| 1/04/2005 |
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WORD UP by Cameo
Have you ever seen or said a word so much that after a while it begins to stop making sense?
It seems to happen to me with more common everyday words. The more unusual or less common words already have a slight sense of nonsense about them. For instance, the word 'blog' is an uncommon word in most circles to 'lose' it's meaning to quickly, because not everyone knows what the word means.
Blog blog blog blog blog blog blog blog and so on... But a word like month when seen repeated can start to sound or seem odd.
Month month month month month month month month month month month month month month month month month month month month...
I mention this because I collect data as part of the research study I work with. I see the word month a lot in a month, in terms of "1 month" or "6 month." As I scroll down a list of entries to see who has completed their "1 month" or "6 month" follow-up, and see the word month over and over and over, it doesn't take too long before I start to look at the word month and it seems like a nonsense word.
You can try it for yourself! Pick a decently common word, like month, milk, cupboard, lights, plow, or some every day word... Say it over and over to yourself and see how long it takes before it starts to 'lose' meaning. It's like verbal hypnosis. Maybe it's the 'pattern' of the word over and over again. Maybe it's the repeated sound.
Did you ever read Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll? It's pretty much the opposite of what I'm talking about here. Carroll took nonsense words and used them in such an everyday and common way that you had a sense you knew exactly what he was trying to say.
The slithy toves are gimbling again?! You're kidding me!? What? They're gyring as well... That's just unheard of in these parts.
In a semi-related note... I am SICK of the phrase "step up." Every time I hear it, I start to question to verbal capacity of the person speaking. Can they not think of another phrase to use? Is it so 'cool' to use the phrase "step up" that everyone has to say it?
A few years ago, everyone was telling everyone to "step down." Well, everyone listened too well. I guess now we've stepped to far down and need to step back to where we were.
This has come about because I watch shows like Survivor and Real World/Road Rules varieties. You can't go five minutes on The Real World/Road Rules Challenge without hearing the phrase "step up" being served back and forth like a tennis match.
Well... If that wasn't a ramble, I don't know what is.
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I posted this @ 1/04/2005 05:24:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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