Is "hello" the new "duh"? I'm thinking this as I drove home yesterday listening to the Buffy musical soundtrack (an absolute must-have for all Buffy addicts like myself). In the duet with Anya and Xander, she cuts in on him singing and he says, "This is my verse, hello?" And with that I started trying to remember when I started saying stuff like that. You know, to express outrage--"This guy totally cut right in front me, like I wasn't even there. I was like, hello?" Or disbelief, when somebody does something utterly imbecilic. "He told his boss that he was looking for another job. I mean, hello? How stupid is that?"
I never really thought about it until yesterday. And it is generational, I believe. I don't hear people of my parents' generation talking like this...though that would be really funny -- "Hello? Did we not tell you that you're grounded?" Is it something that started with Buffy? Buffy has had a definite effect on the English language. There's a book about it and everything. I don't have the book. I haven't read the book. But I know it exists. Stacy G. has it, I think. Pretty much you can take noun and "age" at the end of it for a Buffy effect. "Major fun-age ahead." Or add "-y" to a noun. "Don't get all slayer-y on me."
Does anyone else recall the beginning of the "hello" phenomenon? I realize now that I hardly ever say "duh" anymore -- not a huge loss, I know. But I'm truly curious. The English language is this wonderful, ever-changing thing. I mean, where else do you have verbs cropping up based on product names? How many of you "Swiffer" your floors or "Tivo" your favorite shows? I do. Now, we just have to wait for Webster's to catch up with us. : )
Okay, the URT Deparment is now closed. I'm tired and my headache has returned. #$%**$@ barometric pressure!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
do you remember the Back to the Future movie series, where the bully, what was his name, Bick? kept hitting Marty's father on the head, saying "hello, hello, anybody in there?" That kind of reminds me of the "DUH, are you stupid" translation.
-becky
Stace,
You're right. There is a book about how the Buffy vernacular has changed the mainstream language -- it's called "Slayer Slang" and yep, I own it. Of course, with my habit of buying books en masse, I never quite get the chance to read all of them...and this book is one of those waiting "on deck" for me to get to.
But even in the three short years since I was introduced to all things Buffy (by you), I've managed to incorporate a lot of its sayings and "age" or "y" ending words into my vocabulary : )
As for "hello?" I'm not quite sure where it originated (I haven't tried to google it yet...hey, just realized "google" is like "swiffer" and "tivo" -- sorry, brief sidetrip to digression land...but I'm hoping Ed will know!) but I use it all the time, usually preceeded by the word "like". Go figure.
Stac
Post a Comment