Some Words Have None of the Luck

I had a conversation with a naturist correspondent about the word(s) “Lifestyle(s)”. My correspondent was bemoaning that the word(s) had different meanings depending on the audience within the naturist community. To some, “Iiving the naturist lifestyle” means living as much of one’s life as possible without the burden of having to wear clothing. To others, “living the naturist lifestyle” means being a “swinger,” or someone willing to sleep with another’s spouse, while their spouse sleeps with your spouse.

Wife swapping, if you will.

Living a “Lifestyle” has had a broader meaning over the years. Most of us of a certain age remember a fellow named Robin Leach – a presenter of the show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It would be a safe bet to say that none of the people on that program were shown running around in their birthday suits. As to marital stability, well, that’s another matter.

I have encountered the term “Lifestyle(s) in a couple of other situations.

In the mid to late seventies, the National Lampoon published a parody of the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The politically incorrect (a Lampoon specialty) conclusion came about when it was noted that the owner of the local hardware store had come up with a “Lifestyles” section. The protagonists in the story came to discover that the local townspeople had become Jewish (see what I mean by being politically incorrect?) after eating an alien deli sandwich (with a schmear, I mean, a dab of mustard).

A few years later, I worked at a radio station which moved their offices and studios into a building a few doors down from a gay nightclub. The club closed suddenly – with a notice posted on the door telling patrons that there was a new “Lifestyles” bar just down the road.

So, the term(s) “Lifestyle(s)” has taken a bit of a beating over time.

Another word with the misfortune of shifting meanings has been “Liberal.” At one time it was meant to indicate someone with an open mind – with characteristics we all strive to emulate. These days, the word has become a slur, especially in heavily “Red” areas. Come to think of it, wasn’t there a time when calling someone a “Red” indicated that the person in question was or is a communist?

Then, back to “Swinger.” Could be a kid enjoying a piece of playground equipment – or a “Hep Cat” dancing to what was once called swinging music – or a name given to a Polaroid camera, selling for “Nineteen dollars and ninety-five!”

It’s all a matter of understanding between people in a conversation. And sometimes the lines of understanding don’t easily cross between generations or other subsets of people. The phrase “Cut a rug” comes to my mind.

For some of us, the phrase “Cut a rug” is a phrase used to describe a pair of people dancing… a term not everyone is aware of.

I worked for a few years on an offshore oil drilling rig, two weeks on and two weeks off. Several of my co-workers concluded that it would be cheaper to fly back and forth to Costa Rica, stay in a hotel and enjoy the services of hot and cold running prostitutes. One of the older workers asked the pair running back and forth to Central America, “What do you do with these girls? Do you cut a rug?” Neither of the pair knew the phrase… I smiled and translated, “He wants to know if you install carpeting!”

The quip brought down the house!

English is a complex and sometimes difficult language to comprehend. It can sometimes be like a loaded gun. Just gotta be careful where you aim it!

Be Seeing You!