Thank You Betty Davis!!!

Just when I thought I was going to lose my mind, a breath of fresh air entered my life via the Weather Channel.

While checking out the severe weather alert for Monroe County this afternoon, The Weather Channel's Betty Davis correctly used the word deluge (del-uge) in reference to a recent weather event elsewhere (New York, I think).

DEL-UGE!

Not that ever-so-popular "day-luge" so many of the reporter and reporterette illiterati seem to be so fond dis-pronouncing (the “dis” is intentional).

So a heartfelt "THANK YOU" to Betty Davis for restoring my faith in the Sisters of St. Francis, for the excellent comprehension of the Engrish language they have bestowed on so many.

A “two flippers up” penguin salute to you sisters and I apologize again for all of those unfortunate incidents ;-)

Internet Engrish 2006-06-03, “loose, looser(s)” :-)

Today’s Internet Engrish Word/Phrase is, loose, looser(s).

Loose and Looser(s) is “Lazy English” for what was intended to be lose and/or loser(s).

“Lazy English” refers to the English written and spoken by those among us that are/were too damned lazy to learn and understand the correct word(s) and spelling(s) when they were in school, and what each word really means.

The correct words and spellings effectively convey the intended thoughts and ideas to the reader/listener. Saying the right word, but spelling the wrong one is, well…, lazy.

Observe:
loose adj. loos·er, loos·est

1. Not fastened, restrained, or contained: loose bricks.

2. Not taut, fixed, or rigid: a loose anchor line; a loose chair leg.

3. Free from confinement or imprisonment; unfettered: criminals loose in the neighborhood; dogs that are loose on the streets.

4. Not tight-fitting or tightly fitted: loose shoes.

5. Not bound, bundled, stapled, or gathered together: loose papers.

6. Not compact or dense in arrangement or structure: loose gravel.

There are many more definitions of “loose,” as well as usage examples for “loose” as different parts of speech, but these should be enough to get the jist of “loose” across.

And now, for “lose,”

Observe again:
lose v. lost, los·ing, los·es
v. tr.

1. To be unsuccessful in retaining possession of; mislay: He's always losing his car keys.

2. a. To be deprived of (something one has had): lost her art collection in the fire; lost her job.

b. To be left alone or desolate because of the death of: lost his wife.

c. To be unable to keep alive: a doctor who has lost very few patients.

3. To be unable to keep control or allegiance of: lost his temper at the meeting; is losing supporters by changing his mind.

4. To fail to win; fail in: lost the game; lost the court case.

5. To fail to use or take advantage of: Don't lose a chance to improve your position.

6. To fail to hear, see, or understand: We lost the plane in the fog. I lost her when she started speaking about thermodynamics.

7. a. To let (oneself) become unable to find the way.

b. To remove (oneself), as from everyday reality into a fantasy world.

8. To rid oneself of: lost five pounds.

As you can see, “lose” is equally versatile, but Different.

And now, a "very special" addition for the loosers out there:
loser n.

1. a. One that fails to win: the losers of the game.

b. One who takes loss in a specified way: a graceful loser; a poor loser.

2. a. One that fails consistently, especially a person with bad luck or poor skills: “losers at home seeking wealth and glory in undeveloped countries” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.).

b. One that is bad in quality: That book is a real loser.

Lecture over! Now, that wasn't (supposed to be) so hard, was it? Consider yourself edumicated ;-)

This Internet Engrish lesson was dedicated to the loosers out there that didn’t know the difference, in the hope that they may now be able to fool some unsuspecting employer into hiring them, if only for a little while ;-)

Disclaimer:
Internet Engrish "lessons" are meant to elevate the I.Q. of the Internet community, and nothing more. Don't take it personally, unless you NEED it.

If you find this offensive or insensitive, email your comments, complaints or objections to:
I'm a looser@dontreallygivearatsass.org

Now, "Go in piece," and "May The Farce be wit youse."
(with profuse apologies to Gene Roddenberry and Joe Pesci)

Does Anybody Cook at Home Anymore?

Driving around at dinnertime lately, even on a weekday, I am amazed that all of the restaurants I pass always seem to be doing a booming business, which perplexes me somewhat.

Is our economy become so good that this many people can afford to do this? Have we as a society suddenly become that affluent? Or, is it that there that there are many households where the art of cooking is unknown or unheard of?

Now, I’m not talking about opening a box, adding water or whatever and heating “cooking,” I mean genuine cooking.

Cooking that entails gathering the raw ingredients, preparing/mixing and heating/baking/cooking food and meals from scratch.

Mrs. Thunkit and I go out to dinner on the average of once every two weeks, which we feel is a lot, but we can afford to do so. We couldn’t begin to fathom the monotony or the cost of going out for dinner every night. It’s just the two of us now, so our cost of dining out is modest, but what must it cost for families to eat out every day?

I once worked with a fellow who ate out for every meal. He also took his wife and children out to dinner and again later in the evening, out for a late night dessert/snack, usually to Schmucker’s, which was near his home. The kitchen stove was covered with cereal boxes, bread, and other basics, and was essentially being used for storage. His wife, he said, didn’t feel “fulfilled” by cooking meals or feeding her family…

Consequently, he was always moonlighting, to keep his family fed.

They weren’t extravagant people (except in their dining habits), no fancy clothes, no exotic vacations, and no new cars. In fact, they never had what I would consider decent, reliable transportation. And, he was always out in the driveway fixing cars when he wasn’t moonlighting, to keep his family fed.

I found their lifestyle choices “interesting.” When asked about what it cost him each week to feed his family of seven in this manner, he replied, “Don’t ask.” This family was held hostage to their “always eat out” lifestyle.

So, please enlighten me, do you, or do you know people who can’t, don’t or won’t cook?

Where do you/they go for dinner every day?

How do you/they afford it?

What does it cost for a family to eat 2-3 meals per day when you don’t cook at home?

And, if nobody cooks anymore, how do you explain the success and popularity of the Food Channel?

I would surmise that only the very wealthiest among us could afford such a lifestyle, and that they probably have hired cooks to prepare meals for them at home. Going out to eat for every meal, IMO, would get very old, very quickly…