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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

My Slang Is Off

I see myself as a pretty hip chick. For cryin’ out loud, look at all the proof I have!: Creedence Clearwater 8-tracks, embroidered bell bottoms… I’m even thinking of getting my make-up tattooed on permanently.

How cool would that be? I mean, I'm sure it will look great!

I’m hip, baby; and what you’re putting down? Yeah, I’m pickin’ it up. No problemo, man.

But I worry – not that my cats aren’t getting enough tartar control in their “crunchy seafood medley” diet or that my canned foods have fallen out of alphabetical order. No. I’m worried that I’m not keeping up with the slang like I used to. Sometimes, I overhear people speaking English and yet I have no idea what they just said. They’re speaking in a code they’re not sharing, and I want in.

As has been noted in the past, I’m a lover of words: multi-syllabic words, words with heft and girth, words borrowed from previous generations. I love ‘em.

And that’s why I’ve arranged for lessons.

Why not? I figure The Boy can always use a couple extra bucks, and who better to bring me up to speed on what the Cool Kids are saying these days than my smart-aleck of a boy?

I’m really excited about this.

I got my first word today: “cheevil”. The Boy assures me that if I slip this word into casual conversation it’ll be noticeably cool.

But what’s it mean? I ask him.

You don’t need a meaning, he says. That’s what makes it – it covers everything.

You guys, I’m so excited. Things over here are going to be totally cheevil!

37 comments:

Diane said...

I still say groovy. I figure it'll come back in fashion eventually, sort of like your embroidered bell bottoms. The funny thing is, I don't think I said groovy when it was groovy to say it. So I'm not sure if I'm behind the times or ahead of them. But I'm still groovy (I don't care what anyone says). Cheevil that! ;)

Pearl said...

Hey, Diane!
I still say "groovy" and "man" and so help me, I've been overheard saying "far out".
:-)
Pearl

♥ Braja said...

I say far out all the time. I'm totally cheevil. I think.

IB said...

Dude,

You are not only far-out and groovy but: hip, hep, boss, fine, cool, awesome, bitchin, bad, sweet, foxy, stylin' and rad.

IB-out

Pearl said...

Braja, you, my friend, are the very definition of cheevil.

IB, that was great. :-) Thank you!

Pearl

Ann Imig said...

Good thing your paying him, because it must take everything in him to even look at you attempting cool. Oh, the cringing of hearing your Mom or Dad attempt coolness. The Boy sounds like one Awesome Doodathon.

Irish Gumbo said...

Damn, yo, that Pearl is PHINE, uknowhuddaimsayin? Wassup, homegirl, ya better back that thang up so you can give me a hollaback!

That was stupid fresh, that girl is WACK, yo!

Man, she be all up in my jock, I'd hit THAT, fo shizzle!

(But in no circumstances should you be using 'dirty sanchez' in casual conversation. People might think you are a bad grrrl. "Urban dictionary" is useful in these situations).

So, am I a homey now? ;)

Unknown said...

lol- Urban Dictionary does wonders :)

Pearl said...

Hi, Ann.
He's a funny one, that Boy!

Hi, Shauna.
I'm glad you're here!

IG, you've been my homey for quite a while now.
And when you said "stupid fresh", I LOLed. :-)

Hi, Paula.
Awesome, isn't it?! The language changes every day, and I can't decide if that's good or bad!

Pearl

rtju said...

Word

Pearl said...

Hi, mbuna.
True dat.
Pearl

Kavi said...

Oh boy./

I think i can take a few lessons from you. I could get as far as 'cool' ! But cheebil..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats some ask.

Today i read that 'PEBO' stands for Presdient Elect Barack Obama. Now, is that slang, is that cool enough or is that beeble !!

:)

Unknown said...

My first thought was are you being set up? :)

Naw, your boy wouldn't do that to you, right?

That would be downright cheevil.

Peace -Rene

I say we make our own language out of word verifications. How cool would that be?

like this
redne- infected acne.

zipbagofbones said...

Great. Now I have to go home on my lunch break and check on my canned goods. Thanks a lot.

darsden said...

Phat post Pearl, keep on trucking in blogsville and your homies will hang witcha! Fur Cheevil!!! Your tree loving hippie friend - peace out.

Douglas said...

I am in the Group who think The Boy is milkin' it. And making a profit while doing so. The Boy will go far, possibly governor of, oh, Illinois.

But I did find this... perhaps you misunderstood the word and it is really...
DR. Cheezil

As for the wordification...mine was statema which obviously is shorthand for the state of Massachusetts. Maybe.

Pearl said...

Hey, Kavi.
PEBO? Really?!

Ah, Rene, you clever girl.
:-)
The Boy does, has, and no doubt will continue to set me up, just for his own amusement.
And THAT, my friend, is totally cheevil.

