A Misunderstanding of Words

[hrh_disney_queen]

So why was it necessary to edit the second post to a "good vibes" smiley? Now I am totally confused!

 

[Jennasis]

I'm sure misunderstandings happen all the time, particularly on line where you have no ability to perceive voice inflection.

In the particular case the OP cited, I hope that the OP set her father straight. I find it odd that your dad would "hit the roof" over anything so trivial and that had nothing to do with him, but whatever.

 

[Mermaid02]

I think Dad needs to stop worrying about his TWENTY-EIGHT year old grandson. I'm sure he can take care of "his sweet self"

 

[CathrynRose]

When I was younger, if you used the word "sweet" in regards to a man or something a man owned, it was often said as a knock against his masculinity.

Right - that's what I thought.

As in "You have a lathe? How nice, twinkle toes"

 

[Kathi OD]

Why do your parents care what is on your grown adult nephew's Facebook page? As for "sweet" being an attack on masculinity, that is just ridiculous and sounds pretty outdated to me. Kind of along the lines that a man shouldn't change diapers or clean the toilet. It isn't 1930 any more.

It might well be ridiculous to you and also sound outdated, but just because it isn't 1930 any more doesn't mean that older people don't often hold onto the ways they grew up with. It's hard for some people to change with the times, especially when the times are a changing oh so very fast.

Mark my words young whipper snapper ...one day, you too will be old, think that the younger generation has totally lost all sense of what is right and just, and fondly look back on the good 'ol days.

 

[NHdisneylover]

It might well be ridiculous to you and also sound outdated, but just because it isn't 1930 any more doesn't mean that older people don't often hold onto the ways they grew up with. It's hard for some people to change with the times, especially when the times are a changing oh so very fast.

Mark my words young whipper snapper ...one day, you too will be old, think that the younger generation has totally lost all sense of what is right and just, and fondly look back on the good 'ol days.

I know plenty of older people who have managed to change with the times I think if I were older I would take offense at your remark which seems to imply this holding onto once acceptable prejudices is to be expected.

 

[laurie31]

It might well be ridiculous to you and also sound outdated, but just because it isn't 1930 any more doesn't mean that older people don't often hold onto the ways they grew up with. It's hard for some people to change with the times, especially when the times are a changing oh so very fast.

Mark my words young whipper snapper ...one day, you too will be old, think that the younger generation has totally lost all sense of what is right and just, and fondly look back on the good 'ol days.

Anyone internet-savvy enough to be on Facebook, regardless of their age, isn't stuck in 1930. Or they shouldn't be.

I don't think you can have it both ways. If they want to stay in 1930, they don't need to be on Facebook!

I can't imagine someone caring what somone else said to a 28 year old relative that they barely see, in any decade! That is the most bizarre part of this whole thing to me. Just tell them "sweet" is the new word for "cool" (they should remember that one from the '50s -lol) and that maybe when they go on Facebook they should stick to Mafia Wars or something.

 

[FireDancer]

It might well be ridiculous to you and also sound outdated, but just because it isn't 1930 any more doesn't mean that older people don't often hold onto the ways they grew up with. It's hard for some people to change with the times, especially when the times are a changing oh so very fast.

Mark my words young whipper snapper ...one day, you too will be old, think that the younger generation has totally lost all sense of what is right and just, and fondly look back on the good 'ol days.

Do these same people make black people use separate water fountains or get up and give them their bus seats? Do they report "red" behavior to the House Un-American Activities Committee?

I know plenty of older people who have managed to change with the times I think if I were older I would take offense at your remark which seems to imply this holding onto once acceptable prejudices is to be expected.

 

[MELSMICE]

It might well be ridiculous to you and also sound outdated, but just because it isn't 1930 any more doesn't mean that older people don't often hold onto the ways they grew up with. It's hard for some people to change with the times, especially when the times are a changing oh so very fast.

I was actually thinking the same thing.

My MIL is pretty hip & tries to be up to date on things, but in their house with my FIL it's 1950 every day!!! The man didn't even know how to make a pot coffee until a few years ago.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

Wow you learn something new every day, I never knew that "sweet" was a term for non-masculine men

 

[Kathi OD]

I know plenty of older people who have managed to change with the times I think if I were older I would take offense at your remark which seems to imply this holding onto once acceptable prejudices is to be expected.

I also know many older people who have managed to change with the times. I also know many who have not. Therefore, I carefully chose the adjective "some" to describe those people who haven't, whatever the reason. Take all the offense that you want. My statement did not imply that holding onto a once unacceptable prejudice should be expected. However, to deny the reality that some people do hold onto those prejudices is simply living in a fantasy world.

