Stahlke Adoption

F-Bombs

With Rahm Emanuel as Chicago's new mayor, you'd think his salty language would make the news. It certainly did when he served as chief of staff for Obama in DC. Either the Chicago media doesn't report it, or Emanuel has turned a new leaf (which I doubt!). At least they are letting us know all the good things he's doing as mayor.

One of our children decided to pull an "Emanuel" on their Facebook page. I normally follow their postings as a friend, but had neglected this task in the last few weeks. Walking pneumonia doesn't help.

A parent of a classmate telephoned to tell me he had "defriended" his child from our child's Facebook because of F-bombs. I checked it out, and it was definitely true. "Do you understand what you're saying when you use that word?" "I didn't mean it that way!"

So I went to the online version of Merriam Webster and printed out the lengthy definition of the F-word. It took about fifteen minutes for my child to read it back to me (in a private place). Now I need to shred the printout.

The best part was hearing the title of the poem in Latin and Middle English where the word first appeared in print (before 1500). This work, titled "Fleas, flies, and friars," satirizes the Carmelite order of Cambridge,England. Supposedly, according to the poem, the friars didn't keep their vow of chastity. I think anyone would have trouble reading the original title: "Flen, flyys, and freris."

posted by Stahlkes @ 4:26 PM