I tuned into the latest episode of the current talent show, The Voice,
and listened to a woman sing in a strong, beautiful voice. But she
totally distracted me from the enjoyment of her full tones by running
up and down the scales with trills and scat. I know that this singer
was pulling out all the stops to impress the judges with her talent,
but she and I would disagree on just where that real talent lay.
Which brought to mind Bob Evans(Mostafa). I can scarcely wait until
he comes to his senses and realizes that he has some very significant
understanding of the American English language, and that he does
himself no favors by hunting down the longest, most obscure words to
describe very basic events.
But the words he uses are certainly his business. And of course
words, no matter how short or how long, are merely sounds we use to
convey the thoughts within our heads, thoughts that we have no other
way of transmitting. Well, of course reducing the sounds to letters
and putting them in print is the other acceptable method. Adding
music or putting the words in a poem can also influence what meaning
we wish to convey.
But the point is that no word has meaning, in and of itself.
Since all of us came into this world through the act of intercourse,
we all have a pretty good idea of what that act is all about. Now we
can say, Copulate, or we can say Screw, or fuck, or hump, or diddle,
or short phrases such as, Sleeping together, or Making Love, or
Shacking up. Depending upon our individual upbringing, each of these
words and phrases bring up different reactions. Yet they all convey
the same information.
We are the ones who choose to be insulted or pleased by the words chosen.
A man may be making love to his wife, but humping the girl down the
hall. One act is "proper" while the other lets us know it is gross
behavior. But the man might have been raised to say, "the wife and I
hump about three times a week", while his late night visits to the
girl down the hall is, "diddling".
The thing is, we do it with all sorts of words, not just our sex talk.
Our son-in-law calls our 54 year old daughter, "Babe". She accepts
this as an enduring word. My wife would knock me across the room if I
deemed to call her "Babe". But "Hon" is just fine. A friend calls
his wife, "the old lady", my grandmother Ludwig referred to her
husband as, "Father". I called my Dad, "Daddy" until some years after
I was married. But I knew better than to call Mother, "Mommy". All
of this is connected to the individual experiences and the emotions
each of us place upon the words. The words just lay there like
whores...excuse me, prostitutes, waiting for us to "use" them.
Carl Jarvis
On 10/23/17, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Chaucer was not the only one. Let's not call it the F word either. The
word is fuck. And I will ask what is so inappropriate about it? I am not
saying that it is not used inappropriately. It's common use as an
expletive might be considered inappropriate. Its usage as a verb meaning
to cheat someone might also be inappropriate. I say that because the
more meanings a word has the less it really means at all. Multiple
meanings makes it a vague word. However, I would not call the word fuck
inappropriate in itself. The word originated in a Germanic language that
evolved into the English language and I think its original meaning was
to strike. I don't know how it transformed into a word denoting sexual
acts from that origin, but any meaning it had in relation to striking
anything is obsolete anyway. But no one considered it an inappropriate
word either before or after that transformation. What made it
unrespectable was the Norman conquest in 1066. Before that time the
people of England were known as the Anglo-Saxons and were descendants of
a previous conquest about 500 years before when they were separate
ethnicities, the Angles and the Saxons. By the time of the Norman
conquest, though, they were speaking a single language known as
Anglo-Saxonish or Old English. Old English was a rather monosyllabic
language. Then the Normans crossed the English Channel and conquered the
Anglo-Saxons and immediately proceeded to try their best to wipe out
Anglo-Saxon culture, including the language. Surviving records show that
the normans had particular contempt for the speech of the Anglo-Saxons.
William - also known as William the conquerer - wrote himself that their
speech sounded like the barking of dogs. Well, the Normans were
ultimately unable to wipe out Old English, but they had a profound
effect on it. They usshered in a new language known as Middle English.
Interestingly enough, the Normandish language did not survive except in
the effects that it had on the English language. The Normandish language
was a descendant of Latin and very closely related to French and in
contrast to Old English it was more polysyllabic. Everything about the
Anglo-Saxons was held in contempt and words referring to body parts or
functions seemed to gain special contempt. You can just about identify
which words had an Anglo-Saxon origin and which had a Latin origin based
on the number of syllables and how respectable they are. You have the
Old English arse, later devolving into ass and the Latin originated
buttocks. You have the Old English shit and the Latin originated
defecate. You have snot versus mucous. You have fuck and copulate. You
have piss and urinate. You have fart and flatulate. The list goes on. It
even extends to words that are not particularly unrespectabble. Isn't
canine thought of as a bit more sophisticated than dog? The Norman
conquest still effects the British style of English in other ways. The
accents of the British upper class reflects its Norman origins and the
less respectable accents like Cockney are reflections of Anglo-Saxon
origins. So when you denigrate Anglo-Saxon monosyllables you are
essentially denigrating the English people of before 1066 and showing
support for their conquerers. I see nothing wrong with using the
language of an oppressed people.
