I'll tell you why old people are politically incorrect. You call something by a certain name for 65 years and suddenly everyone starts calling it by another name. OMG. The old name is ingrained. It's a part of our non-thinking vocabulary. It just spills out. After we've blurted out the unaccepted name, we get the shame sign. How could we be so unfeeling to call someone an Indian when they are Native Americans. How can we mix up Oriental and Asian? Oops, did I just call a CD a record? When I say I talked to a gentleman on the phone, everyone knows I'm old. Or when I refer to a lady's "gentleman friend" instead of saying "boyfriend" they know I'm lavender and lace. If I think about what I'm going to say, I can utter the correct words, but it makes conversation "oh, so slow, and no fun at all." I'm getting a little better. I actually used the word "awesome" but I didn't like myself so I think I'll put that one back where I got it. My "bee's knee's" will still do just fine. It may even come into vogue again. Fat chance!!!!
I want to get to that stage where I can have a blue rinse and not worry about it! :-)
ReplyDeleteTake care
x
I hopped by from the Over 40 Friday Follow blog hop and found your delightful blog. What a great post. I always used to think my parents were old fuddy duddies when I heard them use 'old fashioned' words and now I hear myself getting it wrong all the time...hark at me 'fuddy duddy'! Super blog. I've signed up to be your latest follower and look forward to more posts.
ReplyDeleteI catch myself referring to the radio as the wireless, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAt work we attended diversity and equality courses to encourage us to use appropriate language and treat everyone with respect. We were advised to be very careful when we gave colleagues birthday cards in case the greetings upset them!
I never mean any harm but it is so easy to forget....
I hate the thought of it. I'm going to stop blogging now and go play some records.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of this! You're right! Goodness, at a certain age we should be able to call things whatever we want, especially if it was the acceptable term for the past 3 decades then all of a sudden someone decides that it's insensitive to say crippled instead of disabled.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's good to have greater awareness around words and their connotations, it seems we've gotten too politically correct for our own good. But, I'm with you, I can't seem to say 'awesome' with any real oomph behind it and I'll never stop calling a CD an album, as in, 'He has a new album out.' Record works, too. :)
ReplyDeleteFirst it was my grandparents who were guilty of this. Then it was my parents. Now it's me. And, with awesome, I mostly verbalize it when I am using sarcasm. LOL
ReplyDeleteOld Kitty,
ReplyDeleteYou're a long way from blue rinses, Rejoice in that.
Facing 50blog.com,
Thanks for stopping and the nice comment. Isn't it amazing how we all become our parents???
Christine,
How true, especially the part about birthday cards. It takes me forever to chose a card because I want to "get it right."
JJ,
Ha Ha... not you too. You're too young.
Karen,
You're such a good writer. You put it so nicely.
Teresa,
Yeah.... I can say "cool" but not awesome.
EmptyNester,
Ha... I like that.
Hahahaha! Sometimes I think I shouldn't say Cool! around young people cause I might seem like an old fart whose trying to act well "cool." But then I think, heck I'm old. They (the young kids) probably think I'm one of those old hippies, which as we know, I'm not. Great post, Manzi.
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled the other day to hear a hip hop artist who was being interviewed and he referred to his "record" dropping. He was a youngster which made it all the more eye opening.
ReplyDeleteThey will always be "records" to me.
One of my grandmother's always said exactly what she meant for as long as I knew her, so from younger to older. I can remember looks between my parents and aunts and uncles, but my sister and I always loved it. Maybe some of us are just like that.
ReplyDeleteSu-sieee,
ReplyDeleteYou're the coolest person I know. Who knows you may even be a hippie at heart. Talk to you later.
Patti,
Me too!!! I hate it when I say record and then I correct myself and say CD. That sounds even stupider.
Carol,
I've noticed as I age, (ahem) I don't get embarrassed like I did when I was younger. Often I can feel that younger people snigger at what I say and I just plum don't care. Must be what your Grandmother was like.
I loved how my grandma used to call "questionable" girls, hussies.
ReplyDeleteI still sometimes say I weat thongs on my feet.....
duh mom, they are flip flops, thongs are undies.
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteReally???? I still call those things we wear on our feet with the thingy that goes between your big toe and 2nd toe......thongs, too. Oh dang, another politically incorrect item to add to my list. Thanks for telling me but I probaby won't remember anyway. The undies they call thongs aren't even ever in my vocabulary!!!!! Ha.... Funny!!!
Manzie, you're great! Everything you said is oh so true! By the time I process all the things I'm not supposed to say so I don't hurt anyone's feelings, the moment's moved on without any communication.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine you with a blue rinse!
Every time Dad would refer to the nurses in the hospital as "the help", I'd cringe.
ReplyDeleteI find myself occasionally monitoring my speech in fear of being found out as irrelevant. But whether it's lack of PC speak or generational "dudeisms", there's something comforting about being old(er) and not really having to give a damn!