Paul Richardson: It's not a dead language

Our language, English, is not a dead language. Latin is a dead language. The reason, despite the common belief, for this morbid description of the language is not because of its age or the limited use, but because the meaning of the words in Latin never changes. A Latin word today means the same as it did hundreds of years ago and will mean the same tomorrow.

Not so with our language. Not only do meanings change, entire sentences or quotes are contrived to replace things that may be expressed in one word. 

Sometimes it goes the other way, and the complete description is replaced by a shortened version that takes a bit but eventually becomes an accepted part of the vernacular.

This has been drifting in and out of my thoughts for several weeks, but this morning for some reason I recalled an incident from my childhood and a bike wreck that resulted in “abrasions on the exposed skin the road” and some skin that had a singular layer of cloth protecting it. Yes, I had road rash. See how that simple two word replaced the seven-word phrase in the prior sentence. I am certain that the first time this designation of road rash was used, some were thinking, “I can see where they are going there, but come on now, you’re just adding to the language.”

But wait, the list goes on with such items as “urban tumbleweeds” (those plastic retail bags that get carried by the wind), or “road gators” (that thread that separates itself from the surface of truck tires and if that thing gets you, it’s a vicious gator for sure), or even phrases such as “Stomp on the fire and call the dogs” which means quite simply this is the end.

People that know me well, also know that I like to use idioms or euphemisms. This is somewhat of a side note, but I have been wanting to display my cosmopolitan side and properly use those words in a sentence. Clearly, you are thinking, “I bet he had to look up the correct spelling of several of the words in this paragraph.

Well, I may have had to look some spelling up, but what can you expect from a guy that responds to the question of, “How are you?” with “Fat and losing my hair!” You must understand that this same guy is built like a “sweet potato with sticks for legs” and not little twigs either, these sticks could have been tree trunks.

You should know that I didn’t make these up. Almost everything I refer to is either begged, borrowed, or stolen. So, if you hear me declare, “Let’s put some lipstick on that pig and take it to the dance.” I am simply referring to an item that probably nobody will want, but we’re going to try to find someone to take it, much like these mental wanderings today.

Well, that’s a wrap, but if you want to join me on this linguistic journey, there are actually sites on the internet that list catch phrases, idioms, and euphemisms. Go figure!