctuation. I propose that new sentence ending punctuation is adopted that expresses excitement, but not to the level of an exclamation mark. This could be done using punctuation that is already available, like the backslash.
If the backslash is adopted for this purpose, I will no longer have to choose between the apathetic period and the patronizing exclamation mark. I don't know about you, but that makes me moderately excited\
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
new cue lar
I remember back in the 2000 presidential election (Motto: "Whoever you elect, it's still a four-letter word") the big deal about Gore was his lack of a personality and the big deal about Bush was his lack of speaking ability. My joke at the time was that my problem is that I have Gore's personality and Bush's speaking ability.
On that topic, Bush has taken some flak for pronouncing the word nuclear wrong with some frequency. To me, this begs the question at what point is the incorrect usage correct. Since I was a kid I always pronounced the word the same as Bush does, though lately I have bowed to convention and pronounced it like it is spelled. It is not that I haven't known that the word is pronounced "new clear." It is that I think "new cue lar" just sounds cooler.
I am not alone. A lot of people besides me and Dubya have used this pronunciation, including Presidents Eisenhower, Carter, and Clinton. The editors for Merriam-Webster actually have a prewritten official letter that they send in response to people who write in to gripe that the dictionary dares to list this colloquial pronunciation as a common usage.
There are a lot of words in the English language that have multiple accepted pronunciations, so it confuses me why we care about specific mispronounciations and not others. Why are we willing to agree with Louis Armstrong about tomato and potato but not about nuclear? I say let's call the whole thing off, because I want to go back to pronouncing it the way I like.
On that topic, Bush has taken some flak for pronouncing the word nuclear wrong with some frequency. To me, this begs the question at what point is the incorrect usage correct. Since I was a kid I always pronounced the word the same as Bush does, though lately I have bowed to convention and pronounced it like it is spelled. It is not that I haven't known that the word is pronounced "new clear." It is that I think "new cue lar" just sounds cooler.
I am not alone. A lot of people besides me and Dubya have used this pronunciation, including Presidents Eisenhower, Carter, and Clinton. The editors for Merriam-Webster actually have a prewritten official letter that they send in response to people who write in to gripe that the dictionary dares to list this colloquial pronunciation as a common usage.
There are a lot of words in the English language that have multiple accepted pronunciations, so it confuses me why we care about specific mispronounciations and not others. Why are we willing to agree with Louis Armstrong about tomato and potato but not about nuclear? I say let's call the whole thing off, because I want to go back to pronouncing it the way I like.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
the best do-diddly jobberino
In the past couple of weeks I have recorded a few movies on the DVR to watch. Something that I always enjoy when watching a movie that has been edited for content on television is the creative way the TV version is modified to be less crude. Good edits are impossible to catch if you're not looking for them, but bad edits are a lot more entertaining.
It's always funny to hear a character go to cuss someone out then that character's voice changes for a moment when a cleaner word or phrase is substituted. If the comments don't match the character's lip movements that is even better. Some of the words and phrases I catch in these scenarios I have never heard in that sort of context, and so they show quite a bit of creativity.
I think that rewriting cuss words out of movies has got to be one of the most entertaining jobs in existence. Getting to make the choice to either replace the censored phrases with something serious or something ridiculous would be a blast. How do you get that job?
It's always funny to hear a character go to cuss someone out then that character's voice changes for a moment when a cleaner word or phrase is substituted. If the comments don't match the character's lip movements that is even better. Some of the words and phrases I catch in these scenarios I have never heard in that sort of context, and so they show quite a bit of creativity.
I think that rewriting cuss words out of movies has got to be one of the most entertaining jobs in existence. Getting to make the choice to either replace the censored phrases with something serious or something ridiculous would be a blast. How do you get that job?
Thursday, October 04, 2007
the great pumpkin
"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."- Linus (It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)I hate conflict. I also love conflict. It just depends on what type of conflict it is.
I don't necessarily dislike discussing traditionally taboo topics like politics, religion, or even the Great Pumpkin. I don't mind arguing with someone or someone arguing with me, either. I can actually get quite a kick out of people disagreeing with me under specific circumstances. What I hate the most about conflicts is that there is often very little circumspection.
