I know we are not alone in trying to balance being informed and focusing on what is near and dear. So here goes some not deep conversational topics!
1. Why does the contractor redoing the sewer lines in our area park their large dump trucks and other equipment on our narrow cul-de-sac overnight and on weekends rather than one of the wide streets nearby? They block one lane coming into the court. The project has to be at least half over so this won't last forever thank goodness.
2. Does the dog have a game he invented to engage us in play? He takes his favorite little lamb stuffed toy, places it somewhere he could easily reach it, and then barks until we come and "rescue" it. I call it the "Help, help - Timmy is stuck in the well" game. A Lassie TV show reference if you are too young to know!
4. What can we do for an outing or entertainment? Mostly initiated by me. Repeatedly.
5. And lastly, we had a discussion last week that turned out to be a learning experience about why do we all say pots & pans and not pans & pots. After we threw around our theories (mostly that pots were invented first or used the most historically), I asked Google and it came up with this. So every time you say tick tock or pitter patter or hip hop and so on you can reference ablaut reduplication lol.
- Ablaut Reduplication (Sound): In English, when pairs of words are used together, the one with the lower, back vowel sound (o) often comes before the one with the higher, front vowel sound (a). Similar examples include hip-hop, ding-dong, and chit-chat. "Pots" (o) flows more easily into "pans" (a) than the reverse.
- Idiomatic Tradition: The phrase is deeply rooted in old English nursery rhymes and sayings, such as "If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands" (recorded from the mid-19th century).
- Hierarchical Order: Historically, "pots" (larger, deeper vessels for boiling) were often considered the primary or larger kitchen vessel, while "pans" (shallower vessels for frying) were secondary, leading to a "large-to-small" ordering.
So interesting on why we use pots and pans instead of saying pans and pots.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
The pup story is adorable! And very much enjoyed the information about phonetics, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am curious about your 4. entry - you live in one of the most active and interesting areas in the country, so is the issue more about landing on something both you and your DH would enjoy, vs just one of you?
If so, that is indeed the ongoing marital compromise, LOL!
He has less need to go on outings than I do plus there are physical, dog and interest limitations for both of us now that we are in our mid-70s.
DeleteWhen the world seems like a worry to me, I focus on the minutiae of my life. I guess you could also do mindful meditation - basically it works the same way. I have been listening to Buddhism podcasts and I laughed when the guy said "even washing dishes can become a meditation", but I think its true.
ReplyDeleteInteresting reading about pots and pans. I have written a story and I can't decide whether to call it Dots and crinkles or Crinkles and Dots. Which do you think flows better?
ReplyDeleteHaving those trucks parked in your cul de sac is an understandable frustration. I get mad - yup, mad about a semi that parks The wrong way on the street now and then in our neighborhood. Completely blocks traffic. And I proceed to call the police on them.
Enjoyed the Lassie reference. The pup sounds like fun.
Crinkles and Dots in my very unofficial opinion
DeleteRudy plays the Timmy in the Well game with us too! And we have frequently responded to his barking with, "What is it boy? Is Timmy stuck in the well again?!" LOL
ReplyDeleteI am SO glad we are not the only ones who turn to Google on a regular basis for random trivia. We call it being in The Look-It-Up Club.
OMG, it must be a dog thing not a Coco thing. We have had 3 other dog’s and he is the first to do this.
ReplyDelete