That’s Not the Worst Idea Ever

I can’t seem to rid myself of any phrase/word I’ve ever picked up. Sometimes a word will go into hibernation for awhile. It’s usage will become so infrequent that I forget it was even common, only to pop-out again at some ridiculously inconvenient moment.

This can be sort of a problem because I’m a language sponge. Not all language, just the weird shit you say when you’re compelled and can’t stop yourself from uttering something as it—nearly subconsciously—occurs to you… I’m talking about the stuff that makes your particular approach to language unique. Yea, I’ll steal all that, nearly immediately.

It’s got benefits, because I end up using familiar words, I can get close to people pretty quickly. It’s easier to communicate and feel comfortable when you’re speaking the same language as someone else. It also means I can easily disseminate a new word or phrase to the group, introducing it to the shared lexicon and encouraging the group’s identity as a whole…

As an additional side-effect, I will frequently say things that sound fantastically retarded to others (shifting between established language patterns isn’t perfect, and can take time). Not that I care terribly, for some reason many people seem to find it endearing. But it’s a challenge to hold off on these comments in a professional situation. To be fair, they are all part of the Jeni Brand (tm), which eventually will be fully expressed without a modicum of guilt… But until then, I’l try not to use words like “rockpants”, phrases like “that’s not the worst idea ever”, or odd noises like purring. At least not in client meetings. ;)