Thursday, April 5, 2018

LATEST NEW WORD

Words-words are a big thing in the Cullum family. Our son JD collected words the way kids collect marbles so we bought him this huge 1934 dictionary, and new dictionaries every few years.


In the latest Oxford Dictionary, the latest new word --"MANSPLAINING" -- expresses how a man explains something to someone, typically a woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing.

I certainly have had things mansplained to me, like how to charge a tire. It was helpful to have specifics and warnings about how much strength it took to do it. Recently, furnace technicians mansplained how, why, and when our building's furnace needs to be cleaned. Maybe I'll look up how to fix the loose banister between the our 4th floor and 3rd floor, and see out if it's something I could do by myself

Fact: I sometimes mansplain things. Even so, I don't like the condescension that's evidenced by the guys who make the decisions for the latest Oxford English Dictionary. I suspect the inclusion of mansplain has something to do with the ME TOO movement that's now, constantly, telling the world how the men have abused women for years.

Glass ceiling evidence about gender equality keeps piling up. Even so, I feel gender equality distracts from racial equality and we're still miles, years, away from racial equality. And I keep feeling that

we gals, with our enormous focus on looks, weight, size, styles of outer and underclothing, are constantly doing things that make us much less powerful than men.

Hey, maybe there needs to be a word added for female NINNY things.

Let's make the word a teasing put down that fits various typical foolishnesses and call it .......

WOMANINNYINGS.

Hey, it's a galsplaining gender equality word!
Yay for womaninnyings and graceful galsplaining, along with mainsplaining.

Thanks Oxford guys, for inspiring Em's two new words for the next new Oxford.

4 comments:

Carola said...

Wow, what a huge dictionary! So did he take it with him when he left home, or do you still have it?

Gary Alan Henson said...

'Galsplaing' is an awesome addition, Em! ;-) I love the 1934 dictionary, how very cool to have.
You keep 'splaining things to us and we'll keep laughing.
Thanks, Em, you made my day.
Gary

SCOOPDAA said...

New one on me lol = Thanks 4 sharing

Linda Vee Sado of Slippery When Wet said...

wow It is amazing you eve found that Tome LOL But there are still a lot of ads from the 40's and 50's you can find online and they are so chauvinistic they nearly oink at you off your monitor LOL The good news is I found someone who knows better than to act that way. But even the good ones have to be reminded sometimes xx