My coworkers...

[Imogene]

I have two examples from last night alone...
Store Manager:
SM comes up to the Uscan I was busy replacing register tape on, and strikes up a conversation.
SM: "How's it going, Juwl?"
J: "It's okay... just dealing with a recalcitrant roll of printer paper..."
SM: "Yeah, I don't understand what you just said..."
J: "I'm replacing a roll of paper that kept getting jammed on one side because it got wet..."
SM: "See, now, I understood THAT."
But it was unnecessarily long and wordy. My first sentence was much more succinct.

Cashier:
A cashier, who also doubles as a Uscan attendant, and a guest services worker, came back in from being out in the lobby talking to the greeter, and goes over to the window.
C: "Juwl! Greeter just told me to look at the moon..."
J: *I turn to look at the cashier looking out the window, and the brief pause we're having in our rush..., then join her at the window to look*
C: "...but I don't see it!"
*blink, blink, checks the view* J: "I can see the moon... why can't you?"
C: "What? You can see the moon? Where?"
I point at it through the window...
C looks again, "I still don't see it!"
J: "See that big yellow circle?"
"No..."
*headslap* "Why not?"
C: "Oh, the big yellow circle! Hey, the moon is full!"

[flyingember]

I had to lookup that word. how can an inanimate object have a characteristic aspect that you must be human to have?

I'd give your coworker this one, since that is not a common word

[Imogene]

how can an inanimate object have a characteristic aspect that you must be human to have?

A bit sarcasm, a bit belief system...

[Andara Bledin]

I had to lookup that word. how can an inanimate object have a characteristic aspect that you must be human to have?

Why do we give transportation vessels genders and names?

Romanticism, my friend. Plus, it's easier to relate to something if you pretend that thing is more like you.

^-.-^

[Betweenshades]

recalcitrant

Great word

I can't remember what the conversation was, but I ended by saying "Ah, but that's the crux of the issue."

The guy I was talking to went "hmm, yes" and started walking away. He then stopped, came back and asked what "crux" meant :P

[MoonCat]

Dictionary. I has one.

On a related note, a co-worker of my sister's asked who Charles Lindbergh was. He'd never heard of him.

[MadonnaC]

well, at least you use a word I would have to look up. Taking English 101 (notice it's college level), I have someone complain when I use plight and prohibitively ?

[Marmalady]

Dictionary. I has one.

I has one, too. I keep it at work so I can show my manager words that he swears I have just made up.

[Imogene]

Taking English 101 (notice it's college level),

Sounds familiar... I took a class called Introduction to College (SWEAR!) and our final was to give a ten minute presentation, on anything...
I got the final spot for presenting, and did a brief story about the characters I write for...
Got our scores back, and I'd lost two points, for 'using big words'... in a COLLEGE CLASS!
I thought back over my presentation, and the biggest word I could think of having used was 'transformation', to gloss over a massive backstory that would've taken a good twenty minutes to explain. If the professor REALLY wanted me to get into that convoluted mess... I'm sure I could've... but it was unnecessary anyway for the point of the presentation.

[Mycroft]

I had to lookup that word. how can an inanimate object have a characteristic aspect that you must be human to have?

I'd give your coworker this one, since that is not a common word

From my old .sig collection: Never anthropomorphize computers; they hate it when you do.

I'm sure that applies to whatever machine of choice currently hates you.

[Andara Bledin]

From my old .sig collection: Never anthropomorphize computers; they hate it when you do.

I'm sure that applies to whatever machine of choice currently hates you.

*snicker*

Going to have to tell my boyfriend that one. He'll get a kick out of it.

^-.-^

[mharbourgirl]

From my old .sig collection: Never anthropomorphize computers; they hate it when you do.

I'm sure that applies to whatever machine of choice currently hates you.

The basis of my fundamental belief system. I firmly believe in the perversity of the inanimate. Especially machines, which are made by people. We made them in our image. Why are we surprised when they act just like us? Stubborn, ignorant, devious, willfully malicious, prone to biting at the least provocation... sounds a lot like us, doesn't it?

My computer is actually one of only two machines on the planet that don't give me sauce, my adorable car being the other one.

[dalesys]

Hear our pleas, Saint Vidicon of Cathode!

[Plague*Star]

I had to lookup that word. how can an inanimate object have a characteristic aspect that you must be human to have?

A friend of mine runs a counseling service, which is located in a rather charming old almost-mansion. For a while when I was "between things" I did building maintenance for them. Burst pipes, bat evictions, strange creatures living under the toilet, the usual. Oh, and doors. Doors, hinges and locks all start doing strange things after 100+ years of use.

I was "un-sticking" a door one day when the resident psychiatrist walked by.
"Oh, what's the project?" he inquired.
"I am treating this door for oppositional-defiant disorder" was my reply.

P*S

[dalesys]

"I am treating this door for oppositional-defiant disorder" was my reply.

I'll bet he regarded your tools wistfully...

Especially the hammer.


(My psychs required stronger medicine than they'd give me...)