(I was going to call it "Hump Day" but decided that would lead to FAR too many disappointed leches!)
OK, so having satisfied the light-hearted wench requirement with a gratuitous boob shot, let's get back to the subject of words.
One reason I hop on board this no-name calling train each year is to encourage us all to think about what we say. Yes, I certainly support the espoused goal of eliminating the harassment and bullying that result from the use of hurtful words. But even more, I like the idea of promoting mindful speech.
I chose "wench" as my replacement word for the week, since I find it sassy and flippant and fun. Yet I have a friend who will backhand you if you call her a one, because it also means prostitute.
Hedone asked me how I feel about the word "cunt".
To me, it's nothing but an anatomical descriptor.
But some consider it a put-down. Others react like a guy I used to date, unable to refer to genitalia directly. He could only come out with "my thingie" for his parts -- mine had no name at all. "Cunt" would probably have caused immediate and severe hyperventilation.
He couldn't say "fuck" either, unless as an epithet.
Which is silly, because "fuck" is one of the great words of all time.
Simple but with force, it carries weight, connotes the peculiar balance of soft and hard of the action itself, and defines one of the most phenomenal sensory experiences a person can undergo.
(So naturally, it's most common usage is when things go badly wrong -- which is like using a Ferrari to transport manure. But I digress.)
The point (and I do have one!) is that you can never be sure what any word will mean to any one person. So, going a week without calling anyone a single name, even if we don't find the term particularly pejorative, is a very useful reminder to consider our words at all times. You may be surprised at what tries to slip out!
8 comments:
I considered my words...
Good post cutie-patootie or should I say glitter-bug :D
-H
I think i'll stick to 'friend,' friend.
H-
Ms. Glytterboob to you...
(thanks, cutes!) ;-p
gg-
Friend is a very good word indeed. :-)
Words, words, words. Its all about words here; with 2 young readers and 3 inquisitive minds, we talk a lot about words, their meanings, their power. And of course, as a mother, I must teach them to be kind, and be consciencious about my modelling- both intentional and otherwise.
When I began my 'submissive journey', words took on a whole new role in my thoughts. I became even more aware of how powerful they can be. Sometimes I think I worry too much about what I can and can not say, but then, this too can be a useful exercise if it doesn't become too consuming.
I fancy myself a wordsmith and I recognize the power of words.
But I also realize that words are a feeble tool for expressing ourselves. They are often inexact and are only as good as both the listener and the speaker together.
w-
I think I'd like it in your house!
You are, it seems to me, very right about the power of adult modeling, as well. How can we expect children to "do as we say" when we cannot ourselves?
M-
Oh, gad, yes.
Those filters we all have, in both speaking and listening.
They definitely ensure that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, don't they?
I am a word addict. It's why I love your blog. You put them together amazingly. And fuck is one of my favorites; as a verb, a noun, an adjective, and especially to invent new words with it sandwiched in the middle like fan-fucking-tastic.
HG-
Thank you. That is a lovely compliment.
I will admit that I am very sparing in my use of the word fuck. Not because I'm offended by it, I just don't like to see it cheapened. It is too splendid a word to be bandied about meaninglessly.
But you're absolutely right that it's a whole lotta fun to get creative with it! :-)
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