Say What?

What did you say? Excuse me? I think I misunderstood you.

Have you ever uttered these phrases? I know I have—many times.

Do you speak multiple languages? I would have to say you probably do. No, Mrs. Keels, my Spanish skills are almost the same as in High School. Yes, I took Spanish in college and still haven’t succeeded in speaking the language.

I’m talking about all the languages in our society. Some have been around for a long time, while others seem to appear at someone’s will to invent a new word.

I told my son, Caleb, who is 30, that I needed an Urban dictionary to keep up with the new terminology. He informed me that I didn’t need or want to know these slang terms and their meaning. But I beg to differ.

I’ll give you an example. My husband and I were reading a comment on a Facebook site. The response was “BET.” My first reaction was, “Betcha, that will happen.” After referring to the  Urban Dictionary, I realized “bet” is a new slang word for “agreement.” So why didn’t they say that? I relayed this experience to a high school senior. She said, “Oh yeah, that was popular in middle school.” Okay, how do we keep up with the changing of language? I find myself using cool, neat, fantastic, etc. Am I dating myself? Probably. My prerogative.

I decided to brainstorm different languages that we use in today’s world. I’m only touching on a few.

If you want to know how to play or understand a particular sport, you must know its language. “Stay out of the kitchen” has evolved from moms mopping the floor to a regulation move in Pickleball. Who would have guessed?

Then the “Can’t live without” technology language changes frequently. Ask your video game players.

I’ll never forget when a student announced he would “search it up” instead of “research” the answer to a question.

Now, as some of you know, I am from South Georgia. I married a guy from Western New York. At the beginning of our marriage, he may have misunderstood some of my expressions—“Don’t get your panties in a wad,”  which is an idiom that means to be patient and remain calm. But after a few years, he joined the rest of us, eating boiled peanuts until he was as full as a tick. In his defense, I don’t know all of the Southernisms out there as a true Southerner. I ‘m sure many sayings represent your neck of the woods.

What is your LOVE language? I’ve got to be honest with you. Every time I take this survey, I tie in most areas. I found that I can receive and express love in different ways. I pride myself on finding someone else’s Love Language but not pinpointing one of my own. Everyone is different.

Baby language is a fantastic thing to evolve. Understanding this babble is another story.

All professions, sports, hobbies, games, and jobs have nuances of language. You may be proficient in one and feel pretty confident. However, being thrown into a new environment with a new language may make you feel inferior or inadequate.

I will continue to stretch out of my comfort zone to be exposed to and informed about different people, places, things, and languages outside my bubble. Thank goodness we have “Hey Siri.” Just saying.

Why don’t you “spill the tea” and tell me about a language you have learned or experienced?