Saturday, July 14, 2007

Whacked Words

Words are funny. They can be.
I've been discussing household situations with a fellow blogger **waves HI **and discovered that in the South, they call that machine with the twine that cuts and edges a Weed-Eater. I find that funny.
Why?
Because it follows our previous conversations about Food and the South. Seems food is a passion down there, which makes what I myself believe about food passion to be a pale comparison.
Food is a social thing, so calling it a Weed-Eater sort of fits. *gg*

Now, here in the North, we call it two ways; Weed-trimmer or the most common usage, Weed-WHACKER!!
What does it say about the North that we prefer Whack to Eat? LOLOL

Did I mention that I saw the movie, Ratatoullie?
And that I liked it?
Yep, it's a people pleaser of all ages. I was SO prepared to be bored and fall asleep -went to appease the young horde that'd been clamoring for its viewing for weeks. Disney Execs did a bang-up job marketing the thing because we couldn't distract them with , say ... the Transformers movie. Nope, Ratatoullie it was. And dang it all if I didn't stay awake through the whole thing and had a solid chuckle or two or three. Using Peter O'Toole's voice for the food critic was a stroke of genius! That man has SUCH a unique voice...kind of sexy. But, um, you don't think that looking at the food citic. Oh no... unless I was into ... ok, Forget THAT train of thought, its a wreck.

The new Webster Dictionary is coming out and I can't wait to get it!
Now why would I get so excited over a dictionary?
Because the one I have is.. get this.. politically correct!
I couldn't believe that some of the words I've looked up for writing weren't there. Who has the right to judge which words aren't acceptable?
I would let kids use this book as it is like a literary V-chip, but I"m an adult and I bought the dictionary to help me with adult writing.
It's up to ME to decide what is objectionable or not. Dictionaries are supposed to be purely objective, factual and informative. What a surprise to find that someone's personal viewpoint colored what is supposed to be an unbiased book of information.

Have you come across this in your writing or research?

8 comments:

Brandy said...

HA! You're having fun with the whole weed-eater thing.
It's just like here in the South we call most colas, coke. In the midwest they are called pop and out west they are called cola. What do y'all call them?
I've been using an online dictionary for years now. I had no idea websters was politically correct. I bought Daughter a students dictionary a few years ago and that's what she uses.

Thanks for sharing! I learn something new every time I visit!

Michele said...

LOL! You are right!
And Katrina visited me on my other place of posting and she volunteered another cool option...
In the UK, it's called a Weed- Strimmer!!
Isn't that amazingly fun?

As for Coke... um, we call it Soda. Coke Soda, or Root Beer, or Ginger Ale, you know by name?
But if we're talking generics, that's "Oh No! We're out of soda. Quick, run to the grocery store and get some!"
Grocery Store? Grocery Mart? Food Mart? Supermarket?
What's it called now?


*giggle*
And the place that we store it when by buy it in bulk is called the "Wine Cellar", LOL
When you open a "soda" and smell the fine bouquet of fuzzy bubbles that waft up your nose...Ahhhh, the sensation.
*teehee*

I've been reading the dictionary in bed and on the mode. Can't do that with an online dictionary!

Marianne Arkins said...

When I moved to NH from out west, I had to learn a whole new vocabulary.

They aren't drinking fountains, they're "bubblers".

It's not a shopping cart, it's a "carriage".

It's not a purse, it's a "pocket book".

Fully caffienated coffee isn't regular coffee... at least not if you order it at Dunkin' Donuts. Order "regular" coffee there, and it'll come with cream and sugar.

And, yeah, in California they're "weed eaters", too. It just you northerners who are weird.

Sorry...

Michele said...

HI, Marianne!

Oh, hey there now... I"m not weird... totally.
:-)
I call a drinking fountain a drinking fountain.
And shopping cart a cart.
But I DO use purse or pocketbook interchangeably.

As for Dunkin Donuts..hmmm, I always say" Regular coffee,Black.
Guess that covers it..
But yeah, *grin* us Yank's have our own style.

Dru said...

Too funny...

I say soda, weed whacker, shopping cart, purse or bag (pocket book is too many syllables), grocery store.

I also think there is a difference in time & space. If I say it's down the block, to me that is one-city block, but if my sister who lives in NC says down the block, it could be several miles down the road.

Brandy said...

I say purse and grocery carts are called "buggies" half the time (Chris' word not mine!), I call them carts. And down the road could be a half mile to 20 miles! *G*
And we call them water fountains, no change there.

There needs to be some kind of state to state thesoraus. *g*

Mailyn said...

Ever since I first saw the Rattatoile trailer I've been dying to see it. I LOVE animated movies and this one looked like so much fun!

Michele said...

That's interesting, Dru.
For my DH , "it's just around the corner"....10 corners later.
LOL

This is so cool learning the differences even here in our own country.
Thanks for commenting!

*************************
Brandy...buggies? How cute! Reminds me of OKLAHOMA!
And yeah, there must be a book out there somewhere with that info. but where?
Interesting thought.

***********************

Mailyn! You'll really enjoy Ratatoullie. You like more animated films than I do and I liked it alot so I think it's a given. Let me know what you think though and what your favorite part is. I would tell you mine, but that would be a SPOILER, LOL!

Nice to see you!

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