Crumbs From the Corner: Adventures in Woolgathering

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Chair Legs and Tied Tongues



“Words are only postage stamps delivering the object for you to unwrap”
-George Bernard Shaw

Mater has of late been renovating the kitchen. Wallpaper, cupboards, furniture and floor lining are being drastically torn out and replaced and I might perhaps not know the old homestead when next I travel.
I heard tell yesterday of the bright new furniture. Mater gushed the rehearsed profile all at once: "the chairs have black metal legs and backs; the cushion covers on the chairs are cream-and-terracotta check pads."
Well, one just might have to sit down after such an exhaustive verbal excursion.
I asked Mater, rather wickedly I admit, to repeat the statement, but her four attempts were futile. She descended into hysterics when the words got mingled and the description became one I could not recognise: 'black' turned to 'back;' 'legs' turned to 'begs' and the word 'leck' appeared from that great void of nowhere. The remainder was likewise suitably mangled.
I relish words, the pitfalls and entertainment they provide, the priceless combination one can invent on a whim, beginning with an object as simple as the leg of a chair.

5 comments:

paulmerrill said...

Words are a blessing - and you use them well.

tangobaby said...

!!! You are teasing Mater!!!

You bad girl. I bet Mater is reading all of those design blogs and getting her decorating ideas there. My mom never stops decorating our (her) house. Be glad you didn't grow up with a house full of custom sofas you couldn't bounce on.

Tell Mater we are very excited for her new begs and leck.

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

Paul, thank you! I like how words work. They're fun to experiment with, I think.
Tangobaby, I do tease Mater- but I'm assured that she likes it :) I think she does anyhow. You're right in one respect- she watches home renovation shows, real estate shows, anything that tells what the inside of people's homes are like.
I will tell her about the begs and leck ;)

Jaime said...

Hehe! I love this!!!

Our posts seem to be paralleling these days. I love words...and made up words are even better.
:)

Phyllis Hunt McGowan said...

Jaime, words are like food for me. I love them, and love reading about them too!

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