A Chicagoan’s Bostonian Tick – Thursday July 31

117610830_84b5c99564I am not from Massachusetts.  I went to college there, but I didn’t grow up there.

 

Sometimes I use the word “wicked” as in: wicked cool, wicked fat, wicked mean, wicked wicked (if I’m talking about Dick Cheney for instance) and this habit can confuse people.  Some demand to know if I am from Boston or if I’m imitating Boston people and if not what is the explanation for me using wicked?  People get pretty confrontational about this word, which apparently is so identified with Boston that a non-Bostonian better have a good explanation for daring to use it.

 

So I have decide to explain why I slip a wicked in here are there.  It’s a two part explanation, and I hope it dispels any notions of poseur-ness or douchey-ness on my part.

 

1. My best friend is from Massachusetts, was born in Massachusetts, and is apologetically full of Mass pride.  The BF, like me, is an avid reader and wordsmith.  Although the BF puts me to shame with one of the juiciest, most powerful brains I’ve ever had the privilege to see in action.  So when I’m really missing the BF, I like to use “wicked” as an homage. I usually use it at least once a day.

 

2. People keep telling me I use the word F*CK too much, especially as an adjective, verb, adverb, and filler (instead of “um” or “er).  Wicked is a satisfactory substitute.

 

So there you have it.  It’s nothing to be alarmed about or feel threatened by.  It’s not like I’m saying “lift” for “elevator” or “loo” for “pooper”.

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Comments

  1. Greg P says:

    Hey I can see my office in that pic!
    Slip a “wicked pissah” in there sometime and sit back and watch the reaction.

    • Poor Lucky Me says:

      If I say “wicked pissah” in Chicago I might be tortured and killed. As it is I have to talk about the Bears for minimum of 15 minutes a week- that’s a requirement to live in the city limits.

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