twofingersandathumb

What do George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Indiana Jones have in common? Nucular.

In the latest Indiana Jones opus, the lead character utters the word nucular during a conversation. That blew the entire movie for me. Why? Because there is no such word. It’s a mispronunciation of the word nuclear. Indy would have had enough education and credentials to know better, especially in the day in which he lived.

I made an online inquiry about nucular and found that it is listed on Wikipedia, being there described as the incorrect pronunciation of nuclear and in increasing colloquial use. The mispronunciation is and has been used by intelligent and educated people; politicians, presidents and a well-known cartoon character. It is recorded as an ad hoc spelling and will ultimately end up in the dictionary and on Wikipedia as a real word. It will then be official. With such widespread misuse, the wrong word will be accepted as the right word. 

Obviously, no one has made the effort to correct those who mispronounce nuclear. Nucular is now acceptable because those who know better have done nothing.

This process of the unacceptable becoming acceptable through increasing use is also how our ethics, morals and behaviors are degraded. Where there is no correction, the unacceptable slowly and surely becomes acceptable, what is right is devalued and we don’t notice or care. When no one stands against misuse or abuse - pointing it out, providing correction and training in what is right - wrong things are perceived as being right. Evil replaces good and good is corrupted and no longer recognized or practiced.

In defense of a well-developed vocabulary…

Sometimes we get to apologize for the words we use. I am not referring to words that put others down, like calling someone stupid, foolish, unworthy or unlovable. I am referring to the big words in our vocabularies that we use easily because we know how to. Words like: magnanimous, erudite, supercilious, sagacious. Words of that ilk, which seem to make some people nervous because they don’t know their meaning and therefore they don’t know how to respond.

Sometimes we get to apologize for the fact that we read, and have read throughout our lives, and have allowed our imaginations to develop through the turn of words rather than flatten through the turn of a television knob. (Yes, I grew up the in era of knobs instead of buttons and click-wheels.)

Reasonable thought is developed through effort. Our minds are transformed by tackling the big words and mastering them; by reading and re-reading a passage until a concept becomes concrete or by following the layers of a past-century novel deemed too boring and too intricate for most. Or by simply looking up an unknown word in a dictionary and getting to know it.

If we use the occasional four-syllable word in the course of casual conversation, it’s not meant as a put down. We’re simply using our abilities and resources. Words are power. Others will take offense and often attack us (with words) when they believe they’re in the weaker position. We find we’re criticized—even ostracized—as being puffed up, haughty or stuck-up. However, we stand up to scrutiny because we can support our arguments with ideas that are often best expressed in multi-syllable words. We don’t have to hide behind emotional outbursts. We do not have to attack a person’s character in order to prevail in a discussion or to simply communicate an idea.

Ideas are formed through words. Beliefs are expressed in words. Faith is built through words. Words cause us to act. Words persuade. Thoughts, imaginings and convictions cannot be easily dissolved by undeveloped opinion and a banal vocabulary. Words are powerful things. The more you have of them, the more equipped you are.

So if any words used in these comments are offensive to you, please accept my apology. I’m only writing about what I know.

posted by Alvalyn Lundgren