A Mini-Rant
Does anyone else in the world hate the use of infantile words that is becoming so common?
I'm talking about the lamentable popularity of words with "ie" endings: words like "veggies" or "goodies" (ick).
I've steeled myself to smile politely when someone uses these words in conversation ("Let's make sure we have a tray of goodies!") but I refuse to use them myself. When I'm in a restaurant I can't bring myself to ask for a "veggie burger."
I have learned to keep my cantankerous reaction to these specific words to myself, but in the last three days I've heard three new (to me) examples of this appalling use of language.
First, I heard someone refer to "appies"—and it took me a while to figure out that they were referring to "appetizers."
Next, I heard a radio announcer refer to "bevvies." This time it didn't take me quite as long to realise that she was refering to "beverages."
Then, God help me, I was reading a web site about outdoor cooking and I saw a reference to "the barbie." With the help of the next sentence I was able to figure out that this meant "the barbecue."
I wanted to go and rip up a small shrub.
Leaving aside the fact that I need to consider my blood pressure, I have noticed that all the examples I'm talking about refer to some aspect of food. What does it mean that we appear to not be able to discuss food without using some sort of affected baby talk?
There. I've taken a deep breath, and I feel a little better now.
But what on earth will the next three days bring?
posted by Amy at 5/20/2006 07:58:00 a.m.
4 Comments:
I have never heard of "appies" before, and I agree with you it is a horrid word usage in general.
However, "bevvies" and "barbies" are very long and well-established Australian terms. We hear them a lot in the UK as so many Australians vist or live here. There was a comic strip in Private Eye back in the 1960s called "Barry McKenzie", written by Barry Humphries, which introduced these and other priceless Australian words and phrases into our culture.
A minor character in this comic strip was Barry (Bazza) McKenzie's aunt, Edna Everege. Who later became a dame and world renowned!
Incidentally, there is some great debating going on over at Skint Writer if you want to take a look and join in:
http://skintwriter.com/
All best
Maxine.
Hey Maxine--I obviously need to get out more! I didn't realise that "bevvies" and "barbies" are well-established terms. Even I have heard of Dame Edna, though.
Lady Bracknell, whilst in full agreement with the present writer, would like to take the opportunity to berate the use of the term "nibbles" to describe foodstuffs such as salted peanuts which are served either with drinks or as a method of passing the time in households in which dinner has been unconscionably delayed. Lady Bracknell flinches every time she hears the word used in this context.
Lady Bracknell, who does not eat flesh, objects very strongly to being called "a veggie": she does not consider the word "vegetarian" to be prohibitively difficult to pronounce.
"Bevvies", however, is widely used in her ladyship's adopted city of Liverpool, and has been for more years than she cares to remember.
"Nibbles"--humph. Yet another annoying food-related usage which is all too common here too (in Canada).
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