A living language (part 2) or English is ratchet

Since it's still fair to call it the beginning of a new year I thought it would still be cool (#goals) to post a follow-up to last February's A living language or English on fleek. If "language is forever changing" it's probably fair to say that 2015 saw its fair share of new words see the light of day. 

Here are my top ten:

1. Ratchet: While perhaps best known as a tool (ha!) also referred to as a socket wrench, "ratchet" is also used to describe something that is, like, super cool and awesome. Exhibit A: Nicki Minaj referred to Adele as "mad ratchet" in a tweet in response to her rap of a Monster verse on James Corden's The Late Show's Carpool Karaoke.

mad ratchet indeed

2. Basic: Basic is basically someone or something that is boring and unoriginal. It made it into the dictionary as such, in its slang version, in 2015. Personally, basic really made it on my radar when Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs posted a video of themselves calling out various "basic bitches" for escorting Ms. Moss off a plane.

"calling all the basic bitches"

3. Netflix and chill: While everyone knows what this means I remember a time, not so long ago, when I did not. If you don't I suggest you look it up, just for fun. NSFW.    

4. Squad: A squad is defined as a clique of friends, a gang or crew. The word is most often used in hashtags and in high schools. 

5. Ew: Ew pretty much means what it sounds like it means. It's no bueno. Popularized by Jimmy Fallon in Ew!, I'm pretty sure Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie were the first to use it.

"hashpipe like!" 

6. No bueno: Spanish for "no good" (duh!), "no bueno" is part of a larger trend of Spanish words and expressions, like "on fuego," being used for no apparent reason.

7. Slob (or douche) Kabob (or kebob): Popularized by the self-proclaimed queen (of life) Kourtney Kardashian, slob and douche kabob are terms of endearment used for Scott Disick.

8. A variety of phrases from Hotline Bling: Drake's much memed Hotline Bling popularized a variety of phrases, including "you used to call me on my cell phone," "you started wearing less and going out more" and "that can only mean one thing." 

400 million views and counting

9. Sauvage: While Sauvage is not actually used by anyone (yet) I strongly suggest it become Johnny Depp's new name.  Who's in?

Le Sauvage

10. AF: An abbreviation for "as fuck" most often used on social media to reinforce a statement (about oneself, of course). For example:

 Mood AF

Superman or supermensch?

The reason I pursued journalism in university is the same reason I always have a book on the go: I love a good story. 

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, a documentary directed by Mike Myers (or Wayne), is THE go-to documentary for anyone who loves a good story because a) it tells a great story about b) a guy who probably has more stories to tell than anyone else in the world.

Shep Gordon, for those of you who haven't heard of him (like me, three days ago), is a legendary music manager, agent and producer who also happens to be friends with everyone in Hollywood... and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.   

In case you're wondering what a mensch is (like me, three days ago), it's a Yiddish word used to describe "a person of integrity and honour."

I was lucky enough to be turned on to Supermensch by a good friend of mine (previously mentioned here and here) the other night (you guessed it, three days ago). 

I want you to watch the trailer for the film, but more than that, I want you to watch Johnny Depp introducing the trailer for the film (because it includes the trailer and, frankly, Johnny Depp making a fool of himself).

According to the documentary, Gordon was pretty much a "nobody" when he first met Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix one night at a party at a Los Angeles motel. Hendrix asked Gordon what he did for a living and Gordon replied "nothing." Hendrix went on to ask him if he was Jewish. The answer was yes. This is what Hendrix said next: "You should be a manager," to which Gordon replied "who would I manage?" "Alice Cooper," said Hendrix.

So he did. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Gordon didn't much like Alice Cooper's music (even though they became lifelong BFF's) but he definitely knew, instinctively, how to make him famous.

BFF's then

 BFF's now

Live chicken + blood + Alice Cooper = famous.

Other than Alice, Gordon managed a long list of musicians including Pink Floyd (for nine days), Anne Murray, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross and many, many more. In addition to his music management duties (more on these below), Gordon is credited with putting the business affairs of Groucho Marx in order, pro bono, producing Kiss of the Spider Woman, turning the chef into the celebrity chef (he also managed Roger Vergé, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme) and kick-starting the Food Network.

My bae Anthony Bourdain even had something nice to say about him, which was, and I quote "before Gordon, chefs were not allowed to eat in the dining room because they were considered 'the help.'"

As for Gordon's music management duties, this is what he had to say about them: "The three most important things a manager does: get the money, always remember to get the money, never forget to always remember to get the money."

ka-ching!

    

On the road (with Gypsies)

My favourite book is On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. I first read it when I was a teenager and have since reread it too many times to count. It struck a chord so deep in me that I had the last line, "I think of Dean Moriarty," tattooed on my forearm.

The book speaks to me for many reasons, too many to count, but I think what first attracted me to it way back when was the overall feeling of freedom I got from reading it.  

Segway to Gypsies.

Alternately (and incorrectly) referred to as Romani, Travellers and even Tinkers (look it up), what my father calls Tsigani most probably originate from a single ethnic group that left northwestern India about 1500 years ago. (Travellers and Tinkers are actually mainly of Irish origin.)

During World War II, Gypsies, along with Jews, Poles, Soviets, Jehovah's Witnesses, gays, the mentally ill and the physically disabled were all targeted by the Nazis as inferior, undesirable and even dangerous. 

While six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, the mass slaughter also saw the death of 2.5 million Polish people and up to 1 million Gypsies (plus all previously mentioned targets) bringing the total number of innocents lost during the Holocaust closer to 17 million people.

Segway to my grandfather.

Growing up, my grandfather used to sing a song called Ochi Chernye, which means dark eyes. The tune always left me with a mournful, nostalgic, feeling that I couldn't explain.

Segway to last week.

While visiting my mother last week, we watched a movie one night called The Man who Cried. Directed by Sally Potter and set during the time when the Nazis marched into Paris, the movie stars Johnny Depp who portrays a Gypsy and Christina Ricci a Russian Jew.

While the movie left me thinking about many things, including intolerance, ignorance and xenophobia (fear and hatred of the unknown and/or foreign), it also left me thinking about what a beautiful lifestyle the Gypsies have.

With their nomadic existence and focus on family instead of consumerism, the Gypsies have, in my opinion, zeroed in on the meaning of life.

Experience. Or knowledge though experience. Another one of my tattoos.

My dad may not have a caravan but he does a shopping cart. And I can pack a suitcase (or apartment) like nobody's business. 

I'm not saying being a nomad is for everyone, but it's not surprising that I ended up with someone - the infamous beau - who lives out of a valise. 

Roma flag