To be circumspect is to approach an issue cautiously and with an interest in all of the implications of the issue. So if someone wants to argue with me about my views about anything from the political to the spiritual, the first thing I want to know is if that person has truly attempted to understand an opposing viewpoint or at least thought through the strengths and weaknesses of his or her position. I even feel queasy when someone agrees with me on a serious issue without thinking through the implications of that position.
I know that I sometimes fail on this front as well, so I am a little hypocritical to judge on circumspection, but it is a good way for me to know whether discussing a contentious topic is likely to result in mutual understanding or frustrated shouting.
This is probably an example of the neurotic behavior that I am currently trying to address. Right now probably the easiest way to get me worked up is to just state a strong opinion that uses stereotypes or that belittles rather than addresses any opposing rationale. After that, I will almost definitely not be my normal, calm Bruce Banner self.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
wisenheimer
A little over a year ago the word of the day in our office word of the day calendar was "wisenheimer." As can be seen in the image included in this post, this refers to someone who is a smart aleck. Since a few people around the office tend to make smart remarks, the definition has since been affixed to some cardboard and a magnet and provided as a reward people when they make a remark deemed worthy of the reward.
Strangely enough, I seem to have the reward a lot. I don't have it all the time, but probably enough to make me think before saying some of the things that enter my mind.
I have actually had the wisenheimer award for over a month now, because I forget to hand it off when other people make smart aleck remarks. I actually am hoping that posting this will remind me to give the award away the next time I hear a wisenheimer remark. Part of my says that there is little point in me trying to award it to someone else, though. It will be back in my hands by the end of the day.
Strangely enough, I seem to have the reward a lot. I don't have it all the time, but probably enough to make me think before saying some of the things that enter my mind.
I have actually had the wisenheimer award for over a month now, because I forget to hand it off when other people make smart aleck remarks. I actually am hoping that posting this will remind me to give the award away the next time I hear a wisenheimer remark. Part of my says that there is little point in me trying to award it to someone else, though. It will be back in my hands by the end of the day.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
cra-un
I was discussing an old episode of The Simpsons at work the other day. In that episode we find out that Homer is actually naturally smarter than average, but that an incident from his childhood in which a crayon was shoved into his cranial cavity caused him to lose most of his intelligence. The crayon is removed and Homer learns that life is more difficult for those who are intelligent. Out of cowardice he has a new crayon inserted where the old one was and he returns to his former dense self. When I tried to explain the scenario, though, the meaning of my words was lost.
Apparently, almost everyone pronounces the word "crayon" wrong. I say this because they pronounce it differently than I do. I pronounce the word with a short "a" (as in "hat") and end with a soft "un." So, when I say, "crayon," it sounds like "cra-un." The popular way to pronounce the word is roughly the way it is spelled, though I have noticed that even the people who believe this is how the word is pronounced vary somewhat in how they actually enunciate the word. I also think some people use a short "a" when they think they are using a long "a."
When I talked about the crayon in Homer's brain cavity my audience was not sure what I was talking about. Was I describing a cranberry and just shortening the word? Did I invent a new word? For my part, I couldn't figure out what the confusion was about.
For the last two days I have had to try to convince five or six other people that they are the ones who are pronouncing the word wrong. No one seems to accept my logic, though. I guess Homer was right. Life is harder for the intelligent.
Apparently, almost everyone pronounces the word "crayon" wrong. I say this because they pronounce it differently than I do. I pronounce the word with a short "a" (as in "hat") and end with a soft "un." So, when I say, "crayon," it sounds like "cra-un." The popular way to pronounce the word is roughly the way it is spelled, though I have noticed that even the people who believe this is how the word is pronounced vary somewhat in how they actually enunciate the word. I also think some people use a short "a" when they think they are using a long "a."
When I talked about the crayon in Homer's brain cavity my audience was not sure what I was talking about. Was I describing a cranberry and just shortening the word? Did I invent a new word? For my part, I couldn't figure out what the confusion was about.
