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  Texas : Features : Columns : "It's All Trew"

Language changes a little from generation to generation

by Delbert Trew
Delbert Trew
Writing this column was especially enjoyable as my computer spell-check bogged down and blew a circuit. It was a long-sought, sweet revenge. The question posed in today's column? Some believe a different language was spoken in the old days? Maybe so, here are a few examples used by the Trew clan.

My mother peered out a winder, worshed and wrenched her laundry, and hated to pay taxes to the RAS. When our family made ready to go somewhere, it called for getting all spiffed up and dobbing on Bay Rum and stinkum, and greasing our hair down with Lucky Tiger. Boots required shining with Shinola til a fly was a fool to crawl up 'em.

We poured swee'nin from a serp picher which was larruping good. Eating watermelon was pure-dee pleasure, and coffee had to be saucered and blowed before drinking. Food was not sour; it had a whang. Bob war was attached to post with steeple driven in with war plars. Decisions were made after studying onit fera spell looking for drawbacks which could cause a wreck instead of hittin the jackpot. Whatchimacallets abounded everywhere. Boring was described as teedjuss.

Structures sat catty-cornered, anny-godlin, or cata-wompus with the world. If they were not level, they missed the bubble. Little was designated by a smigin, a mite, or just a hair. Big was denoted by right-smart or pull-lenty. Doing nothing was labeled pidlin and a good day was called a hay-day. Slop-jar and thundermug need no interpretation.

Dad was always fixing to commence to start a project. Results were judged as poorly, fair to meddling, or the whole shebang. Farmers were clodhoppers. Toys were play-purties, and jewelry type charms were doo-dads. Instead of being hurt you were boggered sum, skint a little, and all stove-up usually caused by a broom-tail nag.

A nice looking lady was shore purty shiny. A plump person was bustin out all over, and a shallow person was all glitter and no guts. Items found hard to believe were labeled no sucha thing.

Plain OK was okey-dokey. And anything new was said to be new-fangled.

Is it any wonder that Yankees and other ferriners don't always savvy our lingo? If you sniggered or got your jollies at the wording in this column then all is hunky-dory, and sadly you just might be blood-kin to the Trews.


© Delbert Trew

"It's All Trew"
- March 28, 2005 column
 
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