Language is fun

I had to take a linguistics class for my degree. Never having really delved into that side of language, I didn't know what to expect; I'd been immersed in Grammarville for so long. One of the first things I learned in this class, interestingly enough, was that if a point is successfully communicated, however gramatically incorrect it may be, the the purpose of language is pretty much served. And yet, I cannot read ANYTHING without at least a mental red pen going over every tense choice, each punctuation mark. I do not claim my writing is perfect...but I hope I at least sound somewhat coherent. Unless it's happy hour.

Another fascinating language phenomenon is the formation of new words. I guess it stands to reason that as the world evolves, so should the words we need to describe it. But some of these new formations just make me laugh.

Like 'emoticon'.

It certainly says exactly what it is, right up front. Emote + icon. Can't get much more clear than that.

But...if you add a number to it, doesn't it totally sound like a Star Trek planet? Can't you hear Picard ordering someone to beam down to Emoticon 5?

Maybe it's just me.

How it all began...

I never intended on starting a blog. However, a while back, while lamenting the fact that I can no longer eat wheat without annoying symptoms, I thought there should really be a site somewhere called Wheat is in Everything. Because it is.

OK, not everything. But a lot.

I dare you to try to exclude it from your diet for just a week. Or, just take a trip down the prepackaged, over-processed frozen food aisle at your friendly grocery store. Good luck finding something that isn't pasta, bread, or breaded. Check the label on your favorite can of soup or chili. Soy sauce, salad dressings, etc. It's all around us. And I can't eat it.

I am not complaining, mind you. Discovering the culprit of years of unexplained wheeziness, itchiness, and stomach cramps galore has been a life saver. But it ain't easy, I tell ya.

Here's the best part. I've been a hay fever sufferer for life, and I would often think to myself how lucky I was to not have a food allergy. Life lesson: do not tempt fate in this manner, or you will be answered.

I don't plan to make every entry here a wheat rant, but I gotta do a little bit to support the title. Maybe I'll chat about the house, the hubby, the cat...whatever gets me feeling wordy.