Interesting TMI Tuesday

Today's TMI Tuesday is a tribute to the late great George Carlin.

1. What is your language pet peeve. (example 'hot water heater', why would you heat hot water)

It's passe, but "irregardless"

2. What is your favorite word? Both dirty and clean?

Dirty: the F word :) I posted earlier this year on how some descriptions or statements just lose their intended intensity without the F word! Do you think preachers could attract more to sermons if they'd shout about how F'ing great life with God is! :) (kidding... don't write me about that)

Clean:Esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Weren't expecting that eh? I used to get pulled to the cardiac step down unit at one of my old hospitals and the charge nurse on that unit did not like excessive abbreviations in nursing notes. Since most nurses can easily spell EGD (the accepted abbreviation of Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) but could understandably stumble with the full word, every station on the floor had the word written out and taped in easy view.

3. What is the one word you cannot spell?

I'm actually pretty good with spelling aside from the occasional typo. One word that I will always be able to spell (aside from Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) is molasses. I was a 4th grader in a 6th grade spelling bee and I was one of four left standing. Molasses was my downfall.

4. What is the one word you always pronounce wrong?

Get. Simple I know, right? But when I say pronounce wrong it's more a manner of my being southern. My accent has flattened out quite a bit since I left South Carolina, but this word still betrays my background when I pronounce it as "git" as opposed to "gEt"

5. If you could erase one popular catchphrase from the English language, what would it be?

Though it has long since passed into obscurity, still once in a while someone will bring out that "Whoa!" of Joey Lawrence on Blossom fame and make me want to wretch.

Bonus (as in optional): The late Michael Hutchence (INXS) once sang, "Words are weapons, sharper than knives" .

What is the most hurtful thing you have ever said to anyone? Was it deliberate or accidental?

While it wasn't intentional, it wasn't really an accident. People often have epiphanies that are life changing. While they can often be grand realizations with a sense of joy, they can also be painful and wrenched with guilt. It was one of the painful ones that happened when I was in 5th grade and it was the last time I used the "N" word in a casual context to refer to African Americans. It was the 70's in the south and while still not excusable it was unfortunately common to use the "N" word. A friend of mine who was black was at my house and we were watching a movie on TV. I don't recall the movie, but there were army men doing whatever blah blah blah. One actor was black and had very dark skin. I didn't say this TO him, I said it in FRONT of him. I don't know how much it hurt him, but to this day it still hurts me. (I'm even getting tight chested with guilt preparing to type it) But when I saw this actor I repeated a phrase I had heard from some older kids "That guy is as black as the inside of a "N's" pocket" James, my friend, didn't flinch, didn't look at me, but when I glanced at my mother, the look of horror on her face made me realize what I had just done. I felt terribly small and wanted to cry. Had I been older and better able to compose myself I would have apologized immediately. I'm sure he heard it, but to his credit, he was bigger than that and we remained friends until time and life after high school graduation parted our ways.

What was the most hurtful thing ever said to you? Do you think it was deliberate or accidental?

This one was intentional. I've never been much of a bar person. I enjoy going with a group of friends to have fun, but going by myself with the intent to cruise or get lucky have never been on my agenda since I'm essentially so unskilled in the art of picking people up. But, in the few times I have found myself at the bar without someone with me to talk (because they've gone off to do the fruit loop or chatting up their hopeful one night stand) I may talk to someone just for something to do. Again, I'm southern, we are hospitable.

Once I found myself in this situation. The bartender had made a joke in general about something that had been on the TV and as the group closest to him laughed about it I made eye contact with the person next to me. I made some comment about the joke and the demeanor of the conversation changed. I asked a simple question, I forget what, but it was not anything approaching a pick up line. The person answered it, but followed with "... but to save you time, I'm here with someone, and besides, you're too fat for me" I was so blindsided I actually laughed. But it did hurt for a moment, but then tossed it in the mental pile of similar statements I'd collected over the years resolved to ignore it... and pray for leprosy to jump on that person in the middle of the night :)