When I think back to high school, my biggest regret is choosing boys and booze over athletics and academics. I was more concerned with the when and where of the next party than I was with knowing the when and what was on the next test. Tests like those weekly vocabulary ones that I’d purposely forget to study for or would cram the list of twenty or so words a few minutes beforehand hoping that the meanings would lodge in my semi-high brain. That was mostly during my senior year when throwing caution to the wind was my mantra, better known today as idgaf*. Miraculously, I was able to graduate with a B average and proved a calculus teacher wrong when she told me it couldn’t be done. Tell me I can’t and I’ll show you how. Somehow my mathematical equation for grade point averages bested her quotient. Outsmarting a math teacher ranks as one of my all-time achievements. One that I probably couldn’t repeat if I tried.
Since blowing off those vocabulary tests in high school that, yes, would follow me in real life, I have this recurring fear that’s, as fears go, totally irrational because underneath every fear is a little paranoia. I have this vision where I’ve made it big and I’m being interviewed by someone who uses a word that stumps me. It’s like a one-on-one format and there’s no way out. I can’t answer the question or I reply in such a way that shows my ignorance. I’ve seen it happen to famous people and RHOA’s Porsha Williams if that’s not overreaching the limits of stardom. After her Underground Railroad confession, she’s not exactly the litmus test for adult intelligence.
Even worse than not knowing the meaning of a word is mispronouncing one, which is a tell-tale sign that it’s not a word someone uses often. If you’re one of the few people left who watch American Idol then you might’ve heard J.Lo’s mispronunciation of the word integral at the end of the show. Proper and well-spoken Harry even looked like he did a double take at her blunder. In fairness, J-Lo isn’t exactly known for her spoken word or singing for that matter. More like skimpy style and dance moves. And her new hit, "I Luh Ya Papi” reiterates my point.
Since blowing off those vocabulary tests in high school that, yes, would follow me in real life, I have this recurring fear that’s, as fears go, totally irrational because underneath every fear is a little paranoia. I have this vision where I’ve made it big and I’m being interviewed by someone who uses a word that stumps me. It’s like a one-on-one format and there’s no way out. I can’t answer the question or I reply in such a way that shows my ignorance. I’ve seen it happen to famous people and RHOA’s Porsha Williams if that’s not overreaching the limits of stardom. After her Underground Railroad confession, she’s not exactly the litmus test for adult intelligence.
Even worse than not knowing the meaning of a word is mispronouncing one, which is a tell-tale sign that it’s not a word someone uses often. If you’re one of the few people left who watch American Idol then you might’ve heard J.Lo’s mispronunciation of the word integral at the end of the show. Proper and well-spoken Harry even looked like he did a double take at her blunder. In fairness, J-Lo isn’t exactly known for her spoken word or singing for that matter. More like skimpy style and dance moves. And her new hit, "I Luh Ya Papi” reiterates my point.
Even journalistic veterans like Barbara Walters make mistakes and I’m not talking about her use of the letter R. As a longtime View watcher, she pronounces every letter of the NAACP organization instead of saying, “N-double A-C-P” as it’s commonly known. Sherry cringes.
When I sent out the first few pages of my manuscript, I nearly hyperventilated when I realized I’d overlooked a misspelling. One that Microsoft Word didn’t catch either. I’d spelled forgivable with an “e.” Look, I’m not the only one.
When I sent out the first few pages of my manuscript, I nearly hyperventilated when I realized I’d overlooked a misspelling. One that Microsoft Word didn’t catch either. I’d spelled forgivable with an “e.” Look, I’m not the only one.
DVR Screen Shot (Any guesses for that shadowy figure?)
I guess the moral of the story is that we’re all human. And as long as we’re living, we're learning. I’m constantly learning new things, new words and how some words we hear really aren’t words at all. "Reoccurring" and "comprable" [sic] vs. recurring and comparable. And I just learned that saleable is a word even though my mind wants to tell me it’s not. And now with the Urban Dictionary*, I’m learning all kinds of words and expressions that were better left unlearned.
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