Something Lost in Translation

Strange as it may sound, I believe I speak about five different languages now, and only one of them is actually a non-English language. I've found so many occasions where I've been given strange looks, or at least quizzical replies on Facebook, to things I've said using different terminology than is expected.

I suppose the most interesting aspect of this new revelation is how people who are educated and actually maintain professional careers (those that don't involve name tags and hairnets) can give blank stares at words that I take for granted. I've been left dumbfounded by inquiries and the complete meltdown that happens in a conversation when a word that I've integrated into my vernacular catches someone completely off guard. I get this expression quite a bit:



Of course it's not just these situations that result in peculiar looks. Periodically I find that I've lapsed into the dialect from the mother country. Having grown up in the southwestern part of Virginia, nearly in the heart of Appalachia, I have some colloquialisms that are not widely known to the world. When home, it's like we have our own little subset of the English language that we all understand. At some point most of us have seen Jeff Foxworthy and his "y'auntoo" and "aieght" monologue. There's a real truth in his words. On those occasions where I adopt the mother tongue I give my roots away, and the conversation becomes focused on explaining what on earth I just said. Ironically those can be some of the most exhilarating conversations when you get involved in a regional dialect comparison with someone else.

Then there are the adopted terms that come from living in a major multicultural environment. I am constantly incorporating terms from around the world into my vocabulary. Seems the main ones come from Australia and New Zealand. I'm not sure I entirely understand how they arrive at some of the expressions they use. I think it may have to do with the rush of blood to the head from being upside down all the time. I just know that "cheers" and "no worries" are now embedded in my vernacular. Maybe if I hang upside down from the garment bar in the closet for a while I'll cure myself.

Regardless of the reasons for why we communicate the way we do, what is very cool is that we are able to overcome the boundaries of spoken and written language to share life's experiences. Otherwise we run the risk of assuming the aforementioned blank stares (see picture posted above) on more occasions that we should.