The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-04-25
Just Among Ourselves
Passins Comment Considered or ineonsidsrsts


ner that person with very little knowledge of the
German language get along well in that tongue II
he makes constant use of the words SchLdg and
Zilg. These words have, he said such numerous
and varied list of meanings that they will serve in
almost any emergency. In doubt, said Twain hesve in
SchLag or a Zug, and chances are it will fit like
plug"
In our own English language the little word get,
in present, past participle form, has probably
longer list of meanings and shades OF meaning than
either SchLag or Tug in German. Consider the uses
of this word get in the following paragraphs These
are not carefully prepared but set down quickly
and off-hand, letting the gets and gotS pop where
they may
Charles got up at six. He washed and dressed
while his wife got breakfast He got to the table
tardily, and his wife said Get move on; you've
got TO get that o'clock bus Over the coffee, Char
les got a glimpse of the morning news and got
chuckle out OF his aVorite COMICS He got out OF the
house at the last moment and got to the corner just
in time to get the bus; he almost got left he got
on as the vehicle was getting into motion.
After he got to the office Charles got to his
desk and got down to work He had hardly got started
when he got call from the front office. The boss
had got his dander up and poor Charles got 1t good
and proper. Get this, said the boss, the man that
gets to work time gets the right start for the day
You've got 10 get over this habit of getting here
at the last minute. Now get out Charles got.
'The book-keeper got off his stool to meet
Charles he getting out OF the boss office The
old man gets his way he said, when he's got
dyspepsia Don't let it get you down. Charles; he'll
soon get over it, Charles who getting angrier
by the moment got hold of himself, and got control
of his temper. suppose I've got it coming to me,
he said 1 do seem to get later and later in getting
here these mornings The habits got me. But I'll get
the upper hand of il and then the boss and | will
gel along all right maybe I'll even get raise"
And so on and so on endlessly. It's no trick at
all to string out the gets to angle them up
in such combinations as this: "The Get Together
Committee couldn't get together on the details oil
gettogether they getting together for the firms
anniversary celebration" Our small word get car
ries a tremend dous burden. Schldg and
Tug can hardly bear a greater one. AT this point
the impatient reader is apt to say, How do you
get that way? You get my goat Get lost"
Everyone has his pet words These words
which he uses with the greatest frequency, and
without being aware of it. Others notice II and
smile But their smile would flash more seldom IL
they we're to ask themselves what their pet express
sions are For they have such expressions, never
fear We all do
One man will intersperSe his conversation with
shovel in shoals of "as matter of fact" or "of
course" And the word quite takes solid beating.
There was quite crowd there they had
quite time" And that good old phrase
"in other words" what a crutch that one
is to the linguistically lame and halt!
The boys who speak unctuously to us by radio
or TV. urging us TO rush out and buy beer or Gig
arettes or refrigerators soaps or deodorants or
automobiles have their pet phrases In fact Ga good
pet that IN tdctl If you were to rob these mellow
voiced moies of two or three of their pets, they'd
be practically without words How many times per
radio hour must you listen to that CHEEKY upbeat,
the Introductory Yes? Yes our product is best by
government test" Eyes you make mistake in
eating our parsnip-chips;" "Yes, we have no
bananas"
Three other pets are essential in the very linn
tied vocabulary of the ethereal advertiser These
remember" "be sure" and don't forget" Count
them some time when you are enduring one OF these
endless commercials. Take away Eyes" remember,
"be sure and don't forget from the radio and TV
man and you render him practically Speechless
anyhow" is a common pet So u.s. AT all events"
And OH what a tangled web weave when we al
low ourselves to use that nsidious phrase las II
were" Once you've acquired the aS II weres you are
doomed. There people who have conquered ten
acious bad habitS-drug addiction or alcoholism, for
example. but history has no instance of las il
were" victim breaking free from his degrading
bonds The "as il were's" worse than the have
had's."
But now we must get this column finished, and
get 1t in the mail so that the kind editor will get
it in time, and not get angry with Us for getting
his affairs in a snarl You get the picture? We get
satisfaction il were out of getting the editors
goat We hope he'll get kick out of this. or we'll
get kicked out OF course, anyhow. and at all events,
we'll get here again next week with quite mess of
words. Meanwhile, remember yes, remember yes,
don't forget Be sure or in order words get certain.