Okay, I've been around here for awhile

[BanzaiBonnie]

so I am hoping there is some trust here. Apparently funny is in the eye of the beholder.

I posted something I got from a friend that I thought was funny. Some people thought it was funny and some accused me (not directly) of being a freeper. I guess tensions are so high that some have lost their sense of humor. I certainly wasn't expecting anger. Must be the season.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3206565


Perhaps it's my sense of humor, but I think that the misunderstood words are funny. My father tells of my grandfather's mealtime prayer when he would say, "to it's intended use" my father never understood what "toots in tender juice" were.



Let us all pray to save our sense of humor through this election cycle.

[Why Syzygy]

1. lol!

The whole thing is pretty funny when you back up from it.
Unfortunately for the cause of humor, people are VERY CLOSE to current events at the moment!

I don't think it was obvious it was intended as NEW DIRECTION.
Subtle humor and political hotfoots at DU 2008... hee

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I think it was funny

but then I have hearing issues of my own, and know what it is like to mis-hear. Too many folks in DU are taking themselves waaay to seriously now. Thanks for the humor!

[Bluestar]

3. I think it's funny!

Unbelievable that people thought this was somehow political! I have found that it's impossible to post even the most innocent, innocuous thread on this board in any forum without getting some kind of negative response. I think it's people trying to increase their post count or they just have to have some kind of judgment or response to everything that is said.

That a mod locked this and moved it to GDP is ridiculous.

[BanzaiBonnie]

5. Whoa, I didn't see that coming

What does the post have to do with the primary? Nothing.

Does that mean that anything with the mention of the Clinton name only belongs in the primary discussion? Whoa. I don't post anything to do with the primary and have rarely posted a comment to any post there because I don't want to fuel the fires that burn too hot. Well, I guess I'll wear it as a badge... or not!

[PinkTiger]

4. Bonnie, I'm falling off my chair!

It also reminds me of one of my favorite stories, that I tell my students:
When I was young and a precocious reader of books beyond my age level (grade school) I ran across this word: "misled."
I immediately pronounced it, in my head, as "Missiled."
And I thought that it meant to confuse by subterfuge, as when someone was confused and didn't quite get what was going on, because it flew over their heads, like an errant "missle."
It wasn't until I was in college that someone gently told me that the word was "misled." Actually, that is not what happened. What happened was, I spelled the word as "mislead," and was corrected. It suddenly dawned on me what I had done. I was mortified and red-faced, terribly embarrassed. Today I think it is hilarious. I tell my students this story because I want them to feel comfortable with their own "a-HA" moments.

[I Have A Dream]

8. LOL! For the longest time I didn't know that it was the word...

misled that I had heard many times before. I thought that it was with a long 'i' pronounced similar to "mysold". I also had some vague understanding of what I thought this non-word meant based upon the context in which it was used. When I found out, I was so embarrassed also. I think that I might have been in college before I realized it, so I had real reason to be embarrassed! :)

It makes me laugh now for the same reason that you stated. There are several others words with which I have trouble: breath and breathe (I still have to really think about which one to use), lead and led (I had to look that one up just yesterday :blush:), etc. I'm blaming it on the English language rather than on my foggy brain! :D

[PinkTiger]

9. ON a related note, here's what I brought to class today:

I fervently feel that professors are too uptight all the time about grammar. But then, I don't teach English anymore, but public relations and oral communication, so it only stands to reason that I would put more importance on a word's meaning than its etymology or proper verb conjugation. On the way to work today (I drive for a frigging hour), after NPR went to performance today, I switched to CW music, and heard these lyrics (this is approximate. I have no idea who the artist is, etc. and I looked.)

"How am I doing, after you did what you done."

Here we have an interesting conjugation of the verb "to do."
It is grammatically incorrect in the end, but it sure has meaning. It wouldn't sound right to say, "after you did what you did," and the singer gets his point across by saying "done."
And it wouldn't sound good to say "you've done," because that would imply some weakness in the singer. Instead, he wants to put the blame on the unseen woman, by saying "what you DONE."

It also implies finality.

So, I told my students that I think we are in for a change in our grammar soon to reflect this deeper meaning behind this form

Anyway, probably too out there for the audience, but I thought it was interesting.

[I Have A Dream]

10. I bet your students were awe-struck!

It's good that you're keeping them on their toes. (I originally typed "tose". It's getting really late, and I'm getting dangerous. :))

[Celebration]

6. Got it!

I decided not to look at this thread and see if I could figure it out. I had to say it out loud, then BINGO.

Why someone would think this is freeperish I don't know. Maybe Lounge material? (I don't go there much at all).

It is funny. Trust me.

[Coyote_Bandit]

7. Thanks

I am yet another person who has challenges hearing things.

Love this story.

[davsand]

11. What is all this I hear about Presidential Erections?

I dunno if you remember Saturday Night Live from the 70's, but they had a recurring character that was a little old lady that misheard stuff and decided to do an editorial rant about what she had misheard. The punch line of the entire sketch was always when Jane Curtain would say, "No Emily, it is Presidential ELECTIONS you keep hearing about." Then poor old Emily Litella would say, "never mind." (but she'd always mutter "bitch" before they got her off camera.)

She had a variety of subjects she covered and probably would have done "Nude Erections" if she was still with us. (That character was played by Gilda Radner who has since died.)


Bonnie, don't let it rattle you too much that a few people on DU are wrapped a little tight these days. Very often the first thing to go when people are stressed is their sense of humor. Your joke made me laugh, FWIW!


Laura