Pondering the power of language…
I was reading Julie Garwood (Heartbreaker) yesterday and came across this piece of dialogue between two characters. I found it amusing:
Him: You wear your skirts too short.
Her: No, I don’t.
After a contemplative pause…
Him: (Grinning) Okay, then you wear your legs too long.
I had to smile when I read this. It’s a classic example of, “It’s not *what* you say; it’s *how* you say it.” Inflection aside (Are you talking to me? as opposed to Are YOU talking to ME?!?!), the way we couch our terms makes a huge difference in how our statements are received. ‘Intellectual Intercourse’ conjures different images than ‘Mind Fuck’, for example.
And sometimes *playing* with words can mask the fact that you’re just plain *playing*. Period. Keep this in mind if someone happens to tell you they’re doing chemistry homework on a Friday night… Odds are, they’re at a speed dating event. ‘Chemistry’, indeed! 😉