Jugglin’ the jargon

Day 64

As per the American Heritage Dictionary:

jar•gon n. The specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group.

Yesterday’s entry got me to thinking about what is commonly referred to as “lingo”. For the most part, we are all speakers of the same language. We can communicate; we understand each other. Then you get into a car with two engineering students for the ride to church, and though you believe they are speaking English, they may as well be chatting in Urdu for all you can understand of their conversation.

Of course it goes both ways. We all have a “second language” within our professions and special interests. I discuss things with my SLP pals that are completely incomprehensible to my engineering friends. (I know – I’ve tried explaining certain aspects of the field to them at times – with mixed results.) 

Sports are also notoriously jargon-y. Take baseball, for instance. If you are a novice wanting to learn the game, you probably shouldn’t do so just by listening to it on the radio. It’s been around for about 160 years, and is full of baffling lingo that broadcasters use liberally. “Full house”? “Sacks are jammed”? “Back-to-back jacks”? ” “4-6-3”? “Texas leaguer”? “Double switch”? At least have someone there to explain. Or get a book.

The whole jargon thing becomes most problematic when something like the following situation arises: a hilarious event occurs in your morphology class (That’s the study of word formation – and believe it or not, funny things did happen.) so you try to tell your non-linguistics friends, certain they’ll share your enjoyment. You’re rolling on the floor. They don’t get it. Therefore, they don’t laugh.

Kind of anti-climactic when you waited all afternoon to share the joke.

Onward.

Psalm 138:8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

As I alluded to in the previous entry, I sort of hit a road block yesterday. Smooth sailing, then WHAM. Time to rearrange my focus, to ask some questions:

Does the Lord know about this? Yes. Did he see it coming? Of course. Is the Lord the Lord over this situation? Oh, yes. Will he accomplish what concerns me? Yes. Is his lovingkindness truly everlasting? Yes. Will he forsake this child, this work of his hands?

No. Never.

So I rested.