“Yuck.”
That word has been in my mailbox lately, sprinkled through like spice on an entree. It reminds me of what a great language English is.
English is not some frou-frou language of genteel nuances or unique sounds. And while it might have started out as German Lite it has borrowed so much from other languages that it’s the largest and most predominate tongue on Earth. But beyond that English is fit. It’s muscular, punchy, to the point. English has brawn. It works out, demands attention, and gets things done. Try yelling EXTINGUISH THE CONFLAGRATION instead of PUT OUT THE FIRE, and see where that will get you. Latin just can’t hold a candelabra to English.
So yes, “yuck,” a taut, vigorous English word has been populating my emails of late. Why? The answer is the Acorn Grub film, the Bon Appetit film and my article on Palm Weevils. Eating insects or their lavae is, well, yucky. So powerful is that one word that several folks have sent just one word emails. Yuck is succinct. It tells me their mental state and their opinion. All of this reminds me of a commercial on the radio of late, in fact several times a day since we are entering our fall growing season.
After some typical radio machinations a woman announces that she puts (let’s say) Weeds-Be-Dead on her garden so her husband won’t have to weed it for six months. Now she says she can enjoy her garden rather than always watching him weed. You and I know that many of those yucky weeds he’s removing are quite edible and should be in the kitchen. Weeding can be harvesting; the food is fresh, nutritious, and close to free.
I am sure some folks who are eating dandelions once viewed them as “yucky.” Eating weeds is more than knowledge and experience. It’s also a matter of attitude… just as eating insects is a matter of attitude. One yucky attitude down, one to go.
It’s not the destination that’s important but rather the journey.
