It has been adequately established that words have meaning and power. Tough to communicate even the simplest of ideas without using language somewhere in the process. Ok, let us forego the inclusion here of phalange gestures and flying flags upside down…although we can agree that they are often quite effective on occasion.
We will be referring here to words, using words, meanings, problems associated with, slang, generational words….well, just words. In today’s world, the world that is simultaneously growing smaller by the moment and yet expanding into areas that many of us never anticipated encountering – ever. – it must be said, that there are very few words that I am not willing to say either in a whisper or a yell. This is because I have yet to discover a more powerful way to communicate than with those compilations of letters that when placed in specific order, magically mean more than the sum of each letter individually.
It also must be said that language changes with such rapidity that it is often difficult to keep up with current meaning. How does this happen, one might ask. A word is a word; how can the meaning change? Well, with ease it would seem. Think about it. What was the popular slang when you were a kid? A teenager? Some of the more familiar slang from when I was a kid, well the slang that I could speak out loud within earshot of my mom included such phrases as: hip, groovy, mod, boob tube, five finger discount (ok, that one did not get mentioned within earshot of the mom), tennies, zit, dig it, hippie, kiss off, mop-top, square, ticked off, unglued, burn rubber, passion pit (ditto, that one also was not spoken around the mom).
Now, think for a moment about the language changes due primarily to online communication. I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decipher IYKYK that was sent to me in an email. Heck, I tried every combination I could conceive and could come up with nary a clue. So, I swallowed the scintilla of pride that I still have intact and texted back, “Huh??” Yep, I do have a way with words. Well, the response was one of incredulity, I guess at my lameness. Turns out it means “If you know, you know.” Ok then, I still was not 100% sure what that meant. The person who sent the text, then said, “Gee, Bill, you are becoming an NPC.” Once again, I wittily responded, “Huh?”
Get this, an NPC means a “non-playable character.” This is a term used by “gamers” for characters in video games that are not like “real people” but merely characters that interact in the game’s narrative, but do not really have meaning. So what? Now I have no meaning and must exist for the remaining moments of my life as an NPC? WIM (woe is me)….batter’s up, I can play this game.
Language changes continuously; it is on the move. Here’s one that causes my head to throb and my bile to churn: woke. I have heard and read this one since about 2022. The definition used to be that if one was “woke” then one was “awake” as opposed to asleep or unconscious. Today, as I have been told, it means to be socially conscious and culturally aware. Ok, I can live with that. But here’s the rub….for many people who share the planet with me, the term “woke” is considered a negative. What the heck? I guess if I have my druthers, I will choose awake, conscious, and aware over the alternatives. And yes, that is my final answer.
Other words that have morphed in politicized verbiage include: tolerance, grooming, cancel culture, systemic racism. See, I at one time was confident in my knowledge of meanings; today the clarity may have dimmed a bit. Just what do these terms mean for you? How about language that is termed as “dog whistle”? I used to think that dog whistles were the devices used to…..wait for it…..call a dog. Well, imagine my chagrin. It means no such thing, at all. Well, it does still imply that the words will only be audible to a select group of humans, not dogs.
Dog whistle, as it turns out, are words, phrases, and terms that are political shorthand, if you will, that are used to summon a preferred response when used in political situations like rallies and large gatherings. Here’s the kicker though: the “dog whistle” is only effective if most persons don’t know what they mean. That might seem anathema to successful communication, but who knew? They are actually often thinly veiled, coded political messages which are directed to a particular group about a particular other group. Guess these “incognito phrases” are perfect examples of IYKYK….see how quickly I adapt? Just like that I used the term as if it had been in my verbal repertoire for years.
Another option for studying language and meaning would be reading The 2025 Presidential Transition Project (Project 2025) which is a collection of policy ideas from The Heritage Foundation to “reshape” the US federal government. “Reshape” – what can that possibly entail? Well, look it up….all 920 pages. it runs the gamut of ”reshaping” public education, taxes, the rule of law and separation of powers, individual freedoms and rights, contraception, terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and even foreign trade policy. In 920 pages, I guess, there is something for everyone. Do not ever take my word about such things; take no one else’s word….look it up and read it for yourself. You can find it online; I did. Then, let’s talk.
Recently a person stopped by my house and over a Pepsi, our conversation rambled into the realm of politics. My guest, with a sanctimonious, snarky, smirk said, “By the way, Bill, you might want to do further research because the United States is NOT a democracy, it is a republic.” She sat back quite impressed with her profundity. This is not the first time this particular sentiment has surfaced in conversations of late. Well, drop the dang mic and back that proverbial bus up, Trigger. Fact: The United States is a representative democracy. I did not make this up; the Constitution establishes a federal democratic republic. Republic means that the government is representative and abides by a constitution and democracy means a government is ruled by the will of the majority. (Call Mr. Kracium or Mr. Gilbert if more specificity is required.)
Here’s the thing: Language is a slippery little dickens. We use it every time we think, dream, write, read, converse, watch a movie, look at a map, read a direction, write a poem, hear a song lyric. So very much depends upon the words that we use, see, or hear. Words have heft and most words have multiple levels of meaning, and the fact that we can speak and be understood at all is an amazement.
As a person who has forever had a fascination with language, it is a topic that will never lose its appeal to me. I do not know how things will turn out for the remainder of this year, but I do know this for certain. If we can agree to continue to try to communicate, to understand, and to see and hear others in the same way we want them to see and hear us, then we have a real shot making it possible for all of us to survive and thrive. That will get my vote every dang time.
bkreigh@adamswells.com
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Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of articles and opinions written by a group of retired and current teachers — Ken Ballinger, Billy Kreigh, Kathy Schwartz, and Anna Spalding. Their intent is to spur discussions at the dinner table and elsewhere. You may also voice your thoughts and reactions via The News-Banner’s letters to editor.
