Vocabulary

I made a telephone call today to a store and, because I was speaking to their answering service and wanted a response, I told them that I would not be available between 12 and 1500 but what I really said was "I would be out of pocket" for that time period. My wife was concerned that they would not understand the phrase. Note that the term "12 to 1500" did not concern her. To me it illuminates one of the more interesting factors involved in carrying on a conversation with anyone and that is the size of what I shall call ones "working vocabulary."

We all tend to believe that a word is "unfamiliar" and therefore possibly not correct because it is not familiar to us. Given two people, each having a working vocabulary of, say, 9000 words, a close examination would show that each would have 250 to 300 words they know and use but that the other does not. The result is that when one uses a word out of that "personal" vocabulary the other considers him to be a snob and the reverse holds true. Each is convinced that the other is effete and trying to show off. Yet such is not the case at all.

When you are talking within your own group your vocabularies tend to be the same. In fact "in-jokes" can be summoned by simply mentioning a word or phrase. But to say the same thing outside of the group is to receive blank stares at best.

In a previous assignment 25 years ago my wife and I had to become fluent in the Indonesian language. It has now been over 20 years since we spoke it and most has been lost through lack of use. But we still have four or five words we use on almost a daily basis. They are very meaningful to us and save many additional words. To use them in front of anyone else would be considered snobbery of the highest order.

Who has not seen the stock British Colonel in an english farce who uses foreign words when ordering a drink or summoning servants, etc. An example comes to mind: E.F. Benton wrote a series of books some of which were developed into a TV comedy entitled "Mapp and Lucia." Set in the twenties, they have a Major who is constantly using the words "chota peg". He is the butt of the joke but is oblivious to it.

So when someone uses a word with which you are not familiar, don't take offense, take an interest. Say "I do not know that word, what does it mean" and learn something new.