Anyone internet-savvy enough to be on Facebook, regardless of their age, isn't stuck in 1930. Or they shouldn't be.

I don't think you can have it both ways. If they want to stay in 1930, they don't need to be on Facebook!

Ahh...the two aren't really related. Plenty of people know how to use the internet, but aren't really "with" the times.

Just because you don't think they should be on Facebook if they don't want to change with the times doesn't mean they aren't on there. Believe me, they are, including my 80yo father.

I can't imagine someone caring what somone else said to a 28 year old relative that they barely see, in any decade! That is the most bizarre part of this whole thing to me. Just tell them "sweet" is the new word for "cool" (they should remember that one from the '50s -lol) and that maybe when they go on Facebook they should stick to Mafia Wars or something.

To be honest, neither can I, but then it takes all kinds to make the world go round.

Do these same people make black people use separate water fountains or get up and give them their bus seats? Do they report "red" behavior to the House Un-American Activities Committee?

Not necessarily. I'm sure you're well aware that not every older American participated in those kinds of activities. Nice try.

I was actually thinking the same thing.

My MIL is pretty hip & tries to be up to date on things, but in their house with my FIL it's 1950 every day!!! The man didn't even know how to make a pot coffee until a few years ago.

Thanks, Melsmice. It's nice to see that there are still some people left who can see both sides of the coin in a situation.

 

[bumbershoot]

Tell your dad that it's probably said "suh-weet". It's been slang for "seriously cool, so cool I can't even come up with a better word for it, dude that is awesome" since '87 when I moved from CA (where I hadn't heard it) to WA.

Just asked DH, who was born in a suburb of Seattle, and he says he's been using it since elementary school. He's a '90 HS grad, so it's been in use for a LONG time, out in the Seattle area at least.

Everyone uses it here. Young, old, medium...I have a 90+ year old neighbor and I'm sure if I hung out with him long enough I'd hear him use it. DS uses it.

So calm your dad down. It just means "seriously cool/good/great/fantastic". He's not saying that your nephew is just adorable and that's soooo cute that he has a silly wittle lathe and whatever else your dad might be thinking.

And the nephew and cousin might consider changing their privacy settings in the Account area of their FB pages, to hide future innocent, but regional-slang-filled conversations.

 

[laurie31]

Just because you don't think they should be on Facebook if they don't want to change with the times doesn't mean they aren't on there. Believe me, they are, including my 80yo father.

I didn't express myself very well.

I didn't mean that *I* didn't think they should be on facebook. I don't really care what they do online! (he's not my distant nephew or anything ) What I meant was, if someone is going to go online, regardless of their age, they need to be aware they are going to encounter new and different ideas "out there." And if they aren't capable of dealing with those ideas, maybe they need to raise their threshold for freaking out.

My 80 year old Dad just upgraded to DSL because his dial-up connection wasn't fast enough. He also got a Kindle and loves it. He's not on Facebook yet, though, but I have a feeling the day is coming. LOL!

 

[Tinijocaro]

My 28yo nephew put photos on his Facebook page of some wood items he made on a lathe. My cousin (his 2nd cousin) responded "You have a lathe? That is sweet." When my parents saw that comment they hit the roof. I tried to explain that sweet in this context means good, it was a nice thing. But my dad wouldn't have any of it. My cousin lives on the other side of the country & I don't think my parents are in contact with him much at all but I'd hate for them to think he meant anything other than that it's really cool that he has a lathe.

Have you ever misinterpreted or misheard something only to find out later they meant something totally different?

Sweet doesn't even have an alter negative connotation. How else could that be taken? If he said "That is bad" meaning good, I could see the confusion.

 

[MELSMICE]

I'm shocked so many people don't understand what Kathi OD is saying & are still chastising the OP's father or grandfather or whoever the individual is that was offended (sorry, I can't remember who it was).

Probably a large majority of people on here are from a generation that is tolerant of many things. However, generations older than us, including our grandparents & probably many of our parents, while they may be "hip & up to date", grew up in eras where prejudice was a way of life. You don't just flip a switch & that mind set changes.

I remember the first time my sister brought home an African American boy from college. My dad said he was going to have to ride in the back of his pickup truck. Of course, he wasn't 100% serious, but he grew up when blacks & whites were not treated equal. I told him that if he was blind would it really matter & he should accept people for what they are, not for the color of their skin. My sister is now married to a black man. My dad has not made one mention of blacks & whites not being equal.

