About Words and Phrases

This is a repeat of a post I wrote several years ago, but I think it’s still relevant.

Several years ago, before “going postal” became a catch phrase, I was at work and talking to someone who worked in a different department. I was mildly annoyed about something someone had done (I can’t recall what) and said, “Oh, I could just shoot him,” referring to someone whom I don’t even remember. The person I was talking with was horrified, and I was quite surprised. I hadn’t said it with venom, or even any real anger. I had to explain that it was only a figure of speech. He didn’t know what that meant, so I had to explain that to him. By the time I walked away, I could have throttled the man I’d been talking to, figuratively speaking.

As a writer it breaks my heart to hear people trying to clip figures of speech out of the American dialogue. For heaven sake, not everything is meant to be taken seriously. A cliché is a cliché, and a figure of speech is just that – a figure of speech. There’s a time for political correctness; however, I tend to think of that as common courtesy and common sense speech.

If I overheard someone plotting a murder and they said, “I could just shoot him,” that’s one thing. However, if I heard a friend say the same thing about the husband she was frustrated with, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. She would have been venting, letting go of some of her frustration, and that would probably be a good thing. Marital argument averted? Maybe. Hopefully.

I was once at the airport and someone asked me what I do for a living. I almost told her I write murder mysteries, but I caught myself and simply told her I’m a writer. Good grief! I didn’t want the TSA calling me aside because someone overheard me utter the word murder. I also didn’t want to be a diva and look down my nose at her and say, “I’m an author. (sniff)” I’m just a simple writer with simple ways, but I do write darned good mysteries that aren’t simple. I should be able to be proud of what I do and sing out the words, “I write murder mysteries and I think you’d like them,” without looking over my shoulder.

So, okay, as a writer I think people are getting carried away with the hidden meaning of words and phrases. I think the Word Police need to take a step back and think about the context in which these figures of speech are being used. Use some common sense, for crying out loud.

I know we live in trying and scary times, and there’s more violence in the world than there should be. However, lighten up a little. There’s enough drama with what’s really going on today without worrying about catch phrases and clichés. These are tools a writer uses occasionally, and they’re also words that people use every single day, somewhere and in some way. It doesn’t mean that everything they say should be taken literally. If you think you heard something that was a viable threat, then talk to someone. Common sense should tell you if something might be more than a figure of speech.

Now I think it’s time to step down off of my soap box and get back to the mind-boggling idea of taking more comments with a grain of salt. The only killing that goes on in my world is in books, and I’d like to keep it that way. Don’t take offense if one of my characters says something that’s not politically correct. They’re just fictional people, after all.

(For those who might we wondering, this post has nothing to do with any particular current events.)

Until next time, enjoy your week, and I hope you find a moment to just do something silly and stress free.

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In Bogey’s Ace in the Hole – A Bogey Man Mystery, a little old lady overhears a murder plot and reacts differently than most of us would. This is an oldie but a goodie, and an example of discriminating between a figure of speech and a real threat.