MOULTRIE — For many years now, I’ve made a living with words.  And through these many years I’ve wondered a lot about the English language and pondered words and phrases that we might use routinely…. sometimes without much thought.

My friend, The Earl of Stumpworth by the Ochlocknee, and I discussed this recently.  In this meeting of the minds, I was taken back to my college days at Georgia State University. Along with my journalism classes I took a phonetics class as an elective. I’m not sure I’ve ever used what I learned in that class unless it was subconsciously.

One day in that class, I got to wondering why the word phonetics wasn’t spelled the way it sounded. I later brought up that question when a group of my friends and I met at Ruby Red’s in Underground Atlanta. As it turns out, the English language can be very funny, especially after about two hours at Ruby Red’s.

How silly is the question, “Are you asleep?”

Well I was until you whispered that in my ear.

And how about, “Did that hurt?”

Oh no, I just scream once in a while because I read where it was therapeutic.

How many times have you heard someone ask, “Do you want to know the truth?”

So have you been lying to me up to this point?

I once heard a witness in court ask this question to the district attorney after having sworn on the Bible that all of his testimony would be the truth.

As a journalist I have attended many seminars and workshops. I don’t really know if there is a difference in those two events. If there is, it probably has to do with the refreshments available at break time.

For many years, one of the favorite expressions of the facilitators in these workshops was “thinking outside the box.” In plain English that means what we’re doing now ain’t working. Let’s try something else.

Then there is a literal interpretation of  “thinking outside the box.” Some years back I took our tomcat to the vet. I put it in a cardboard box and put the box in the backseat. I was not even out of the drive before the tomcat had pried open the lid and came flying into my lap. Obviously I had to think outside of that box. So I put the cat in a pillow case. It’s a great hauling device for felines. But you may not want to use that pillow case again unless you are returning the cat for a followup.

The Earl had a list of phrases, questions and observations relative to this discussion. He often provides fodder for my columns. To write a lot of columns you have to wonder about a lot of stuff.

For instance, why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will break in and clean them?

The minute he asked that, I recalled a stop I made in Selma, Ala., many years ago.

So I posed to the Earl, why is it called carrot cake when you can’t taste the carrots?

The application of words often cause me pause.

For instance, the words “execute” and “escape” are associated with the use of my computer. There’s also a key marked “control.” So if I can’t control what’s happening with my computer, I can execute it and escape. Not really, but that’s the way I feel sometimes.

I think people often choose words that really don’t help a situation. They don’t think things through. Example: At the airport they have a “terminal.” Now to me that’s not very encouraging.

Now with reference to the aforementioned “catch phrases” of seminars and workshops: Would reading a book in the bathroom be “multi-tasking.” Just wondering.

(Email: dwain.walden@gaflnews.com)