‘Words don’t come easy’, so crooned that great truth-seeker of our time, F.R. David (no, me neither, although I do fleetingly remember it belting out from the tacky bars and restaurants during Magaluf ’83!).
But not so fast Mr David – it seems they do! They come, they flow and occasionally they gush. It’s rarely ‘only’ words. These little gems of expression are the mainstay of our lives. We converse, we write, we text, we post on social media, we read – where would we be without them.
Yet, when reflecting, I’ve noticed that some words and phrases are losing their meaning. I’m all for moving with the times (I’m really resisting writing ‘getting down with the kids’ urgh), but has the pendulum swung a tad too far?
This hit me, as I entered the care home and trilled a hearty ‘hey’ to my 96 year old aunt. Her disgruntled ‘do what love’ and powerful eye roll packed a punch and quickly brought me to my senses.
I’ve buckled, I’m a victim too!
So what have I noticed?
Why has almost everything become a ‘crisis’? Accepting that we have a fair few on our hands right now, but is snowfall, mid-winter, really worthy of crisis status? Should we be putting running low on cold remedies on the same level as the current situation in Ukraine – I think not.
Next gripe - I’ve been called a ‘Legend’ from putting the bins out (judge me if you like but that’s firmly a blue job in our household) to offering to take a trolley back from a car park. I consider myself a kindly soul, I do! But I’m not sure these actions bear comparison with those of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther-King or Mother Teresa. That said, I will take the ‘hashtag iconic’ with a thumbs up lauded upon me yesterday for simply holding a door open for someone in M&S!
Tell me… exactly when did a GP receptionist become a ‘care navigator’ and a pet an ‘animal companion’? For a straight talking kind of gal, I’m rather perplexed.
At which point did we stop going out for brunch slash lunch slash dinner and start going out for ‘food’ and what exactly does this mean. Am I going to a café or restaurant, shopping in Sainsbury’s or rooting in Epping Forest for truffles?
Why are so many of us ‘smashing it’ and not just doing well. This is particularly confusing when somebody ‘smashes’ their driving test. You pass or you fail - simple.
If you are kind enough to ask me how I am, why have I forgotten the manners my parents taught me so diligently – ‘I’m very well thank you for asking and how are you’? Now I, along with most people are ‘good’! Mmmmmmmm – let me be the judge of that one.
‘Second hand’ is soooooo 20th century. Now we have ‘vintage’ (aren’t we all!) or ‘pre loved’ (most of us!).
When I ask for advice on eye shadow, the make-up artist assures me that she can make my eyes ‘pop’ – euwww! (btw, Mr T almost passed out in Space NK the first time he heard that I was about to be subjected to this ‘torture’!).
To be clear, I mean no offence to anybody who uses these words and phrases as I catch myself regularly embracing them – it’s habit forming and addictive for sure!
However, all’s not lost.
Conversely, this has jogged my memory and I’ve fondly recalled some words which have, in my view, become redundant in recent years.
Let’s use less of great, amazing, fabulous (my personal favourite adjective) and bring back ‘smashing’. It makes me super happy just typing the word – go on, you try saying it without smiling!
Let’s ditch ‘ages’ and bring back ‘yonks’ ...I just love the utter drama of the word.
When did ‘nosh’ become ‘snacks’….’nosh’ sounds delicious and delightful…and ‘snacks’ far too healthy to accompany a G&T.
Finally, and all praise to Sarah Lancashire’s fabulous – oops – smashing character in Happy Valley – the word ‘Twat’ is greatly underrated…and there is so much scope to use it!
So are we cool? I give in, now that really is an uncool word and best left in the 1970s but sometimes, just sometimes, it’s right to give a nod to the words of yesteryear…and that don’t come easy!
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