Thursday, September 07, 2006

My parents were immigrants

This is the excuse I use when I am totally clueless about some blatantly obvious pop cultural fact.

For example, I just learned that the group Def Leppard, a band that I've been a fan of since the 80's, is BRITISH. All this time I thought they were American.

Duh.

Also I recently realized that "yuppie" is derived from the acronym for Young Urban Professional. I knew "yuppie" meant a young urban professional, but I never made the connection.

Double duh.

I know. It's amazing that I am able to form sentences and chew gum at the same time. Really, it's not willful ignorance or stupidity. I just have random gaps in pop cultural knowledge.

To further illustrate my point: I am not exactly pristine, innocent or demure. But only in the last few years did I learn the 'other' meanings for "beaver" and "hummer." Seriously.

Like I said, my parents were immigrants. I'm sure if my parents were not immigrants, I would have known that Def Leppard was British, that yuppie is derived from Y.U.P., that a beaver is a va-jay-jay and that a hummer is a b.j. (for those of you learning this for the first time--shocking isn't it?!).

One thing I can rightfully attribute to my immigrant-parental upbringing: I used to say "shee-rup" instead of "syrup" because that's how they said it.

Okay I know that has nothing to do with yuppies or beavers, but it's something.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well I've learned something too! Hummmer, I've always used it as a version of 'hum dinger' ie; 'That fish is a real 'hummer''. Or the more current use as the civilian version of the militaries 'Hum Vee'.
Also I can personally say I know of an Asian guy with a white gal/wife. Also an Asian gal with a Black guy/husband. Plus Asian guy with Asian gal/wife and two couples both Asian gals with white guys/husbands.
I've givin up on tring to figure out the ratio here.
By the way all the Asians are Korean if that makes any kind of differance.

 
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