Smarmy protest revisited
175 words. Letter to the editor.
Usage: Here we have a model for a follow-up letter, which also contains humorous material that you may repurpose in some form other than a letter to the editor.
Thank you for clarifying your use of the word “smarmy” in reference to Waffle House waitresses. I have had my own issues with people not understanding the nuance of my words.
I used to call my first wife “my little squab” by which I meant she was small and cute, like a fledgling pigeon. However, some busybody showed her the other definitions—“a thick, stuffed cushion” and “a short, fat person”—and she was deaf to my explanations of nuance.
Later, single again, I dubbed a new lady friend “Goldenrod.” That’s not only a pretty flower, it’s a symbol of good fortune. But she thought I was calling attention to her blonde dye job. Silly me, I thought it was her natural color. My nuance shield failed me yet again. My backup nickname, the rhyming “Sally-Wally” failed to win back her affection.
But words should not be pigeon-holed (or squab-slapped) due to ignorance. I’m going to join you in calling people “smarmy” when they are excessively loud, and I will do it with a smile.
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This work appeared in The Anniston Star on December 4, 2020.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.