My grandparents were born in the teens. My grandmother was one hip woman, but she still said some things occasionally that blew my mind. Imagine being out & seeing a deaf person & having her say, "Oh, that person is deaf & dumb". "No, gramma, they're not dumb, they're hearing impaired." No one was going to change her, but we could educate her on how things had changed over time.

My kids have grown up during an era that is more accepting of everything. Think about "policitally correct" statements. No one is ******** any more, which is what they were when I was young..........they are special needs. Remember the word "h**o" to describe a gay man? Imagine saying that now, but years ago it was spoken freely.

You don't change people over night. Calling the man ignorant or anything else is really ignorant on the "name caller's" part. Think about the era they probably grew up in, why they would think the way they do & try to educate the person - not chastise them.

OK - off my soapbox now!!!

 

[ndelaware]

Wow you learn something new every day, I never knew that "sweet" was a term for non-masculine men

A "European shoulder bag" would be considered sweet.

 

[Mermaid02]

I'm shocked so many people don't understand what Kathi OD is saying & are still chastising the OP's father or grandfather or whoever the individual is that was offended (sorry, I can't remember who it was).

Probably a large majority of people on here are from a generation that is tolerant of many things. However, generations older than us, including our grandparents & probably many of our parents, while they may be "hip & up to date", grew up in eras where prejudice was a way of life. You don't just flip a switch & that mind set changes.

I remember the first time my sister brought home an African American boy from college. My dad said he was going to have to ride in the back of his pickup truck. Of course, he wasn't 100% serious, but he grew up when blacks & whites were not treated equal. I told him that if he was blind would it really matter & he should accept people for what they are, not for the color of their skin. My sister is now married to a black man. My dad has not made one mention of blacks & whites not being equal.

My grandparents were born in the teens. My grandmother was one hip woman, but she still said some things occasionally that blew my mind. Imagine being out & seeing a deaf person & having her say, "Oh, that person is deaf & dumb". "No, gramma, they're not dumb, they're hearing impaired." No one was going to change her, but we could educate her on how things had changed over time.

My kids have grown up during an era that is more accepting of everything. Think about "policitally correct" statements. No one is ******** any more, which is what they were when I was young..........they are special needs. Remember the word "h**o" to describe a gay man? Imagine saying that now, but years ago it was spoken freely.

You don't change people over night. Calling the man ignorant or anything else is really ignorant on the "name caller's" part. Think about the era they probably grew up in, why they would think the way they do & try to educate the person - not chastise them.

OK - off my soapbox now!!!

I'm not calling the Grandfather anything- except maybe too caught up in a 28 year olds facebook "life". I cant' imagine being "angry" over some comment some distant relative made on a 28 year old MAN's Facebook page.

 

[shortbun]

Your parents need to get with it. Your nephew should have spelled it 'suhweet!'

If they don't know the vernacular, why in heaven's name are they on Facebook? Old people should NOT be on Facebook. lol!

 

[Deb in IA]

How ironic that the title of this thread can also apply to all those who misunderstood what the OP was trying to say here, especially after they took out the explanation . . .

As for "sweet", well, I call my very masculine husband 'sweet' all the time, and no one is offended.

 

[MELSMICE]

I'm not calling the Grandfather anything- except maybe too caught up in a 28 year olds facebook "life". I cant' imagine being "angry" over some comment some distant relative made on a 28 year old MAN's Facebook page.

But that's the thing with Facebook - everything is out there for everyone to see.

He is probably on there so he can keep up with what is going on with his family - maybe they don't live in the same part of the country. He might enjoy seeing pictures & communicating via FB.

Your parents need to get with it. Your nephew should have spelled it 'suhweet!'

If they don't know the vernacular, why in heaven's name are they on Facebook? Old people should NOT be on Facebook. lol!

I'm going to assume you're just kidding about this.

Why shouldn't older people be on Facebook. My mom is 66, my MIL will be 69 soon - they are both on FB & love it. (of course, I don't consider them old) They learn a lot about their grandchildren through FB. If my grandmother were still alive I know she would love FB too.

My SIL & BIL are in their mid-forties & both think that FB is "stupid". They talk ignorantly about it.

It has nothing to do with how old you are - it has everything to do with being educated on how to use it, knowing your audience & realizing that things in the world change. It sounds like grampa in the OP doesn't have a handle in the way "sweet" is being used in that context. Hopefully, someone explained it to him & he understands.