House Talk

I was talking to myself on the way to work this morning, and I realized just how much my inner dialogue is riddled with our 'house talk.'

These are the words and phrases and pet names we use amongst the five of us. Our lingo.

I'm not even sure what I was talking to myself about, but I know I was thinking that I wasn't ready to 'pull a trigger' on whatever it was. I could have alternately said that I wasn't ready to 'drop the hammer' on it. I wasn't ready to do it, or commit, in other words.

Someone can also be 'The Hammer.' Usually I'm The Hammer or just Hammer or even Ham, for no definite reason. It's generally a good thing. When Mark calls me at work, he doesn't say 'how are you, Sara,' he says 'Where you goin', Ham?' in sort of a good-natured studio wrestler/John Wayne cowboy voice. He's also been know to ask me if I'm 'juicy.'

A thing or person can also be 'Local' or 'Fresh' or 'Homegrown' in addition to 'juicy.' I'd say these are all good things to be, but it's not along the lines of 'great' or 'awesome,' they're all usually put to you in the form of a question to determine how you're doing. And then anything outside that is just Mark talking to himself or inanimate objects, as in 'Oh, it's so fresh and local' as he takes out the trash. Or 'So Homegrown!' when he puts a steak under the broiler or turns the tractor on or splits a piece of firewood. Depending on the audience he may really go into some serious theatrics.

And then there are the pseudo-Native American-Japanese? names for the kids. Aggie is Mashinko, or just Shinko. Sam is Tumasaki Mungawi Mozingo or some shortened version thereof. We can't seem to remember if Lily was christened with a house name or not. I'll have to keep thinking. It's been bugging me all day.

Let's see, what else. One of my personal favorites 'Prisoner Exchange.' This describes when you switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer. As in 'Can I get a prisoner exchange?' or 'Sam, do a prisoner exchange.'

There's 'J-Hole.' It is 10 degrees worse than an 'A-Hole,' in theory, because it's the 10th letter of the alphabet, but it's actually a pretty mild insult.

Courtesy of Uncle Delbert we have 'Put a piece of cheese on it.' For example, you're building something and you're planning your next course of action, you always make your final step to 'put a piece of cheese on it.' e.g. We'll put the post in this hole here and I'll hold it while you pour the concrete then we'll put a piece of cheese on it.

There's more I'm sure of it. Add to that the random movie quotes, obscure country music lyrics, and straight-faced nonsense, and most folks never know what the hell we're talking about.