YOU SAY POTATO I SAY TOMATO

I'm convinced America is made up of two kinds of people. Those who say "supper", and those who say "dinner". I'm a "dinner". You know why? Because I'm dining. Dinner. Dining. Dining on dinner. I guess people do "sup" together. Thus, "supper". Though "supper" sounds more like a person who sups. Not an activity.

 I also find there are two types of people when it comes to putting on shoes. Some leave the shoes on the floor and bring their feet into to the shoe, while others lift the shoe and bring it to their foot. I however do both for some reason. I lift it to my foot, put said foot half way in, then set it on the ground to complete insertion. (now there are three types...)

Also there are people who say "soda" and those who say "pop". This is a big one. I even remember working with a guy from Kansas who called all soda, "coke".

And I asked how that works if you want something other than Coca-Cola, and he said you order a Coke, and then they ask what kind, and you say Sprite or whatever. And I was like, okay... Seems like wasted communication in there if you ask me. I always thought the purpose of vocabulary was to make communication concise. To the point. As quick as possible. Why use four words when you can use one? Perhaps I'm insane. (quite possible)

On this issue, I'm a soda man. You know why? Because that's what it is. Soda. You can say "soda pop", but the "pop" part, referring to the bubbles I guess, is inherent in the use of the word "soda". We need not describe the soda as "popping" soda, as there is no soda without "pop". (unless your brother left the cap loose and it went flat).

But you can't just say, "pop". If you say "pop" your father might turn around. Your father responding to a request for a fizzy beverage is the last thing anyone should experience. Shouldn't even be a possibility. And to say Coke when you want a Sprite? Not just saying Sprite? Even more insane.

A lot of weird names for submarine sandwiches, or subs, or heroes, or what I saw them called up in Maine, "Italians". Even if it wasn't an Italian sub. (which usually has salami and other Italian ingredients) One summer, zooming past a roadside deli in the gorgeous Maine woods I saw a sign that said, "Come in and see our beautiful Italians." And I was like, what the heck? What about beautiful Hungarians? Albanians? Romanians? Got any of them?

MJW