Those who have been reading this blog, for a long time, may recall my battle to change certain words in my vocabulary. In fact, I knew I couldn't find the references so I added the "Search This Blog" gadget, and it works. Yep. There are the references to me wanting to change swear words to "pickles."
Update: It didn't work. Shoot.
That being said, I think I've finally found a word that works. BAH!
Consider: Dam is a closed word. Say it. Feel how your mouth works. Then say BAH! Nice an open. It occurred to me that when I'm swearing it's because I want to let something out, stress, tension, frustration, anger, fear. I want it out. So why am I choosing a word that keeps it all in? I've been using BAH! for a while now. I still slip into the old habits from time to time, usually when I'm trying to keep things in, i.e., not explode all over someone. For those who have seen it, yes, I'm exercising control. I know, hard to believe. But true, nonetheless.
In case you haven't figured out by now, I'm really into words. The English language is the most amazing language on the planet. It incorporates words from other languages without apology. It's diverse, rich, and difficult. Nothing worth having is easy.
The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~ Mark Twain
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I love that quote by Mark Twain, it's so true! Finding the right word is very important.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are finding a better word than pickles. I like your reasoning for using bah! I am trying to remember what I said yesterday when I dumped my plate of nice lunch on the floor and couldn't salvage any of it. It might have been Gah! Sometimes I say doggone it, but something about that phrase allows it to be said with great venom, so I'm trying to steer clear of that. Gah and bah are quieter yet more releasing, for the reasons you describe!
((Margaret)) Dropping my lunch would bring me to tears, but then I've a bit of an issue with food. Tried Gah! And I find myself sliding into gosh, which dissolves into golly, gee, willikers... hmmm. then I'm finding myself laughing... maybe not a bad choice.... :-)
ReplyDeleteI often cry when something like that happens, but I realized once I got over the dismay of it that I wasn't too upset. I was more unhappy about having to clean it up than losing it!
ReplyDeleteAnd I would have cried over the lost food. But you know about that.
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