I think that the language we use can sometimes say a lot about a person. And other times very little. I definetly say "like" to much and don't know as many big words as I would like, and sometimes I say things that surprise me. I will present two cases to illustrate.
1) In a bar in Halifax Alex and I were talking to a random 40something year old man who was attempting to make our acquaintance. He was talking to us about "Bubbles" of "The Trailor Park Boys" fame and he inquired as to whether or not we were familliar with the Trailor Park Boys. I replied that I had never seen the show but was familiar with them as a "cultural phenomenon". Apparently this phrase, which works very well in a classroom setting, causes random people in bars to look at you like you are crazy.
2) Yesterday I was walking in downtown Toronto with Alexandra. We were talking about something about which I was getting somewhat worked up about, and this caused me to exclaim "geez louise!". This was apparently humourous to a random woman who was riding by on her bicycle who shouted "hey geez louise!", as though to point out her appreciation/scorn of my use of that phrase.
I have no real point, just that I am a 23 year old woman who uses phrases like cultural phenonomenon and geez louise, apparently to the amusemnet/chagrin of those around me.
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From September 2005 until August 2008 I was a graduate student at the university of Victoria. This blog is a collection of my experiences and reflections from that time.
8 comments:
geez louise! + une bicyclette + a crazy woman = classic toronto moment.
i happen to say 'oh dear' when most people would use much more colourful language, so i know where you are coming from.
but geez louise, now that is a classic.
i've been known to throw in a "goodness gracious" here and there...
i'm so not cool. meh.
I say "good times" and "nice" a lot i've noticed lately. nothing wrong with saying stuff like that. I don't think it matters what age.
I don't think that cultural phenomenon is only useful in a classroom setting. I'm guessing it's useful with half intelligent people, and the creepy old guy was probably not part of that group. Plus what are you doing talking to random old men in bars?
they were middle aged, not old!
Anyone old enough to be your father is old. I'm not saying really old, but old in comparison to two girls in their early twenties.
you make an excellent point :)
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