"Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Tom Zurinskas]

I picture myself asking Prof. Irwin Corey which term is better for American Powers that Be to choose for American media, "tidal wave" or "tsunami", and picture his reply as this:

You ask which term is better.  Let's look at the factors, my friend.

1.  Root words.  "Tidal wave" is English, and Americans speak English.  Not good.  Besides "wave is duplicitous.  It could mean waving "hi hello" with your hand.  Whereas "tsunami" is Japanese.  Good.  An import.  Free trade.  No baggage of knowing what words mean.  "Tsunami" means "harbor wave".  There are lots of harbors.  Lots of roots.  Lots of harbor canals.  Root canals.  Root canals are no fun.  Tsunamis are no fun.  Brilliant logic.

2.   Pronunciation.  Anybody can say "tidal wave" in America.  It's English.  Not good.  Too simple.  Simple things for simple people, I say.  But "tsunami" is complex.  Do we say the "t" or not.  Phonetically they put a (t) in front.  Excellent.  You get choice, and I'm pro choice.  Imagine looking up the word with a beginning parens.  Brilliant diversity.  In fact the "t" before the "s" to start a word is the latest thing.  I tsay it all the time.

3.  Precedence.  The term "tidal wave" came first by about 30 years.  Not good.  "Tsunami" is the new term.  Newer is better.  Look what happened to "brontosaurus."  You gotta keep up.  In fact I predict "hurricane" will dissappear.  It was named "her" because of all the girl names they gave them.  But men demanded equal time.  So half became "himicanes."  Which created a tie.  Therefore the word "typhoon" best reflects that tie.  And don't you love the "ph" instead of "f" in the word "typhoon".  So scientific.  Changing Aphrica to Africa was a big mistake.  Too tsimple.  Less spicey.

4.  Impact.   Term "tidal wave" has no emotional impact.  When you say "hello", you wave.  No good.  But everybody knows that the most important 3-syllable word in Japanese is "Godzilla".   "Godzilla!  Godzilla"  Run for your life."  Now it's "Tsunami!  Run for your life!"   Great emotional linkage.

Looks like tsunami is the obvious winner.  Of course there are no Powers that Be anymore to make decisions (except perhaps Rupert Murdock).  Oops I hear my wife calling.  Coming honey.  Gotta go.  Tsee you later.  (Tstrang, I tseem to have tstarted tsome kind of tsilly lisp!?)



Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
See truespel.com - and the 4 truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at authorhouse.com.




> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:05:53 -0500
> From: Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL
> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security) (UNCLASSIFIED)
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)
> (UNCLASSIFIED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
>
>> Basically I think that American's should tell the powers that
>> be that "tidal wave"
>> is a prefered term to "harbor wave" which is what "tsunami"
>> means.
>
> I've been looking for an email address for the Powers That Be for quite
> some time. If you have it, please post it to the list for all of our
> mutual benefit. I've got quite a few bones to pick with them.
>
> So far, I've only been able to complain to the World's Foremost
> Authority, Professor Irwin Corey. But clearly an Authority is farther
> down the food chain than a Power, and I want to go straight to the Top.
>
> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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