Energy images...

6 April 2022: Two statements I heard today that made me marvel at the poetry we hear in everyday language--and both were about energy.

1) A little girl having walked up the two flights of Knutti steps, telling her mother, "My legs are out of breath!" 

2) A student showing me the pages she generated quite quickly last night: "I got a splurge of energy..." I liked this one because it was a sort of portmanteau (splurge/surge) and malapropism that still works--like, she had fun writing those pages, like you would splurging on something.

Overheard in the hallway...

5 November 2019: "So wait...that bitch can cook pasta?" --a student in the hallway, talking to three of her peers about some kitchen device.

It's another day where I am feeling quite a bit of stress, but hearing that made me laugh and for that, I am grateful.

Overheard in the cat cafe...

3 August 2017: "We really need to work on those 'k' sounds." --exasperated mom at the cat cafe we visited today, embarrassed over her little boy's pronunciation.

There are lots of great things about the “Give Purrs a Chance” cat café in Berkeley Springs, chiefly a couple dozen super-friendly cats to pet and play with. But alas, unless you were there today when we were, you will not have the pleasure of hearing a small boy who pronounces his “k” sounds as “t” sounds. He was very enthusiastic about his love for “cats” and “kitties.” [Not what he actually said.] He proclaimed, “I live for kitties!” [Also not what he actually said.]

Things you overhear: Part III

Male Student 1: "What happened there was, I had a girlfriend who was more like a friend, and a friend who was more like a girlfriend, so...you know what happened there."

Male Student 2: "I got ya, man."

(For those who don't remember, every once in a while, I feel the need to record the random and interesting conversations I hear going on outside my office. See here and here.)

Things you overhear: Part II

Remember this post from a couple of months ago? Maybe I should make it a series. Every day I hear at least one thing that makes me laugh or grimace. Here's a real gem I overheard today:

Female College Student #1: (Loudly, not not angrily) "I did not sleep with him."
Female College Student #2: (Equally loudly, but pretty casually) "I wasn't even going to imply that."
Female College Student #1: (Again, casually) "Oh, that was totally the next question coming from you."

Hmmm...remember back when we used to be private about these kinds of matters? (And not shouting about them as we walked past faculty members' doors?)

For the record, I am also a fan of (and partially inspired by) two blogs that are entirely made up of overheard conversations: Overheard in New York and Overheard in the Office.

Things you overhear...

A couple of young guys outside of my office are exchanging girlfriend horror stories. This little excerpt cracked me up:

"It was the only time I've ever been physically afraid of a girl, man. She picked me up over her head and body-slammed me. As she's throwing me, I'm thinking about what it would be like if we got married, and it wasn't good, man."