Couple Talk
I have a few ideas for blog posts (and have a few to make up to meet my personal quota) although rather than running them all together I think I will seperate them into topics. My first is an extension of something I am sure I have blogged about before which is the funny things that Elliott and I say to each other. The first time we realized it was with “I am just saying”. And I am pretty sure Krista and Joey use this same string as well. This is typically used while in an argument, when getting in the last word, or your side of the story. An effective way to append your side of the story is with “I am just saying”. To me it means, this is what I am saying, I believe it is right, I believe you are wrong, although I will let you continue to be wrong as long as you acknowledge what I am saying.
The other day though I discovered a new one which inspired Elliott to laugh out loud at me, effectively ruining our argument. I can’t now remember what we were arguing about. I think it was something to the effect of Elliott questioning (or at least that was my perspective) something I was doing and responded yes, “is that ok with you?” So “is that ok with you” has become an inside way to diffuse a situation. I think this a perfect way to go back to that teenage attitude of why are you intruding on my business and asking for approval when you know you neither need it or want it.
What are your funny sayings?
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Here is one of my (least) favorites, but it’s couple talk of a different sort. Sometimes there are couples in the workplace, for example, principal and assistant principal (also known in December as Santa and Mrs. Claus). One of the principal’s often repeated sayings used to be, “Does that make sense?” I know it was just a habit, a way of bringing closure to an explanation. I don’t think I would have preferred, “Do you know what I mean?” or “Got it?” Somehow, “Does that make sense?” had a condescending tone, like, I just explained all of this to you; and now I’m checking for understanding. He didn’t say it only to me but pretty much to everybody. I told him about it one day, and I don’t think I’ve heard it from him since. Better yet, I haven’t heard him say it to any other staff members either. So, I’m just saying sometimes you should just speak up. It might make a difference. Is that okay with you?
July 29th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Allen and I tend to “apologize” or diffuse an argument by saying something like, “I just wish you weren’t being such a buttface.” (Sometimes this is pronounced in “Italian” like “boot-fa-chay.”) I do not know why.