Saturday, September 05, 2009

friday confession, on saturday

I really like the word dude. I know it reeks of creeps and is mostly a joke, and I never use it, but I think it is hysterical. I laugh just thinking about it. Sometimes when I'm down, I start pronouncing it all kinds of ways in my mind. I would like to use it aloud sometime, but I’m afraid. What if someone thought I was serious?! Sheesh, that would be that! Elsewhere, whenever I go to America I’m surprised how widespread the use of the word awesome is, at least among the under-40s, but also among some over-40s I know. I really don’t like the word awesome. I think it’s hyperbolic and kind of fake, like when you bite into a croissant and all these flakes go flying and you think, well, goodbye, I wasn’t destined to eat you. I guess it’s a generational thing. I have maybe once used awesome as a test. Which is more than I can say for dude. Other than that, I read something recently that said only middle-aged people (and older) use the expression “Jesus Christ!” I have to say I use that expression whenever I need it, but other than in movies I can’t recall any other living person saying it. I must be the oldest person left alive.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know if it is a random coincidence or that the word awesome is so widely used, but at dinner last night the word was being used soften that I stopped and asked the person commenting if they really thought that the picture on the menu chalkboard was awesome.

A friend is a hipster and he'll even use the word Dudette.

Ron H said...

Let's see Sarah. There is Jesus H Christ. Christ on a crutch. Sweet Jesus. Mine, especially with the children has always been Oh,for god's sakes. But dude. Dude is a word of intonation. I am surrounded by youngsters at work. I never hear awesome. But dude is used in so many ways, both critical and caring, that I can't figure. Except by tone.

SarahJane said...

I've also heard dudette and it is too dumb to be believed. but also funny, and meant to be funny.

Ron, Dude is indeed a word of intonation, but it's funny no matter which intonation you choose. Don't forget I'm an expat, so there'd be no one on my planet who'd use "dude" in a caring way.

smile

Jeff said...

"Holy crap on a cracker" was one I recently heard. Some type of a corollary to "Jesus Christ" I reckon.

Actually, "dang" and "rats" are my favorites...

But then again, I'm old too...

I'm sick of "awesome"...

- J.

Beth said...

You have given me a fleeting moment of feeling young again. (And that is really awesome.)

Valerie Loveland said...

I went crazy using the word dude about 5 years ago. I knew it was getting out of hand when I called my mom dude.

Feldman the Robot said...

Dood.

ron hardy said...

One final comment from me regarding dude Sarah. Maybe subconsciously you want to be "the" Dude. That way you would never say the word. You would embody it. The quintessential manual for dudeness is The Big Lebowski. You will have to begin saying things like,"that rug really pulls the room together." All drinks are to be referred to as "beverages". Your beverage of choice is a White Russian. And of course you must join a bowling league. All apparel, especially for bowling, must be second hand. And you must willing to play the Son of the Pioneers' version of "Tumbling Tumble Weeds" for your friends.If you can't take on this level of dudity, then "you are out of your element Sarah." Smile

SarahJane said...

Don't forget I live in a foreign country. If I call the drinks on the table "beverages," they are from then on "beverages." It's a very autocratic situation, English-wise. And since I am from NJ, I also have a lot of fond bowling memories.

LKD said...

I love the word dude.

Bob has been the "little dude" ever since he was a very little little dude.

I think I love the word dude because I was exposed to a person, a former coworker, who referred to all men and women as dudes.

He used to come up to me with random bits of news and say: Dude, did you hear about...?

Regardless of the persons age or gender, everyone was dude to him.

Even though he isn't so little anymore, Bob is still and will always be the little dude.

Regarding "Jesus Christ," I say it a lot. Too much, maybe. And sometimes with a word inserted in between the Jesus and the Christ that begins with f and ends with ing. I don't say that one out loud much. I'd rather not invite the wrath of god to rain down upon me. My mother frowns and sometimes flinches if she's in my presence and I let a JC fly out of my mouth. She's good catholic girl who disapproves of her daughter taking the lord's name in vain.

Of course, she likes to say, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" when things are out of hand. If things are really out of hand, she'll tag on a "and all the saints in heaven."

I guess I must be middle-aged.

Dude, that just ain't cool.

I don't feel middle-aged.

Jesus.

Christ.

(grin)

Jessy Randall said...

I am reading a novel right now where the main character gets fired from his job and the way the boss expresses his regret about this is ... "Sorry, dudely." I'm sorry but that is just AWESOME!!! (The book is How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely.)

SarahJane said...

If I die before calling someone "dudely" mine will be a life unlived.

Richard Fox said...

No. You're the SECOND-oldest person left alive. I frequently use "Jesus Christ," sometimes amending it with His sacred, middle name, "F*cking." Furthermore, I agree with you regarding the overuse of "awesome." Just don't get me started on the misuse of the word "random."

SarahJane said...

I also like "Jesus, Mary and Joseph." I do wonder what the H. is for in Jesus H. Christ. Anybody know?
It used to make me laugh when my grandmother called one of the kids "the creepin' Moses" when we were getting in gear too slow for her.
I'm going to have to look up some biblical expletives.

lucas said...

A friend suggested the "H" was for "Hussein." Which seems plenty plausible to me.

Jessy Randall said...

There's a pretty good, footnoted explanation for the H in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_H._Christ -- apparently there's a symbol for Christ that looks like JHC. I love the joke of it, that "Christ" is a surname. And yes, I'll be counting this in my statistics as a reference question (I'm a librarian).

SarahJane said...

I have to say the "Hussein" is terribly appealing. It's actually my middle name, too.

Jessy, Christ is a surname but not exclusive to Jesus and his family. There was a girl in my high school with that last name.

Tilt Press said...

I have to admit to overusing the word "awesome" - I think it's generational.

I've never used the word Dude, but love that the Big Lebowski is Dude.

Now, as for "jesus christ!" - I say it ALL the time. I'm sure my fellow north carolinians just love me for it.

-rachel

SarahJane said...

I missed the awesome bus, probably also because I haven't lived in the US for ages. My sister is older than me and she uses it.
I do enjoy Jesus Christ. If I say Jesus H. Christ, which I don't, I'd probably get over what I was complaining about a lot faster.

ron hardy said...

I asked around about Jesus H and was told that you are absolved of taking the Lord's name in vain since Jesus H is not his name. Thus no accumulation of negative karma.So with no side effects your intuition seems right. You can vain all you want with this phrase. smile

SarahJane said...

thank god!

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