For the last two days I have had to try to convince five or six other people that they are the ones who are pronouncing the word wrong. No one seems to accept my logic, though. I guess Homer was right. Life is harder for the intelligent.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
word
I witnessed two incidents involving people not knowing the definitions to specific words this week.
Bobcat
I got my hair cut on Tuesday at a barber shop where three or four barbers work. Usually when I get my hair cut I am good for about five to ten minutes of conversation, then I and the barber give up on trying to push the small talk any further. During this time, I can hear some of the other conversations going on around me.
Some guy behind me was telling his barber about how a Bobcat at work had been stolen because it was left in an unlocked container a few years ago. A year or two later the company purchased another Bobcat and when it went in for maintenance yet another year later, they found out that they had purchased back the exact Bobcat that had been stolen.
The barber sounded confused about some elements of the story, then made reference to owning a wild animal. Apparently, he had never heard of a Bobcat skid loader before.
Hubris
I have mentioned before that a few of the guys at work keep up with a "Word of the Day" daily calendar. It helps increase our vocabulary, but more importantly it provides common topics of discussion and debate.
One that we tore off the calendar yesterday is "hubris." I have come across this word often, which I assume means that it shows up in journalism quite a bit, because that is what most of my recent reading has been. Since I have read the word so frequently as of late, I made the statement that this is one of those words that everyone knows, but it sounds like a word that no one knows. I was challenged on the idea that almost everyone knew the meaning to the word, and a quick poll around the office showed that only four out of eleven people could recall the definition without any context clues. A couple of people said they could get it if the question was multiple choice. One of the four voluntarily provided the etymology.
Without looking the word up, do you know what it means? I will provide a definition later if someone hasn't already provided it.
Bobcat
I got my hair cut on Tuesday at a barber shop where three or four barbers work. Usually when I get my hair cut I am good for about five to ten minutes of conversation, then I and the barber give up on trying to push the small talk any further. During this time, I can hear some of the other conversations going on around me.
Some guy behind me was telling his barber about how a Bobcat at work had been stolen because it was left in an unlocked container a few years ago. A year or two later the company purchased another Bobcat and when it went in for maintenance yet another year later, they found out that they had purchased back the exact Bobcat that had been stolen.
The barber sounded confused about some elements of the story, then made reference to owning a wild animal. Apparently, he had never heard of a Bobcat skid loader before.
Hubris
I have mentioned before that a few of the guys at work keep up with a "Word of the Day" daily calendar. It helps increase our vocabulary, but more importantly it provides common topics of discussion and debate.
One that we tore off the calendar yesterday is "hubris." I have come across this word often, which I assume means that it shows up in journalism quite a bit, because that is what most of my recent reading has been. Since I have read the word so frequently as of late, I made the statement that this is one of those words that everyone knows, but it sounds like a word that no one knows. I was challenged on the idea that almost everyone knew the meaning to the word, and a quick poll around the office showed that only four out of eleven people could recall the definition without any context clues. A couple of people said they could get it if the question was multiple choice. One of the four voluntarily provided the etymology.
Without looking the word up, do you know what it means? I will provide a definition later if someone hasn't already provided it.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
buhhh dee
When I was younger I remember adults using nicknames for me like "champ" or "sport" or "bud" or something of that nature. This did two things. First, I assume the names were meant to be somewhat endearing. Second, and most important, the names asserted that I held a diminutive role in that relationship. This was not a big deal when I was a kid. In fact, I use "kiddo" with NJ now because my dad used that phrase with me. That name didn't bother me, so I figure it won't bother NJ. As I have grown up, though, I have become more and more annoyed at the people who use these terms with me. It does not happen real often, but there are not many situations where it doesn't bother me when it does occur.
I have noticed that people who are significantly taller or more athletic than me are likely to refer to me with a name like "bud." I should probably consider that a good thing, since it is short for "buddy," but I always get the feeling that the word is meant to be used in a mildly patronizing way. I can't think of a scenario where guys who see each other as equals refer to each other as "bud" so long as that is not one of their first names. Maybe "dude," but not "bud."
