Words have different meanings

The snow is falling again.

Mom used to say it was the angels shaking out their pillows. I guess the snow represented the feathers from pillows that split open. A long time ago when I was young, Mom let my girlfriend and me have a pillow fight with old pillows that were falling apart. The flying feathers went everywhere. We were still laughing as we cleaned it up. And, yes, we found stray feathers for weeks after that.

I remember many sayings that I grew up with that would cause today’s youth to roll their eyes in disbelief. For instance, thunder was caused by the angels bowling. If it rained anytime around a funeral, it was because the angels were crying. The colors of sunrises and sunsets were painted by the angels. Freckles were angel kisses. It never occurred to me until now but angels must have been a very busy bunch.

Despite all the pillow shaking, kissing freckle-faced kids and painting sunsets, one popular job for angels was never mentioned. That job is that of guardian angels. Guardian angels were never part of our lives. I think guardian angels are exclusive to religions other than mine. It would be reassuring to think that you had your very own guardian angel to protect and comfort you in times of need. It would be your own personal bodyguard.

Our language also has changed in many ways. This is most apparent when the subject is time. Once when we were visiting the grandchildren, my son-in-law asked what time it was. I replied that it was a quarter till. The proper response would have been, “a quarter till what?” Instead I saw a confused look. He turned to my daughter and she laughed and explained that was how old people told time. Then she told him what time it was.

Apparently, today’s children don’t have to live in Texas to be baffled by the way we tell time. They are so used to digital devices that the conventional way of telling time has become lost. It is 2:30, not half past two. Or 2:55, not five till. However, I think the future is going to be mostly digital and analog time will go the way of the middle English we were taught in school. Change is inevitable and even though we use different words, as long as we communicate, the actual words or phrases are irrelevant.

One of the things I will never get used to is that whenever we visit the grandchildren and their parents we go out to supper at least once. When it comes time to order drinks I ask for either a Mountain Dew or Mello Yello. This is futile. My daughter tells me to order a Coke. I tell her I don’t want a Coke. She tells me to ask for one anyway. When I do the server asks, “What kind?” This puzzles me as I think Coke is Coke. At least half the time I end up ordering water. The language differences go both ways.

Then there are the words that may or may not have been exclusive to our family. A case knife is a table knife as opposed to a sharp knife. Smearcase is cottage cheese. Rivels are a specific type of home made noodle. An umbrell is an umbrella. To redd the table is to clear it off. And the phrase, “never mind her, she’s backwards,” means she is shy. It can also mean she is left handed and therefore unteachable.

Sometimes I think it is amazing that our little ones can learn the language when there are so many ways to say the same thing.

It has stopped snowing and the sun is considering coming out from behind the clouds. I wonder, what some of the words and phrases are that you used when you were young that would confuse the youth of today.