Musings From Case Mill Farm

Springing Into English

by Suze Craig

Spring of course, means lambing, the whole complicated process of sheep reproduction to the shepherd. But to visitors to Case Mill Farm lambs on the hoof are to be seen and remarked upon, in delighted wonderment.

"Ohhh," breathes friend Sue with a grin, "Wicked cute!"

Lately I recall my immediate accord with her reaction and start to wonder why I so clearly understood and wholeheartedly agreed with her.

Wicked??

My trusty Roget's Thesaurus lists various varieties of wickedness (difficult, sinful, unjustifiable, impure), none of which have anything to do with the small black four legged creature standing underneath its mother in the small pen. And nothing to do with the word "very" either.

Yet I knew exactly what Sue was saying.

Patty, who teaches middle schoolers, tells me they would pronounce the lamb "adorbs" because they have their own language for such circumstances. Ah, another case of immediately understandable (if English is your mother tongue), but hardly correct grammatical words springing into English.

Go figure.

If you would like read more about the amusing idiosyncracies of the English language check out these titles available through SAILS/Westport Library:

• Mother Tongue - How it Got That Way by Bill Bryson

• A Man of My Words: Reflections on The English Language by Richard Lederer

• Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation by Ammon Shea