Last night I received a text message from my friend Harold. I laughed hard when I read the message. That was indeed funny. Good thing I was in my room when I received the message. People would have found me a little crazy when I received it outside. Imagine a guy laughing alone while reading a text message.
The moment I read it, I also realized that we simply commit mistakes at times. We may not be aware of it but the truth is we all have a share of funny moments when we talk. That is, we do not watch our mouths and tend to slip. A word or sentence, once uttered, would create a lot of meanings. Thre would be confusing ideas. There would be redundant words. There would be contradiction of statements. There would be Filipinism.
Here are some instances when we basically commit the so-called common mistakes;
When buying something in a store…
“Ale, pabili nga ng Colgate, ‘yong Close Up”.
– Adik sa toothpaste? He wants two toothpastes at the same time. Make up your mind. What toothpaste brand do you want to buy, Colgate or Close Up?
When someone gets out of an air-conditioned room…
“Sarado mo pinto. Lalabas ang air-con”.
-Sosyal. May paa ang air-con ngayon!Do air-conditioners have feet? They can’t walk and go out of the room.
When asking a maid to accompany a kid…
“Yaya, salubungin mo ang school bus ni Junior”.
-Tama yan pasagasaan mo! Do you want your son to die?
When instructing a kid to stay away from danger…
“Anak, tumabi ka sa sasakyan ha”.
– Patayin din si Junior. Do you really want your kid to be safe? Why is it that you’re telling him to get near the car?
When a snake has bitten someone…
“Pare, tinuka ako ng ahas”.
-Manok ba ‘yon? May tuka? We use “tuka” if a chicken hits us with its beak. Snakebite is a titally different thing.
When telling someone of a certain sickness…
“May tonsil ako”.
-Kami rin. We all have tonsils. Perhaps, you mean “tonsilitis”.
When offering something…
“May candy ako. Ayaw mo?”
-Offer ba yan? Is that an offer or something else?
When asking someone a question…
“Tulog ka na?”
-Malaman mo pa kaya kung “oo”. It’s useless to ask and get no response.
When telling that a cellphone hit “low battery”…
“Low batt ako eh”.
-Eh di battery ka rin? Is he referring to the cellphone or to himself?
Now, how would you react to these? Some people would listen and say “Yes, it’s funny”. Some people would just give a shrug and think “I don’t give a damn”. Some people would raise an eyebrow and murmur “Do you know what you’re saying?”.
If I hear these statements, I would simply listen and think of it. I would not react, not because I don’t care. I would not react because it’s a small mistake yet embarassing. Dealing with this needs sensitivity. You can’t just get into the scene and criticize the statement. Just smile! Make him laugh at his own mistake.
LEX-pressions 