A few months ago some girl cashier who couldn't have been older than me referred to me as "hon" in the same way I might expect a woman in her sixties to do so. Again, this bothered me a little because to me that is a term that in my mind is used in a grandmotherly or motherly manner. It is not something I expect to hear from a cashier who is my age. I know it's a minor issue, but it stuck out.
Let me clarify that most of my frustration comes from the fact that I simply dislike people whom I consider equals using terms that I think put the speaker on some sort of higher plane from the audience (me). Generally speaking, the terms are fine for people much older than me because they have more life experience, wisdom, etc. I just don't like being called "champ" by someone who graduated after I did.
I am also a little uncomfortable with terms that put people at a lower level than me, such as "sir." That is a little different, though, because the person choosing to use the word is not putting himself or herself on a higher level than someone else. Most of the reason I even care about this is that I have this feeling that the people who like to be called "sir" are the ones who really do believe they are better than those who are serving them.
I can already hear the first question people are likely to ask. What should people call me if they forget my name, or don't know it, for whatever reason? I have always responded to, "Hey you!" Failing that, though, you can call me Dust Prime.
I have noticed that people who are significantly taller or more athletic than me are likely to refer to me with a name like "bud." I should probably consider that a good thing, since it is short for "buddy," but I always get the feeling that the word is meant to be used in a mildly patronizing way. I can't think of a scenario where guys who see each other as equals refer to each other as "bud" so long as that is not one of their first names. Maybe "dude," but not "bud."
A few months ago some girl cashier who couldn't have been older than me referred to me as "hon" in the same way I might expect a woman in her sixties to do so. Again, this bothered me a little because to me that is a term that in my mind is used in a grandmotherly or motherly manner. It is not something I expect to hear from a cashier who is my age. I know it's a minor issue, but it stuck out.
Let me clarify that most of my frustration comes from the fact that I simply dislike people whom I consider equals using terms that I think put the speaker on some sort of higher plane from the audience (me). Generally speaking, the terms are fine for people much older than me because they have more life experience, wisdom, etc. I just don't like being called "champ" by someone who graduated after I did.
I am also a little uncomfortable with terms that put people at a lower level than me, such as "sir." That is a little different, though, because the person choosing to use the word is not putting himself or herself on a higher level than someone else. Most of the reason I even care about this is that I have this feeling that the people who like to be called "sir" are the ones who really do believe they are better than those who are serving them.
I can already hear the first question people are likely to ask. What should people call me if they forget my name, or don't know it, for whatever reason? I have always responded to, "Hey you!" Failing that, though, you can call me Dust Prime.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
my very efficient sentences
I have always enjoyed Astronomy, probably more than any other field in the sciences. As a result I never really needed a mnemonic to remember the planets. I was enough of a geek that I cared about the planets enough to memorize them without study tricks. Therefore, even though I knew there was a sentence that people used to remember the planets, I didn't know what the sentence was.
Someone at work recently pointed out to me that the sentence no longer works. Apparently, the standard planet mnemonic sentence was, "My Very Efficient Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas," with the first letter of each word representing the next planet. Now that Pluto is not considered a planet, the sentence becomes quite cryptic and perhaps unusable. So, I am trying my hand at a new mnemonic that could help the kids of the future remember the planets. That is, until we find out that Neptune doesn't count as a planet any more either.
Someone at work recently pointed out to me that the sentence no longer works. Apparently, the standard planet mnemonic sentence was, "My Very Efficient Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas," with the first letter of each word representing the next planet. Now that Pluto is not considered a planet, the sentence becomes quite cryptic and perhaps unusable. So, I am trying my hand at a new mnemonic that could help the kids of the future remember the planets. That is, until we find out that Neptune doesn't count as a planet any more either.
- Master's Vile Enemies May Judo Several Unhappy Ninjas.
- Maybe Vinegar Elevates My Judgment Somewhat Under Nice.
- Men Vehemently Eat Much Junk Saving Usually Nothing.
- Many Vampires Even Mull Joyriding Silently Until Night.
- Mark Veritably Enjoys Midnights Just Sketching Unfinished Notes.
- Mavens' Valuable Elegance Might Just Stop Unfounded Nastiness.
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