Hi, Electro-Kevin.
:-) That blog is hilarious!

Sorry, Cat! I won't mention how my "work" shoes at the office are not very well lined up, either...

Hey, Darsden!
Copy that, good buddy!

Pearl

Pearl said...

Hey, Douglas!
You and Rene are both on to The Boy.
Why he continues to torment me so, I have no idea.
:-)
Pearl

Eskimo Bob said...

Let's put the Nerd on yo! Just because we're able to incorporate new jargon into our dialect, does not preclude us from proper word structure and usage.

Fo' shizzle you can can lay the shiz on that. However you can not shaz.

Nor would it be proper to be cheeviled, but rather cheeviling.

I can't pretend any longer. English was a second language to my mother, and I don't know an adverb from a pronoun. In fact, I think I'll just live on continual run-on sentence.

Pearl said...

Hey, EskimoBob.
Nice. :-)
Honestly, I think I was sick the day they taught proper sentence structure. The only reason I know a noun from an adverb is from Grammar Rocks on TV.
What was your mother's first language?
Pearl

SassyTwoSocks said...

Wow. Your son is very ahead of the times. Cheevil isn't even in Urban Dictionary yet!

Douglas said...

I would bet he also calls you "Mom" or, on occasion, "the Momster"?

Susan said...

From your oldest follower EVER: you are simply the cat's pajamas. My word verification is Exonala. I think that's what I'll want my grandchildren to call me.

KMcJoseph said...

Usually penicillin will get rid of cheevil.

nsiyer said...

In India, Pearl, all the languages contain a lot of slangs that you forget the original language.
Good post, Pearl

Lilly said...

Hilarious and so true - its like a whole new world. I just smile and know that one day they will grow up and have kids of their own that speak in a whole new language, usually one that grandparents understand really well. Credence Clearwater - oh my sister listened to them for hours and hours and still does!

This was a hell of a cheevil post Pearl!

Steve said...

Cheevil is like totally rad. And ungnarly.

Pearl said...

Hi, Sassy!
That he is, that he is. :-)

Hey, Douglas.
I am "Mom", unless he really needs a favor.
Then I'm "Mommy".
:-)

Hi, Susan.
Not old.
Experienced.
:-)
And "Exonala" sounds like she might have some super powers.

Hi, KMcJ.
Well, see there's the problem. I've been using a poultice of clay and B&W re-runs, and it's just given me a rash.

Hi, nsiyer!
Hmmm. There must be certain levels of snobbery in there, then, right? "Proper" use of words and whatnot? Me, I can't decide if the ever-changing language is good or bad.

Hi, Lilly!
Ah, The Boy's comeuppance is coming! And THEN who will have the last cheevilish laugh?!

Hi, Steve.
It's also hypoallergenic!
:-)

Pearl

Michelle said...

I use dig it, cool and dorky!!

I know not of this word cheevil!!! I never heard it being used in any sentence involving teens. Perhaps, you should check into that one before well, using it!!!!???

I'm just saying girlie!!!

Pearl said...

Hi, Michelle!
You are right, my friend. I suspect, by the glint in The Boy's eye, that he's having some fun with me.
:-)

He's cheevilish that way.
Pearl

The Wife O Riley said...

Wow, I'm not sure I would be pronouncing it right, I would hate to look like a fool!

Make sure you get blue eye shadow tatooed on, that never stops being hip!

Pearl said...

Wife O'Reilly, there definitely WAS a time I was sportin' the blue eye shadow.
Um, everybody was doing it???
:-)
Pearl

~JSW said...

This is bad, i do consider myself slightly hip and i've never heard of cheevil...but I say things like cool beans and geez louise, so maybe i'm not all that cool. I'll have to change up my lingo

Pearl said...

Hi, R~.
I wouldn't worry about it. I suspect The Boy is having one over on us. :-)
I got someone at work today to admit that something was "cheevil", though, so maybe we'll see it in the Urban Dictionary some day!
Pearl

Brett said...

I work with alot of younger people, and am amazed to find all the new uses for word, normally after they have all fell about laughing

Jeanne Estridge said...

Not sure which was funnier -- your hilarious post or all the comments.

I say "cool beans!"

If you're going the tattoo route, definitely consider a tramp stamp.

It would be teduza. (Ever notice that most of the word verifications have the right proportion of consonants and vowels, so that they can actually be pronounced?)

Pearl said...

Hi, Brett.
Glad you stopped by. I can see you're a good egg.

Hi, Jeanne.
Ah. The tramp stamp. I'd forgotten! I can't wait for pants styles to come up a bit in the waist so that I can stop seeing those things. Between that and the thong being exposed, it's all I can do to keep a straight face.
Wait -- am I required to keep a straight face?! Must explore...

Pearl