Inhibitions

Our neighbors have a trampoline, and the other day I was saying something to them about it, and I wanted to refer to it as the "tramp," but somehow I just couldn't do it; I had to say "trampoline" even though I knew it sounded too formal for the occasion.

There are some words like that. I know they're common words; I don't think anything of it when anyone else says them, but when I try to say them myself, I just can't. I don't know if it's my upbringing, or maybe it's just that I'm not cool enough, and I realize that if I were to come out with "tramp" instead of "trampoline," everyone would point their fingers and laugh at me as an imposter in their world of cool slang.

For example:
  • I have to say policeman, not "cop."
  • Dollar, not "buck." "Hey, this shirt is only two bucks!" Nope, never said it. Unable to.
  • Trampoline, not "tramp."
  • "Sweet." (In the sense of, "Whoa, that skateboard trick was 'sweet'." See, I can't even do it hypothetically! I sound like an idiot!)
  • "Sucks." I just can't. Instead I have to say something totally awkward, like, "He took your credit cards? Man, that . . . is . . . horrible!")
  • Some others I have trouble with are phrases like "Bring it on," "Get it on," "Down with that," etc.
Am I the only one with this problem?

7 comments

  1. That sucks. I bet you two bucks that a cop will come arrest you for doing sweet tricks on your tramp. Bring it on, I say. Bring it.

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  2. Actually, my problem is that I say a lot of words that I don't realize sound bad until I hear other people. Crap is one of those words. I don't think about it, and then my grandma says "crap." and I think, "oooh, that's an ugly word."

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  3. "Let's put that on the down low (or the DL)"

    I cured myself of "crap" a couple of years ago as a New Years resolution. I was saying it too much, and I decided I want to only use words that refer to fecal material if I 100% absolutely intend to do so.

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  4. see, I say some of these things too much. Like I just heard myself on some family videos saying "SWEET!!" like several times in a row. And I sounded like some old wasted surfer dude or something.
    Yikes.
    But there are some other things I have a really hard time saying. But of course I can't think of any right now.

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  5. Ha! These words are not my problem, but I totally have these-type issues! I wonder if it's personality.. For example, I'm Catholic, I was baptized at about four months, so forever... My husband is not. He wasn't anything, he grew up in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. I remember thinking about and asking him whether, if one day he realized God existed and perhaps wanted to be baptized, he could just change his mind and tell us as much. Got the weirdest look from him in response, and a "uh, yeah, of course.. If I changed my mind, why WOULDN'T I say so?" Whereas it would have taken me as much time to bring myself to admit to changing my mind as it took to actually arrive to the said change of mind. If that makes any sense? I had thought maybe it was a pride thing and really not wanting to either look like a fool or admit to having been wrong, especially adamantly so. (I'm NOT! saying this is the root for you, at all, I do not know you, but i suspect that it is for me)

    My husband (who has no qualms at all just being exactly what he is or wants to be and expects everyone else to not care or fully accept it) is always on me for not singing audibly, or atleast when he's around, and it's turned into such a thing that I'm not sure it'll ever happen, ha.. Unless maybe a glass or two of wine help out.

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  6. Maria, I know what you mean about not wanting to look foolish. I definitely have that problem too. I hate announcing new resolutions or even telling other people my future plans…just in case I don't end up completing them like I want to. I don't know what I'm so afraid of! I know, of course, that I'm going to be wrong or weak or change my mind about stuff…and I know everyone ELSE knows I will too…but I just don't want it to be, so public, I guess?

    And your husband sounds awesome. I'd like to be more like that. :)

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, thinking logically about it doesn't help, haha.. Logically I know that if I sing in the closed car while driving past people, even if they see me, they won't know me, or if they do know me, they will! not! care! But yet I can't do it. I even have irritated myself with my ridiculousness and have started coming up with "real" reasons why I should pause (or render not visible to them) my singing while driving by someone, such as focusing intently on the speedometer to make sure it's right, or looking back at the kids for a second. I can't decide whether it's laughable or neurotic ;D

      I want to be like my husband too! :]... but yours sounds like he's pretty cool (I looked at a couple of your highlighted posts, which included his list of responsibilities) and with no language barrier to get past :]

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