With advancing years, the sense of not being “ in with the times” creeps up with increasing frequency. From music to fashion trends to gadgets, one reconciles to being “too old for it” often. Another flank where I inevitably give up is teenage vocabulary. A bit too abbreviated and sometimes annoyingly funky. However, of late I observe women in their late 30s (or even early 40s) use words and phrases that seem to suggest they are trying a bit too hard. Lot of them are with the “simple-living-high thinking” positioning i.e. they do not carry Gucci bags or step out of sporty Audis despite being well-heeled. And yet when it comes to the Queen’s language, there seems to be a desperate attempt to sound “cool”.
As a result, “insane” is used with no reference to sanity. A dessert can be “insane” for instance! Largely with reference to Tarts or Souffles though and seldom Gulab Jamuns. “Eeeeeewwww” and “blehhh” are other favourites in the lexicon. You are with-it if you use them frequently and also have a nuanced understanding of when to use which of the two. I could comprehend “eeewww” fairly easily. (Though I use the more conventional “disgusting” when applicable) The exact situation in which to use “blehhh” still escapes me. But I hope to decipher it someday and hopefully do not live to see a day when I use the term.
My limited knowledge of grammar has me believe that something that reads “I haven’t met her for the ‘longest time’ ” is an incorrect sentence. But the frequency of such usage has convinced me Wren & Martin is being re-written. Strangely, some people no longer aim to reach you in “15 minutes” or “half an hour”. Its invariably “see you in 15”. I can understand this on text messages (its Short Messaging Service after all). Inexplicably, mentioning “minutes” seems like a waste of breath even in normal conversation.
It would be mildly unfair to say this plagues the fairer sex only (I’ll probably punch a man using “eeeewww” though). But men have their own variants. “Have a good one” tops the list. From Birthday wishes to New Year greetings to slightly obscene innuendos, this phrase crops up almost everywhere. This owes itself to shamelessly plagiarising from the Americans. Surprisingly, this phrase is used by lots of folks who are otherwise unpretentious. In one of my ex-employers, it was considered cool to sign off an email with a mere “Best” instead of something more conventional like “Best Regards”. This owed its origins to a CEO who was considered by many as an epitome of sophistication. Since his other indulgences were unaffordable, this was the only attempt at flattery by imitation. To my relief, people have increasingly begun asking for the “bill” at the end of a meal instead of the pretentious “cheque” as was the fad a few years ago.
Some blame my seemingly quaint mindset on the subject to my lack of exposure to American television. By that logic, I should brace for several people in the above set using chaste Hindi cuss words in the near future. After all, movies like “Delhi Belly” and “Gangs of Wasseypur” seem to have hit bulls-eye with them.
As a result, “insane” is used with no reference to sanity. A dessert can be “insane” for instance! Largely with reference to Tarts or Souffles though and seldom Gulab Jamuns. “Eeeeeewwww” and “blehhh” are other favourites in the lexicon. You are with-it if you use them frequently and also have a nuanced understanding of when to use which of the two. I could comprehend “eeewww” fairly easily. (Though I use the more conventional “disgusting” when applicable) The exact situation in which to use “blehhh” still escapes me. But I hope to decipher it someday and hopefully do not live to see a day when I use the term.
My limited knowledge of grammar has me believe that something that reads “I haven’t met her for the ‘longest time’ ” is an incorrect sentence. But the frequency of such usage has convinced me Wren & Martin is being re-written. Strangely, some people no longer aim to reach you in “15 minutes” or “half an hour”. Its invariably “see you in 15”. I can understand this on text messages (its Short Messaging Service after all). Inexplicably, mentioning “minutes” seems like a waste of breath even in normal conversation.
It would be mildly unfair to say this plagues the fairer sex only (I’ll probably punch a man using “eeeewww” though). But men have their own variants. “Have a good one” tops the list. From Birthday wishes to New Year greetings to slightly obscene innuendos, this phrase crops up almost everywhere. This owes itself to shamelessly plagiarising from the Americans. Surprisingly, this phrase is used by lots of folks who are otherwise unpretentious. In one of my ex-employers, it was considered cool to sign off an email with a mere “Best” instead of something more conventional like “Best Regards”. This owed its origins to a CEO who was considered by many as an epitome of sophistication. Since his other indulgences were unaffordable, this was the only attempt at flattery by imitation. To my relief, people have increasingly begun asking for the “bill” at the end of a meal instead of the pretentious “cheque” as was the fad a few years ago.
Some blame my seemingly quaint mindset on the subject to my lack of exposure to American television. By that logic, I should brace for several people in the above set using chaste Hindi cuss words in the near future. After all, movies like “Delhi Belly” and “Gangs of Wasseypur” seem to have hit bulls-eye with them.
