Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Wed Nes Day

Why do we say Whensday when it's spelled Wednesday...??  Who decided a strange amalgam of letters--with a silent and superfluous D--was the way to say this word..?? Language, what a puzzle.

And speaking of...

Remember, dear readers, a few months back when I was getting a coffee at the local drive-thru and the barista babe asked me about my bracelet?  Tibbet vs Tibet...

Well.

This morning, cold and foggy, I drove straight to the coffee kiosk after walking the boys so I could warm up with a hot yummy mocha.  The tibbet barista was on duty, she of the bright, sweet smile and happy-go-lucky personality.  We're chatting as she makes my brew, then she asks me what I'm doing for the rest of my day.  I run through my list of chores, ending with my plan to be sitting all cozy and comfortable in my reading chair with a good book by late afternoon.

"What are you reading?" she asks.

"New Orleans mystery, with Cajun bad boy romance on the side."

She leans over the counter and whispers, "Is it risky?"

Oh Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  This girl is going to kill me.  I have about twelve thoughts racing through my head in a nano-second as I bite back the urge to laugh out loud. Again. Just like last time.

I know she means risque, not risky, though I can see--spelling being what it is--how she might interpret the "que" as "key"...sort of.  Do I correct her?  Is it my job?  Does it matter in the whole scheme of things if she says the word wrong?

Digression:  When I was in grade school--around 4th grade or so--my BFF at the time, myself and several other girls were in the library reading this article in the newspaper for a class assignment.  I pronounced Tucson as Tuckson, having never seen the word before in my life.  My BFF laughed hysterically, embarrassing me to infinity and beyond in front of everyone sitting at our table.  And though I have never forgotten how to say Tucson, I also never really forgave her for the humiliation.  

So, present day, all these thoughts cascading in my mind.  And I tell her it's totally risky, she hands me my mocha, we both smile cheerfully at each other and I drive away.

What can I say...it's Wed Nes Day after all...

4 comments:

  1. Totally! Or in some worlds, Hump day, although I don't really recall ever using it! It sounds too, risky! :)

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    1. Good one....and another laugh to make my day--humped or otherwise. ;D

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  2. You can thank Old English for Wednesday; the d comes from Odin, which was one of the root words. I think it started out as the Old English equivalent of Odin's day and was slurred down over the centuries to whens-day. Why no one ever purged the d is weird, though.

    I like that your barista went with risky -- she's probably picked up a lot from print. I used to do the same thing all the time because I only knew some words from books, like ditch-oh-toe-me (dichotomy). :)

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    1. I love ditch-oh-toe-me...it's softer and flows better. ;D

      I have an issue about the seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter should be in caps. If the days of the week and the months of the year get the privilege, why not the four distinct seasonal changes? I can't tell you how many folks over the years have tried to correct my "misspelling." ;D

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