Slippage!

I was walking through The Park next to a very steep ravine today when I came across 4 peewee children with the older brother clearly in charge. (He looked about 8.) One of his (sisters?) said, "Oh, I want to slide down there!  I have to!" He said "NO" just like an adult, and added, "You don't know about slippage." Okay, I was impressed. It did look like fun to slide down the ravine. It was certainly dangerous. But, I don't know if I would have phrased it quite so succinctly. The sister took him at his word and the little group skipped on about their day. This was a moment so charming and smart that it gave me pause. I had to tell the first person I saw. (Luckily it was someone I knew.) We shared a laugh and an appreciation born from people without children, for children. A little joyous moment.

I have another friend and colleague who, when asked why a piece of moving scenery wasn't working said..."It's the geometry of the weather." Okay, we were annoyed at the time, because it was oh so helpful! My assistant and I still tease him, we but the phrase has become part of our lexicon. It makes us laugh every time. (His other phrase is "civil twilight."  We don't know what that means, but, when he wanted to take it off his paperwork  because we joked about it, we make him keep it. He swears it is a real thing. I believe him, we just think it is funny.)

I got mildly frustrated today and heard myself say "Jeez-oh-man!" This immediately made me laugh as it is something my husband used to say years ago. And that reminds me that my mother would never say "bullshit" (until later in life), she always said "broomsticks!"  As in:

"No, mom, I don't have any dishes under my bed."  "Broomsticks!  You do too! Please, take them to the kitchen."  (Her favorite word was "cellar door", uh, Mom?  That's two words... )

I have a button that says "Eat, Drink, and be Fat and Drunk." My friend Tom would appreciate that one.

A few years ago, I asked my students "What is the response to "Whasup?" Apparently the response is "Whasup?" Okay... simple enough.  Still makes me laugh.

Language has power. It has power to move us, to change us, and sometimes it has the power to make us laugh (and to bring us a little joy.)