Thanksgiving time and all the relatives were gathered around the long table, or seated behind TV trays. The television was on and some folks were watching it while visiting with one another.
Something on television got their attention and one of the adults said, “Listen at it!”Someone else replied, “Well, if that don’t beat all.”
Simple phrases were spoken by folks whose language was simple and concise. They had several idioms that were just as colorful—phrases and words that brightened the room and warmed the conversation.
In school we were taught to speak differently. The way our relatives spoke was discouraged. Sometimes our parents would say things we weren’t taught in school. They’d often correct themselves, as if erasing a mistake.
Of course we learned some of their phrases and used them. They werefortable words to utter, f***liar.
Our father’s side of the f***ly was from Arkansas and Oklahoma and they spoke with the accents native to their birth states. Their voices musical and often high pitched, it was easy to pick up that inflection in our own speech and at school my brother and I were often teased for the way we spoke.
Our mother’s side of the f***ly came from Illinois and they had a tendency to talk fast. They had an accent, too, and my brother and I added that to our own speech, confusing the kids at school all the more.
Our father’s side of the f***ly loved to laugh and have a good time. Our mother’s side of the f***ly was more serious about how they took life in—their joys more silently experienced and enjoyed.
It was a rich tapestry of culture and mores to draw from and it gave