Say What??? New and Improved "Lingo"

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By Candie V


Who spends their time making these up?

Ok, so I've been know to throw around a big word or two along the way. However, I'm finding I'm totally out of my element with many sayings and symbols I'm running across these days. I don't want to believe that I'm too old to learn new tricks..I'm not a dog ferheavenssake. I shall study and prevail in this brave new world!

Widget: This one is a new favorite.. I wanted some descriptions/clarification of "widgets". Again, I went to Wikipedia, my research source for all things curious..

  • Widget (economics), a placeholder name for an object or, more specifically, a mechanical or other manufactured device
  • Widget (beer), a small bead-like device placed in the bottom of cans and bottles of beer to aid in the generation of froth
  • Widget (comics), a character in Marvel Comics

Or....

  • GUI widget, a component of a graphical user interface with which a user interacts
  • Widget toolkit, a software library containing a collection of GUI widgets that collaborate when used in the construction of applications
  • Web widget, a physically-inspired applet on the web

Does this clarify it to anyone? I personally like the "Web widget" description, but now I have to look up 'applet' to understand how it can be physically-inspired.  Do we want our 'applets' physically inspired? Someone must.  I am so not technically savvy yet, but I'm a-workin'-on-it! I also like the "Beer widget" This one I understand and the next time I'm out with someone who's drinking beer, I just might say "I'm just throwing this out there, but would you like a 'beer widget'?" Do you think I'll get slapped? "I said 'widget' not 'wedgie'" Sheesh... Soooo sensitive!

I'm not sure I'm any clearer, could be a 'collection of GUI widgets that collaborate'.... or could be a cartoon character... or could be a bead... great. Could it be less specific? I must say, however, just saying 'widget' is fun.  "Hey, buddy, you got a widget stain on the back of your pants!" 

Have you ever said an otherwise ordinary word you might use everyday until it just sounds strange? Plump is one of those words to me. Plump. Plump.  It's really more of a sound than a word. Lets move on.

Hashtags: (#)

Call me "old" but I remember this as a 'pound sign' used when weighing fruits and veggies at the grocery store...not a link to more information or used as something to used to denote dissatisfaction.

@:

I don't even know what this is really called, When I was taking typing in High School the teacher called it the 'at/each' symbol..and I remember it, too, as being used in the grocery store to denote buying several cans for a special price.. (ie: Lima beans.. 4 @ $.69) You could only get four at that price. The fifth was $.72. Not such a bargain so you only grabbed four. I think this might be an extra good buy if you liked Lima Beans.. which you know I do not, so I would carefully and sneakily put them back on the shelf when mom wasn't watching. And, voila! Look how she stayed within her shopping budget...$2.79 savings!! Ice cream cone money!!

So now I use it to tag, respond, and give credit to and for on Twitter and BlipFm. Complicated, but still better than Lima Beans. 

Man, this world is moving fast. One day it's microwave ovens, then Widgets.. Widgets. Widgets. Can I ever get tired of saying this? Ok so you are tired of it, so I will let it go till you're not listening. Plug your ears.. *whispering* widget. Ok unplug your ears.

How did we communicate in the last millenia without these words? I guess it's the same as denoting the passage of time.. Before IPhones..After IPhones when once it was before dinosaurs/after dinosaurs.

Someday our kids will tell their kids.. "Johnnie, when I was your age all we had was IPhones and Widgets and hashtags". Be prepared for eye-rolling and "not that tired old story again..moooom. sheesh."

My parents said they were happy to have shoes to walk to school in the snow... it was uphill both ways.

Welcome to the brave new world, Candie, and as my friend the counselor says.. "Put on your big-girl panties and deal with it!"








Guinness Floating Widget - no foolin'!


Comments

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Feline Prophet profile image

Feline Prophet  says:
7 months ago

You're not alone Candie...I still don't know what a widget is...sounds rather like a wee midget! But wait...a midget is wee anyway! :P

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

FP - it has taken me 5 tries to type my fingers are laughing so hard. Redundancy is its on reward!

Feline Prophet profile image

Feline Prophet  says:
7 months ago

LOL, tell that to the people who make up these new words!

