Full Torque

I have a bad habit. Well, I have a habit, and until yesterday, I never thought of it as bad. Now I am second-guessing myself, and that is never good.

I bastardize words and phrases. I do not do it out of ignorance, like some other Sarah's who shall remain unidentified. I do it because something about a turn of phrase, or changing a word, amuses me, or catches my attention.

An example.

Whackloads.

You heard me.

There is a little-known meaning of the word "whack" which means enormous, or huge. Somewhere on my travels in life, I learned that meaning. Once, when asked about my current workload, I replied by saying I had a whackload of work to do be such and such a date. Part of it stemmed from my unwillingness to say shitload at that moment, and part of it came from my knowledge of the meaning of the word whack. People think that is silly, but it made sense to me. So, I use it.

Another example.

Doober.

That's right, doober.

My oldest granddaughter, when she was four or five, took exception to me calling her "Goober". Her nickname is Peanut, and goober is another word for peanut. In her outraged indignation, she announced, "I am NOT a doober, Gramma!"

It stuck. I love the word, but only use it with people I care about. Sadly, some of them think it is an insult, when in fact, it is a term of endearment, Munk-style.

And then ... yesterday happened.

You know the expression 'full-tilt'? You know, full on moving at or towards something either literally or figuratively at a fast pace. We all know what it means, or ... those of us who read do. Well, I bastardize that expression sometimes. Sometimes, if the situation is right, I say "full torque". To me, it is something coming at you full-tilt, but from a sudden, surprising origin. If a friend turns on you and attacks you out of nowhere, it is a full torque attack, being that it is something sprung on you suddenly, with a surprising turn.

Yesterday, I happened to use this term without thinking, while describing a sudden turn about attack in a game I was playing online.

And I was corrected. Then told I was wrong. Then I was likened however mildly to a Sarah who makes up words out of ignorance and lack of intelligence. And now I am drawing all my silly, goofy phrases to me, thinking I should not say such things out loud. I am not ignorant, uneducated, or stupid.

I am just a silly woman who loves to play with words. I am thinking that may not be a good thing any more.

:(