What’s The Word?

Pat Fule
Fule for Thought

 

Words are so important to us. We use them every day, and if you choose the wrong ones, you can change the meaning or spirit of what you want to say. These words and expressions change over time, as well. For example, if I was going to meet a pal, and I told my kids that I was going to “hook up” with Richard, they would be aghast! That’s because “hook up” has changed from my generation’s definition of meeting someone, to one involving a more physical or sexual connection! I have learned to never say that when I’m meeting one of my pals! In fact, I now have trouble saying I’m going to “hook up” anything!
It’s like at the high school where I teach. In late winter, as rugby season approaches, we start to hear school announcements about practices. We’ll hear things like: “touch rugby is in the gym after school today, all interested boys and girls please attend.”
In this case of words, all you have to do, is add the suffix “ing” and the whole message is drastically changed. Could you imagine this announcement through the halls of SHS: “all boys and girls interested in TouchING Rugby, please meet in the gym!”
Now that one “ing” changes the whole image of that practice!
When you’ve taught for 33 years, you do need to find ways to lighten long days. Here’s a fun thing I like to do: when a kid hands in a test, I quickly and quietly ask “are you dumb” instead of “are you done?” The joy I get to hear as each kid says “yeah” or “yes” can’t truly be measured, and I really do chuckle each time! The best part is to see their pals’ reactions when they hear what’s really being asked! Words can be pretty important, and entertaining, especially at the expense of a teenager!
Years ago, on the day of final exams, I was supervising in the halls near the library. Two of my Native students were seated at a table with one drumming on it, and the other quietly singing and chanting. I had actually stopped to listen for a bit.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked. “Well, we have a big test in 10 minutes so we’re doing a pass dance!”
That instantly made me burst out laughing, and they joined in. I asked them if they thought it would work, and their only response was more laughter, and a “sure hope so!”
My First Nations students have often had great senses of humour. They’re witty and have funny ways to coin a phrase. One morning, my Gr.10 PE class was out on the playing field for Touch Football (not TouchING!). One of my Native students came over to me carrying a sea gull feather.
“Hey Mr. Fule”, he said. “Have you seen any more of my feathers? I’m missing a few!” What can you do but laugh when that kind of joke comes from a good kid? We both cracked up, and I did give him a feather I found! Come to think of it, he had a pretty good collection by the end of class!
The last example of the importance of words comes from my Poetry Unit in Eng.10-1. Each year, we read and analyze poems, songs, themes, and literary devices. I always use one of my favorite songs, “Hotel California” by The Eagles. There’s one part in the song that goes: “warm smell of colitas, rising up in the air.” Colitas are tropical flowers with a kind of pungent aroma. Now, if you substitute one simple letter “i” in that word … it becomes colitis, which is “an inflammation of the lower intestine.”
Now that would mean that the warm smell “rising up in the air,” would have nothing to do with that tropical plant! You really should see the kids’ faces when I mention this letter change in the song! With that one change, that Eagles’ single might have lost the 1978 Grammy for “Record of the Year” … it may have had to settle for medical condition of the year!

(“Fule for Thought” is a slice of life humourous column that appears in the Strathmore Times, written by long-time resident, town councillor, high school teacher, coach, husband and father of two – Pat Fule. If you would like to get in touch with Pat, you can send him an e-mail at Pat.fule@shaw.ca)