Two (or 'Too'?) Commonly-Used Terms

There's something to the generation thing, though. A lot of it is defined by popular music, I think. The music of the era, I mean. A lot. Pop culture in the contemporary world has so much power. Look at the internet. It's pop culture.

you'd hate me then, i sucked at french at school

i cannot spell

I took French in junior high and still remember some words! And I still have my dictionary---paperback and still in one piece!

Beth, generations are defined by music alright but also values, behavior, and WORDS!!! Remember "groovy" and "far out"? You're near my age. The Woodstock generation had the best music period.

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Originally Posted by willowtigger you'd hate me then, i sucked at french at school i cannot spell

French is haaard!

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Originally Posted by nonightowl I took French in junior high and still remember some words! And I still have my dictionary---paperback and still in one piece! Beth, generations are defined by music alright but also values, behavior, and WORDS!!! Remember "groovy" and "far out"? You're near my age. The Woodstock generation had the best music period.

Yes, I edited my "pop culture" post.

I took 2 years of French in high school, achieved a decent degree of pronunciation, but was lost on the rest of it. My son was a French minor at univ, attended Nanterre in Paris (where the students spoke only French). He says he still struggles with French, but I think it's exciting to hear him speak it.

The only bit of french i can remember is par le voo francay (told you i cannot spell)

c'est le chien
that's about all I know.

Bonjour
Au Revour
Adieu
Oui

That is all and my pronunciation is audacious

I think for the most part, other than on mental health type websites, generally, people use the words 'narc' and 'toxic' quite loosely meaning basically a very selfish, horrible, abusive type of person. At least that's the impression I get. And to that extent it probably is a fairly accurate description of their perception of the person - or at least, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt about that. Because I wouldn't take it as a literal psych evaluation of the person unless otherwise stated. 'Narc' and 'toxic' are basically general terms. But people can quite easily slap a label on others using those terms too, if they're say hurt or upset with someone. It happens. That's what I see on the internet.

I'm off topic dear Beth, but I was just thinking about how we use odd phrases like "take a bath" or "take a shower." And we "catch a movie." I feel for people learning English; I mean how can you TAKE a shower?? We also say "draw a bath" or "run a bath", but those learning would think of drawing as artwork!

We say we hope to catch someone, but it means to get a hold of them, not chase them down. (Most of the time anyway, LOL) And we catch the train or bus......I've just been thinking of not just overused words but strange phrases, even to me.

Gosh, I'm glad English is my native language. Whew!

"have a seat" or "take a seat" is another one

"have" suggests you don't give it back

"take" = where do you want it taken to?

Theres a "take" joke in freuds book, jokes and their relationship to the unconscious. Apparently a popular ethnic joke back in his day was "did you take a bath?" "Why, is one missing?"

I don’t think the issue is with English. Lots of these idioms and common phrases and overused phrases exist in other languages and often are translated pretty much with the identical meaning from one language to another. Like catch a bus or take a bath, for example. It’s not that different from other languages. Strange phrases or even overused phrases are not necessarily unique for English

Yeah. My mother always got "let" and "make" mixed up. English was her second language. Or maybe she didnt. I will let you wash the dishes after i make you eat dessert.

Hahah indeed maybe she did mix them up, on purpose, she’ll “let” you wash the dishes.

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Originally Posted by nonightowl ... Beth, generations are defined by music alright but also values, behavior, and WORDS!!! Remember "groovy" and "far out"? You're near my age. The Woodstock generation had the best music period.

Yaaasss...but so many (Most? All?) of those values, behaviors, words come from music or from pop/rock musicians.

The music of the '60's was greater than great! But the '70's rocked pretttty nicely, too. In certain ways I prefer seventies music because it was more truthful. But there was more beauty to sixties rock, though. But '70's Motown...romance, nothing but. WOW.

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Originally Posted by MuddyBoots c'est le chien that's about all I know.

Oui, et le chien est marron!

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Originally Posted by Nammu Bonjour Au Revour Adieu Oui That is all and my pronunciation is audacious

Take a peek at the show Versailles (roughly "vair-sigh") on Netflix and you'll want to learn French in a New York minute

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Originally Posted by mote.of.soul I think for the most part, other than on mental health type websites, generally, people use the words 'narc' and 'toxic' quite loosely meaning basically a very selfish, horrible, abusive type of person. At least that's the impression I get. And to that extent it probably is a fairly accurate description of their perception of the person - or at least, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt about that. Because I wouldn't take it as a literal psych evaluation of the person unless otherwise stated. 'Narc' and 'toxic' are basically general terms. But people can quite easily slap a label on others using those terms too, if they're say hurt or upset with someone. It happens. That's what I see on the internet.

Yes. I believe that the terms narc and toxic have become so overused, though, that they've lost meaning. What's it called....we've become desensitized to those words.

It's true that every language has idioms and euphemisms. I doubt there is any language without. I have a few close friends who speak other languages, and don't use English much. When they translate some of the idioms from their languages, they make absolutely no sense to me. "And it is for that reason the butterfly always lands in the cake!"
Wha...??

I have read, though, that English (especially American English) relies more heavily upon idiom than other languages do. And metaphor, and etc., etc.

When all is said and done, however it's said or done, I remain fascinated, every day of my life, by the English language.

I've heard that one.


Yup, the 70's was also a decade of SUCH good music too, and the 80's.....The era of classic rock is roughly the 60' to the 80's. Roz, a character on sitcom Fraser, said it's called that because it's CLASSIC and it ROCKS!!!!

That joke is AT LEAST one hundred years old! How do these things survive?!

We have a radio station here that used to be just "rock 92.9" but now they're calling themselves classic rock when they play stuff like Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Nirvana. When did those guys become classic rock?

Mon chat est un chien