Here’s one. For your perusal. I think I secretly like conversations like these.
Background note: Somehow, over the years, I've found that I have an anti-thing for wannabe pronunciations. I actually don’t have a problem with whatever people want to say. But it’s very tempting for me to butt in with a joke, or what I think is a joke, whenever I hear someone say something either in a fake accent, or in some wannabe way, or in a way that attempts to take away the innate crude from something. I don’t understand why people need to take it upon themselves to polish and gloss up a word that is unfinished in its natural form. Like it will take away the class from their thoughts if they were to pronounce it the way it actually is. I explain with an example:
Perpetual Wonderer: …so then you take the next left, and there it is on your right.
Young Vain Girl: Wait wait…go back a minute please…explain the route again from Kirkee Bizaare.
PW: Oh…you are one of those…
YVG: One of whom?
PW: The ones who call it Kirkee Bizaare, instead of Khadki Bazaar. And Awwndh instead of Aundh. And ‘And-a-munn’ instead of Andamaan!
YVG: I so don’t say Awwndh!
PW: But you do say Kirkee Bizaare.
YVG: That’s different. I say it because then I don’t have remember two different versions of the word ‘bazaar’ for different contexts.
PW: Huh! Why would you need to remember two different versions? Just remember one version- the original.
YVG: Yeah, and when I have to read Harper’s Bazaar, how do I say it? Harper’s Baazaar?
PW: What the hell is Harper’s Bazaar?
YVG: Whaaaat…you don’t know Harper’s Bazaar?? Are you serious?
PW: What? Is it some new cool thing that’s opened somewhere? Does this Harper guy have good stuff for cheap?
YVG: STOP! How can you not know Harper’s Bazaar? I live on it. Do you even know Vogue?
PW: Ahh…ok, I think I understand now. See, I am super clever. I can see you in front of me. Then I also know Vogue, because I have seen a lot of TV that talks of it. And Sarah Jessica Parker talks of it, in her show too. So now, I put two and two and two together, and I think Harper’s Bazaar is some commodity on the vanity market, that you are obviously hooked on to.
YVG: Ahh—haaan-aan! And it’s not vain man!
PW: Ok, then let me give you a shocking piece of news babe. I could actually have gone an entire lifetime without saying Harper’s Bazaar. What sort of a name is it anyway…But I understand; if you have a burning need in your life to keep saying Harper’s Bazaar, then it must be very confusing to keep two versions of the word in your brain, which obviously contains a lot of other stuff too. Stuff that I really wish I can respect.
YVG: Aww. That’s sweet of you. So you see, calling it Kirkee Bizaare works for me. Because if I remember two versions of it, and say Baazaar by mistake when I am referring to Harper’s Bazaar, then would that be some major faux pas!
PW: Now that you pronounced right…
Different people have different problems. It is just not possible for us to judge them, because we don’t know their lives. I, in my wildest dream, couldn’t have imagined that someone like this would be able to justify her pronouncing ‘bazaar’ as ‘bizaare’. But it happened. At 3 a.m. nonetheless. Additionally, I was schooled and tested and humbled at a dynamite lesson in vanity. How do you counter reasoning that is so solid and well thought out!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
A bizarre conversation!
Posted by perpetual wonderer at 2:24 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 Comments:
vane –noun
1. weather vane.
2. a blade, plate, sail, etc., in the wheel of a windmill, to be moved by the air.
vain –adjective, -er, -est.
1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy.
Ah! Touche! Nice catch whisperer! :)
Guess one should either focus on work in office or on writing a blogpost!
God thats egg in my face. Though if you go through the blog, I am sure you will come across the word 'vain' in a lot of places. So at least I 'know' what the right word is! Bigg diff I know. :)
Hmmm...well!
Actually, you use vanity a couple of times, and vain twice. You misspelled it both times, or I would have taken it as a typo.
I'm just saying, if you're going to be a snob, you have to make sure no even snobbier person comes along to correct your spelling. ;)
Aww come on now. I was not being a snob there at all! In fact, and I am sure that came through, I was trying to be understanding of someone who might be misconstrued to be a snob!
Quite honestly, its not even about vanity. To me, its just amusing how the kind of language guys speak differs so greatly from how girls speak. And I hate to admit, girls seem to enjoy speaking their language more than guys enjoy theirs. That never fails to catch my attention.
Hence such posts. I reiterate though, I am not a snob! Slob, perhaps I can see how. But snob, NO! :)
Post a Comment