Shalini Kagal profile image

Shalini Kagal  says:
7 months ago

widget what we deserve?? :P

haha - i've always loved that bit about 'uphill....both ways!'

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Shalini - I know it's a great 'cover all whining' things.. I knew mine grew up in S. Idaho and it's flat, so I didn't buy if for a second.

JamaGenee profile image

JamaGenee  says:
7 months ago

ROTFL! There's a reason I don't text... "Blog" used to make me scratch my head...now I write one (two actually)! ;D

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Jama - say it with me, widget.. don't you feel great! It's like 'supercalafragilisticexpialadocius'. I may have misspelled that. I don't care, however I can spell widget with one hand tied behind my back.

Elena. profile image

Elena.  says:
7 months ago

Geez, you're funny Candie!  I followed Jama to your hubby land, and I'm glad I did! 

The funny thing about these itsy bitsy words is that most of the times they don't even raise our eyebrows anymore, we've become so used to the crap that we no longer question them.  Maybe that's our advantage to dinosaurs and why we don't become extinct, unlike them! :-)

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Elena, welcome, glad you're here, too! I worry when I 'get used' to things.. that means I'm gonna have to learn something new later.. It's always sumthin'!

Amanda Severn profile image

Amanda Severn  says:
7 months ago

Widget is one of those words a bit like thingummy and wotsit, yet somehow it's a step up from them. A kind of technical upgrade to a thingummy or a wotsit, or maybe even an oojaflip! It's good to know that the language of Chaucer and Shakespeare is still evolving!

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Amanda -can you hear Juliette asing Romeo..Wherefore are thy widgets? Not such a good fit!

Teresa McGurk profile image

Teresa McGurk  says:
7 months ago

I do enjoy how language has changed so dramatically over the past fifty years or so. . . I now get to say stuff such as "Esc! I'm stuck in an infinite reboot loop!" "Txt u la8r!"

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Teresa... you make me laugh!! Thanks!

Hawkesdream profile image

Hawkesdream  says:
7 months ago

You make me laugh, Candie V, you gotta new fan.

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Ah Hawkesdream, thank you, this is quite overwhelming for me. Thank yo for taking this ride with me!

Larry Lathrop profile image

Larry Lathrop  says:
7 months ago

Candie, Great to see so many Hubbers enjoying the "lighter side of life" with you. Just too cute. Talk about getting old-- you know that your getting old when your kids ask--Dad, did they have pizza when you were growing up? And I was only 38 years old *THEN*. Gee I can't wait for the grand kids to sound off !! The smart a-- little widgets will probably just pull my plug because I spanked their little hashtags.

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Ah, Larry, you are the best! You may not have noticed all this commenting was close to midnight last night. it was so much fun I had trouble sleeping. Glad to have you in this!Oh, did they have pizza when you were a kid? was that before silverware? before 'fire'? Hey I remember "Shakeys" being the only pizza place anywhere in Wa.

GeneriqueMedia profile image

GeneriqueMedia  says:
7 months ago

Love the title of the Hub. =P

Filled with lingo of the computer kind, neat.

Wired magazine has a short list every month on "new" words making their rounds in that tharr blogosphere...

G|M

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

GM - I may never completely understand all the "buzz words" but golly they are fun to toss around in a conversation!

agvulpes profile image

agvulpes  says:
7 months ago

Er madam would you like fries with that Widget ?

How about "Blog" a new word for computer constipation. My computer ports are just jammed with em. Oh look my puter is all blogged up!

Mighty Mom profile image

Mighty Mom  says:
7 months ago

Lol -- this is a riot, and the comments clearly show your fan club is "of an age" that is struggling to keep up with all the techno speak. Do you remember when we used to write on IBM selectrics -- and then the word "Wang" became a "verb"? LOL.

I'm with you Candie. I just think the word WIDGET is one of the funnest words ever to say. It's like they morphed "wee" and "gadget" together. But I also like the wee midget idea. too fun. And yes, Ag. I'd like fries with my widget. MM

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Ag, can we super-size that widget meal? I'd like a pepsi, and it's to go! Much thanks for joining my hub/hamlet..