On 10/23/2017 8:25 AM, MARY CONVY wrote:
Bob, Since you are a lover of words but complain about Americans' use
of the F word, remember Chaucer used it liberally in his writing, now
esteemed as classic literature.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Bob
<ebob824@xxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Sunday, October 22, 2017 10:33 PM
*To:* American
*Subject:* [blind-democracy] Donald Trump
Through his nearly nine months of precarious presidentship, Donald Trump
flunked to unify his nation as allegedly he said he will. He
iniquitously
chiselled lay people with his abhorrent rhetoric. He is an abominable
scoundrel, a dire misanthrope. The problem as I stated on multiple
occasions
isn't Trump alone. Those who happily brought him to oval office are to
immensely be oppugned and reprobated. So, who are they? Donald Trump is
southern evangelists messiah. Despite his unworthiest character, southern
evangelists are his top protagonists. They relentlessly endorse him.
So, why
are they backing him? Basically, because his agenda destines to serve
their
fractioning theme. His rhetoric deems to be intemperately despicable. He
began as New York’s youngest real estate agent and ended up topping
Washington’s capitol. During his ardent rallies, he conveyed pestilently
sickening remarks. As he appeals to fright, doubt and racial
disparity, he
precisely fulfills the classical definition of a partisan. Facts aren’t
necessarily crucial to him. As long as spouting is useful, cogency
doesn’t
matter to this cantankerous figure. Trump’s call for a total Muslim
ban was
just the beginning of unveiling America’s actual perception toward
Muslims.
Many white Protestants spatted for that statement. Donald Trump is a
prophecy fulfillment for many evangelists. Therefore, they just see
him the
nation’s distinct rescuer. As you could see, he’s gravely besieged by
generals. He isn’t more than just a direly warmonger. Consequently,
defiance
is absolutely mandatory upon us. I personally repealed an educational
journey to the United States. My decision is primarily based on
ostracisation temperament and dignity retainment intent. I rather
intend to
submit immigration application form to Canada. I just await until my
Resume
meets with their basic requirements. Global leadership must instantly be
shifted over to a genuinely applicable and competent entity. The United
States is immensely ineligible for this entitlement. Over the past
decade,
the United States proved to the world its perfect unfitness to act as the
free world leader. Apart from americanisation, they know nothing.
Apart from
dating, devouring and swearing, their culture signifies nothing farther.
Therefore, their heritage is constantly trolled and derided. I urge
English
speaking nations to expose what Americanism is.
American English is essentially based on vernacular language. Their
phrases are ordinarily foreshortened. Furthermore, many Americans
often use inappropriate expressions in their regular conversations. So
for instance, you will find many Americans use a disdainful term that
starts with F euphemistically. In American culture, it typically
utters an exclamation of annoyance. This inappropriate expression is
commonly used in American colloquial rhetoric. Those are the ones who
cheered and warmly spatted for Donald Trump. Despite its eminent
status, the
United States resembles a perfectly ethical bankruptcy. Racial tense
is the
least of America's longstanding crises. Despite Abraham Lincoln's
ostensible
termination of slavery, the core of the crisis still remains. He may have
coped with the symptom but unfortunately, he disposed the actual disease.
Slavery was the symptom and racism is the disease. Faith was a major
campaign prerequisite for Donald Trump, in addition to racial disparity.
Whether you believe he is a sincere Christian or not, middle class
southern
evangelists were the first who walked to the Donald. White Christian
America
is not the proper place for devout Muslims. Pia, you may not prefer this
but, let us confront with bitter facts. It is merely the place of
disruption, persecution, exercising bigotry and corporate expatriation.
Donald Trump sold counterfeit patriotism to cretin charlies. Finally,
despite my political orientation, I am saddened and depressed for any
innocent souls that have been lost here in Cairo. Unfortunately, we
became
just numb to such terrible incidents. Therefore, I determined to just
dismiss looking at news headlines a while ago. But to my friends out
there,
I am okay. Pia, thank you again for asking about me. I really appreciate
your sincere concern. I just dismiss looking at depressive news
stories. I
destine to keep my spirit encouraged, to contribute positively and
perform
productively at work.
Thank you for reading, Bob
