Twist of the tongue

It is amazing how much of our youth sticks with us, even if we try to shed it. Personally I think this is a good thing. We all have those things that we fondly remember from days past; things that when they resurface will at the very least cause a spontaneous smile. Movies we grew up on, books we loved, even favorite foods. Or maybe it was a place we often visited.

One thing I never really though of in this way before was certain phrases we used. It is amazing how many odd little word constructions will bring back a fond memory. Or maybe a shudder. There is nothing worse than saying something in a certain way, and realizing you sound just like your father or mother. Ughhhhhh!

What brought this to my attention was a phrase my sister always uses that has kind of stuck with the rest of us. Our family is a rather small one. There are a few cousins here and there, but the only extended family we really had any connection with was that of my dad’s brother, Burt. Burt is married to Sis. Uncle Burt and Auntie Sis in childese. Except my sister Deb always called them Auntie Burt and Uncle Sis, and that phrasing is the way we usually refer to them these days.

It is even funnier because we went to my other sister’s housewarming this weekend (Lisa from Woman Wielding Words). It is not all that often that Uncle Steve and Auntie Deb are with niece Sarah at the same time, though it is happening more often these days. So we had a bit of a laugh when Sarah, wanting to say something to her aunt started with "Uncle Deb!".

Maybe our word choices have a bit o’ genetics in them!