RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33253, 16 June 1973, Page 18

RANDOM REMINDER

ON OATH

The English language is the most descriptive of all and many of its quaint and unusual phrases find a ready place in the vocabularies of nations with whom we have no affinity whatsover. But we feel that today there is a luridness creeping into our language which Byron or Bacon would have deplored. Even so, our cussing cousins across the Tasman have the edge on us when it comes to a question of invective. A city man cites as an example his recent experience in Sydney when, in order to keep a business appointment he hailed a taxi and was soon engaged in friendly conversation with the driver. A matey, fair dinkum type of kangaroo kid, who exchanged pleasantries with his passenger and exhibited more pacifism than profanity—until he en-

countered a member of an opposition fleet of cabs in a traffic snarl and the opposition failed to give way to him. The air was blue. Each hurled obscenities at the other through their windows. They were venal, vituperative and contained direct references to geneological backgrounds. Interspersed, of course, were four, five, six and even seven-letter words. But many New Zealanders appear to be tarred with the same brush. Our initiation into the use of extra-curricular adjectives is seemingly inspired more bv outside influence than a happy home environment and sometimes coincidentally with one’s first term at school. A young Merivale couple appear to be having their problems in child guidance. Their five-year-old son is living testimony to it. He could be best described as a profanity addict, a state /■

of affairs causing anguish to his parents. During the last term holidays the youngster was invited to a young friend’s birthday party. Before leaving he was strictly cautioned and reminded by his mother that she had arranged for his immediate return home if he uttered even one bad word. Twenty minutes later he entered his back door all defiance and anger. His mother sent him straight to bed, ignoring all his attempts at explanation. A little later, however, she relented —as mothers do—and went to his bedroom to see how he was taking the I'.irsh discipline. She found him sitting up in bed and asked exactly what he had said or done to cause him to be sent home in disgrace. “Do?” he asked wrathfully. “Do hell. I didn't do anything. That damned party isn't until tomorrow.”