There is a woman in the Oscar Wilde play "The Importance of Being Earnest" who is in love with the word 'Earnest' and therefore wants to marry only a person with that name, because the word evokes "vibrations" that Jack, for instance, does not have. This got me thinking about words that resonate with me. This is not a definitive list. Also, my theory is that it depends on who is saying the word, for it to resonate- or not.
Nineteen to the dozen- this is phrase that someone I knew used often, and it had a nice ring to it.
Paushtik bonda- this was food at Uncle's, a low-fi establishment on the IIMB campus long time ago, and kept body and soul together when we were 'fed up' of the food in the mess (why do they call it the mess? So appropriate). The words resonated, and conjured up images of desirable food.
Chai- this resonates as no other substitute for it would. Not tea, which sounds like a coloniser's word. Say Adrak-wali chai, and the resonance goes up manifold. Particularly at this time of the year.
Like/matlab- these are general words used as substitutes for other words that may not be on your tongue at that given moment. Excellent to keep a sentence going, or even start a sentence with, matlab...facebook has given a totally new dimension to the word 'like', of course..
Cat- Like the proverbial one, this word refuses to go away. My first fling with this was in an exam by that name (acronym) I wrote in 1983, and ever since, I am involved in conducting it, or involved with (teaching) students who have been through it. Therefore the resonance with this word. In Indore, we even have a CAT road leading to our campus.
Baba- Used by my daughters, this does have a lovely ring to it. Except when I annoy them; then it takes on an ominous ring..
Nineteen to the dozen- this is phrase that someone I knew used often, and it had a nice ring to it.
Paushtik bonda- this was food at Uncle's, a low-fi establishment on the IIMB campus long time ago, and kept body and soul together when we were 'fed up' of the food in the mess (why do they call it the mess? So appropriate). The words resonated, and conjured up images of desirable food.
Chai- this resonates as no other substitute for it would. Not tea, which sounds like a coloniser's word. Say Adrak-wali chai, and the resonance goes up manifold. Particularly at this time of the year.
Like/matlab- these are general words used as substitutes for other words that may not be on your tongue at that given moment. Excellent to keep a sentence going, or even start a sentence with, matlab...facebook has given a totally new dimension to the word 'like', of course..
Cat- Like the proverbial one, this word refuses to go away. My first fling with this was in an exam by that name (acronym) I wrote in 1983, and ever since, I am involved in conducting it, or involved with (teaching) students who have been through it. Therefore the resonance with this word. In Indore, we even have a CAT road leading to our campus.
Baba- Used by my daughters, this does have a lovely ring to it. Except when I annoy them; then it takes on an ominous ring..
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