What Are You Saying?
Thanks to everyone who responded to my last post on receiving positive feedback at work and at home. Dave, your rant was filled with wonderful examples of what I call “bossisms.” Bossisms are stereotypical things that managers do or say that infuriate most workers. I have been guilty; however, I really try hard not to replicate those things I find irritating in other managers.
I was at Lowes yesterday with my eldest daughter. As we approached our car with a can of paint in one hand and pack of flood lights in the other, we passed a car. The father was getting out of the passenger seat, the mother was already out with a rather disgusted look on her face and the screaming 4 year old boy was grinning at me with an evil kind of Grinchy smile.
The mother’s expression turned from one of constipated disgust to exasperation as she ranted to the husband, “Where is the passie?”
“Huh?” the husband grunted.
“Where is the passie?” She said in a more obnoxious tone. The kid was still staring at me as I walked on by until he was out of sight. The mother obviously knew they would need the pacifier for little monster.
I slowed down a bit so I could here the husband’s response. It did not let me down. With great art and sensitivity he looked over the hood of the car at his wife and said. “I don’t know. Where did you put it?”
He was irritated that she was asking him this question. I was irritated with this husband and father. I wanted to yell back at him and say, “Any more stupid questions?”
People get shot for less these days and my daughter was with me. I embarrass my family enough as it is. I thought to myself, this guy is probably somebody’s boss. It is no wonder we have a corporate culture and home life that is strife with miscommunication, frustration and bitterness. What was this guy trying to say?
My wife is a writer and so on occasion she will say something to me that is totally Shakespearianeske. She kind of flips into language that would sound great on a stage, but is a bit formal for a conversation in a grocery store. That was where we were yesterday morning when she had one of these Shakespeare attacks.
We were accosted by the “over-friendly” and socially challenged grocery man. After going on about how good generic cereal was and cupcake wrappers, I was kind of frightened. My wife laughed at me and said and I quote “And you are the one who prides himself on being tolerant of people of different ilks.”
Ilk?
Merriam Webster defines it as this:
Main Entry: 2ilkFunction: noun: SORT, KIND
So why not just say “different kinds” of people? Needless to say I was merciless for the rest of the time in the store. I found all “kinds” of ways to use this wonderful word.
“Shall I look for vegetables of different ilks?”
“Oh look at the frozen fish of different ilks?”
Well, enough rambling on words of different ilks.
Comment by Jack's Raging Mommy
The way you describe it, the mom was being a bit of a bitch too. Perhaps they deserve one another.
Comment by Dave
“Ilk” isnt all that Shakespearan in my book. Then my book is about slaves, so how could it be?
Forsooth yon Boss Capulet of most gentle ilk. Perchance thou hast spoken well of fair Jillian in days now spent?
But soft… what rock through yonder window breaks.
ARRRRR! That be Shakespearish!
Comment by Ananke
You mean they actually wanted to give a 4-year-old a PACIFIER???? Isn’t that a little old? I hope the kid was a least potty trained and not wearing a diaper. This is yet another example of people having a child just to see if they could. (Bangs head against desk.)
Comment by eph2810
As I have said it before to Jill, I really would like to be fly on the wall sometimes when you guys have your conversations. It seems to me, you guys have a lot of fun…:)
But I do have a agree with you on people who act not very nice to each other in public. When we go out, we don’t argue in public - no sir! Come to think of it, we don’t argue much at home either or when I get us lost because I can’t navigate the map and tell my Sweetheart which way to turn (I do have a problem with left and right - that doesn’t really help ~ lol)…
Comment by Jillian
‘Tis but thy mouth that is my enemy.
Thou art retarded, though not illiterate.
What is illiteracy? It is neither word, nor phrase, nor sentence, nor paragraph, nor any other part belonging to a story.
What’s in a story? That which we call a tale by any other word would sound as sweet. So Eric would, were he not so bloody illiterate.
Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title! Eric, doff thy brain, and for thy brain, which is no part of me, take a hike!
:oD
Comment by Jillian
And by the way, Will and I share the same birthday, thank you very much.
And by the other way, Dave is a REAL writer, you see? He KNOWS what the word ILK means!!!
:o))
Comment by Dave
ROFLMBO @ the retarded thing.
But I think all married men are retarded in some form or another. That’s why we get married, so our spouse can be the charming one at social gatherings, while we exchange armpits farts.
Comment by Jillian
Speaking of farts, Dave, you MUST read the Shrinking Wop’s blog for today — it’s about farts, and it’s going to make you pee in your pants!
Comment by The Blogging Boss
I recognize and support farts of all ilks!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Dave
And that last one was quite ilky!
Comment by Dave
That Shrinking Wop post was hilarious. I emailed to the guys at work.
I managed not to liquidate my levis