Friday's Caffeine #4

Can You Dig It!

 by SD Tracy Harper

Recently I had a conversation about etiquette, customs, and courtesies of countries and how they shape your approach to your storytelling . One thing for sure, the term “When in Rome” won’t help you here. 

I thought long and hard on this subject before I opened my mouth (and remove the doubt), and suddenly realized that I had automatically steered clear of the traps that some writers fall into. Now don’t get me wrong or think I have to have help maneuvering my swelled head through doorways. I have worked long and hard on my speech and vocabulary over the years to stay clear of colloquial speech or slang. Here’s a perfect example where slang work and where it can confuse.

1.       Example where it works.

a.       In the 1980 movie Airplane, there is a scene where a passenger fell ill and the stewardess couldn’t understand the slang that was being said. She was given aid by another passenger (an elderly white woman/ Barbara Billingsley, AKA June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver fame). The comedy skit begins with the elderly woman informs the stewardess that she speaks “Jive” and go on to have a conversation with the sick passenger. After a short volley of words between the black passenger and the elderly white woman the helpful woman inform the stewardess that the passenger has an upset stomach. Throughout the whole verbal exchange between the two African-American men travelers and the old woman, the "jive talk" was actually subtitled. Racial stereotypes aside, it was and is an excellent example where we are forced to debunk the “Us and Them” mentality and realize colloquialisms are everywhere and used by everyone. 

2.       Examples when it doesn’t work.

a.       Slang that is generational. Ie:  That’s Far Out, Drop it like it’s hot, What’s up, and Can you dig it are just a few.  To prove my point some my thing you are discussing distance, releasing something quickly, looking towards the sky, and asking if you can accomplish a task of digging a whole.

b.      Slang that is country based. Ie:  Do you have a cigarette. The UK interpretation of this request can cause somewhat of a problem.  He was playing “got your nose” with his grandchild and made them cry when the child mistaken their nose being held between the forefinger and pointer fingers, but it was their thumb.  In some Asian countries to do this is equivalent to giving someone the middle finger. 

I’m not going to point out every instance where there might be a problem, but to just say that there are situations where misunderstandings  can occur. The irony in all this is that misunderstandings is the number one tool of choice of all writers.  It matters little if it’s a love lost, reason for a confrontation, who was wrongfully accused, or the key to an elaborate puzzle, misunderstandings makes all possibilities possible.  All I would suggest is that you keep it clean, short, and imaginative. I’ll leave this subject here with this final thought. In some countries bringing flowers can get your butt handed to you just as fast as knocking on some woman’s door with hard liquor in hand (and I don’t mean  wine).  SD Tracy Harper

Would you like to have your topic discussed? Would you like to get an opinion on something that bugging you? Have you ever wonder about what makes an author pull out their hair?  Well, let's sit down for a cup of TEA or a nice healthy shot of CAFFEINE.

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