thoughts on words
May. 25th, 2002 10:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
holliThe way we use language is very telling-- especially with the spoken word, when tone and word choice and facial expression all merge to give our listener an idea of both what's being communicated and what kind of person is speaking. That's why I like to air out my vocabulary every few sentences, for that refreshing little look of surprise that flickers across a face when it hears 'irregardless' and 'caveat' leave a tongue that had previously been tied up with 'like' and 'you know.'
I'm the same when it comes to written words-- formal language seems awfully stifling. Limiting my words to the most respectable members of the family seems silly and restrictive. Contrast is more interesting, and I like throwing the young, uncouth slang words up against their elders, to watch the young'uns scowl and slouch deeper into their leather jackets when faced with stuffy old folks who won't let anyone sit on the dusty parlor furniture. It's fun to anthropomorphize words-- just imagine 'dude' and 'not,' who can both imply paragraphs in a speaker's inflection, idly playing rock-paper-scissors and comparing brands of hair gel; meanwhile, 'effulgent' and 'notwithstanding' sip their tea and fiddle with their spectacles, trying not to look appalled at what the world is coming to and failing spectacularly.
I'm the same when it comes to written words-- formal language seems awfully stifling. Limiting my words to the most respectable members of the family seems silly and restrictive. Contrast is more interesting, and I like throwing the young, uncouth slang words up against their elders, to watch the young'uns scowl and slouch deeper into their leather jackets when faced with stuffy old folks who won't let anyone sit on the dusty parlor furniture. It's fun to anthropomorphize words-- just imagine 'dude' and 'not,' who can both imply paragraphs in a speaker's inflection, idly playing rock-paper-scissors and comparing brands of hair gel; meanwhile, 'effulgent' and 'notwithstanding' sip their tea and fiddle with their spectacles, trying not to look appalled at what the world is coming to and failing spectacularly.
