Words have always fascinated me. They are sometimes funny, sometimes hurtful, sometimes smart, sometimes not smart enough, but they are almost always intriguing
Many of the funniest words come from children. My four- (almost five-) year-old grandson was talking about his upcoming birthday party. He told me he had to buy cups, plates, etc. I asked him if he thought it might be a good idea to let his mom and dad take care of things, to which he replied it was his “responsibility.” Now responsibility is not, in itself, a funny word, but we adults had a problem trying to avoid laughing out loud at the thought of a four-year-old assuming responsibility for a party. That little guy is four going on forty.
Conversely, when I was about eight, I was thrown up the stairs and called a slut. Of course, I had no idea what a slut was but I knew that the tone of voice used meant it was not good. That, combined with the punctuation of physical abuse, made me remember that word until I was old enough to learn its meaning Obviously I did not deserve to be so identified and to this day, anyone who calls me a slut better be prepared for a discourse from me on the subject of words.
The not-too-smart words that I have a problem with are the ones generated by the media which are used incorrectly. Television newscasters and staff writers for many prominent newspapers commonly make horrid errors, such as a plural subject with a singular verb. One example of an unforgiveable error is a TV commercial that refers to less commercials, rather than fewer. It seems that many sources have decided this sounds better than fewer but it grates my sense of propriety. One is right and one is wrong and people in the business of using words should do so properly. With that said, rest assured I will triple check my grammar in this article with my fingers crossed.
Smart words are the ones we use in a loving manner. Telling a noisy child to use his indoor voice rather than scream shut up is only one example. Sometimes we must make changes in the words we use. I was in the habit of calling my grandson my sweet little boy until his brother came along. Now he is my best big boy and the baby is my baby boy. Anything to avoid sibling rivalry. In a few months, I will coin a new phrase for the boys’ new sister.
Words are powerful. Because they are living things, they are tangible in that they can leave marks, good or bad, on our egos. Words are like any form of energy. Once they are created, they can never be destroyed. Unfortunately, they are sometimes used without thought as to how they will be received. The Golden Rule—do onto others as you would have them do onto you—certainly applies to the use of words. And that, my friends, is my last word, at least in this article.