Mighty mom - long time no see! Welcome back.. Hey!! I had a portable selectric with these ribbon cartridges that popped out and it's own case..How cool was I? Mom thot it'd come in useful in nursing school. Neither came in useful.. sigh!!

ripplemaker profile image

ripplemaker  says:
7 months ago

Hi Candie, would you like french fries with your meal? LOL

By the way, congrats!  Did you know?  This hub is a hubnugget nominee?  Well, check it out and vote okay?  http://hubpages.com/hub/HubNuggets-Overloaded

 

 

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Ripplemaker - Thank you and welcome to my slice of heaven!! I did not know this, I didn't know they even had the "nuggets"..Thank you !! And Yes, I would like fries!!!

cindyvine profile image

cindyvine  says:
7 months ago

wiki vs blog, that could be a great discussion around your parents' dinner table!

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Cindy go to the link on Ripplemaker's comment and vote for me!!!! My dinner with my folks is endless laughter so I shall add this and watch their eyes roll back in their head!!

cindyvine profile image

cindyvine  says:
7 months ago

lol Candie!

ripplemaker profile image

ripplemaker  says:
7 months ago

Glad to have been the bearer of good news...fries with endless laughter that sounds heavenly! :-)

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Cindy - Yep, it's quite a sight!

Ripple - Super size thoes fries! I like to share them with friends, too!

k@ri profile image

k@ri  says:
7 months ago

LOL! Very amusing hub and very amusing comments to go with it! You have a wonderful sense of humor! (widget!)

agvulpes profile image

agvulpes  says:
7 months ago

Candie here are your super fries (we called em 'chips' in Oz before mr mac came along) . They will go well with your 'golf ball' typewriter.

How cool were they ?

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Kari - Thank you, and even tho this didn't win the prize, I'm just honored to have had it nominated!

Ag - Nummy! Grab a few for yourself!! Pass the Ketchup!

maggs224 profile image

maggs224  says:
7 months ago

hi Candie I won't be able to see widget without thinking of you and your article it has made me laugh so much. Then when that was finished the comment section was like a second course. In just two articles you have made me a fan

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Maggs! I'm honored! thank you so very much! I'm not ready for "stand up" I have terrible stage fright, but if I can make you smile a little, I'm thrilled!

Lgali profile image

Lgali  says:
7 months ago

nice title of the hub nice one again

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Lgali, thank you again.. thanks for visiting!

Janetta profile image

Janetta  says:
7 months ago

Haha..I would never have associated "hashtag" with fruit! Well maybe an apple...but that's a whole nother hub... LMAO

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Hey Janetta! You in here looking for ideas? Good girl! Love these words! thanks for visitin'!

cashmere profile image

cashmere  says:
7 months ago

Really funny hub candie, I just came over from the hubnugget contest.

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
7 months ago

Hi Cashmere! Glad to see you! I keep reading what you sent me and it is so me! Thank you for your friendship!

kephrira profile image

kephrira  says:
6 months ago

Widget is a great word, and its actually been around for years - before either beer widgets or the internet itself were invented - has been used to describe many, many different things, and seems to mean any clever little thing that goes into something else. Personally I reccon it started out just meaning 'thingamebob'; it sounds like it anyway.

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
6 months ago

Kephrira - thank you for dropping in!! Widget is certainly shorter than thingamabob, and a lot more "intelligent" sounding! You are probably right!

Peggy W profile image

Peggy W  says:
5 months ago

Now if you could just explain all those groups of letters that people use. LOL I understand. The rest........? LOL!

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
5 months ago

Hey Peg! which ones have you baffled? LMAO? ROFL?

Hack Retis  says:
5 months ago

Widget do with mai dongle?

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
5 months ago

Hack.. lol.. "Say what!!" LOL... See how versitile it is!! Thanks for the visit!

Peggy W profile image

Peggy W  says:
2 months ago

'Hey Peg! which ones have you baffled? LMAO? ROFL?'

Yes Candie! HELP! About all I know is LOL. No kids to keep me up to date! See how lucky you are?

Candie V profile image

Candie V  says:
2 months ago

LMAO - laugh my ass off, ROFL - roll on the floor laughing. Roflmao - combine the two. Rofllol - combine the two. LOLOL - really laughing. You are all set to text with the big kids!

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