We’ve all heard a motivational spiel about “bad things happening to good people” … and “all things working for the good” …
I was a key player in a case in point, just the other night.
Like a fool, I was carrying clean laundry down the stairs, when I learned the hard way that a light was burned out at my place. Like a stuntman, I tumbled down a few steps on the dark, hot, hard cement. Like most everyone would, I popped up embarrassed and looked around to see who had seen me crash and burn.
Nothing was broken, except for my road warrior flip flop. (Tempted to write, I flipped, it flopped … but I won’t)
What good could possibly come from this? Ha … it gave me an idea for a blog. That’s kind of a good thing … ish.
Stay with me … I was thinking what a hassle to get in the car and drive somewhere to replace my flip flop because someone didn’t replace a light bulb. But what else could I do? Flip flops are a staple in any travel blogger’s office attire.
Hmmm … “I know,” I said to myself, aloud, as I am prone. “I will call Banana Retard … I mean Banana Repub” to see if they have flip flops on sale, before I trek on over.
Then it occurred to me … when I was a kid, flip flops were called “thongs.” It was much later that skimpy underthings were to become known as “thongs” — probably because they resemble that strap that fits between your toes (on the old-school thongs, or flip flops).
I wonder how many people have discussed the evolution of the meaning of thong — flip flop or garment? … I digress. And don’t get me started on the term floss, in this context.
Anyway, I thought it would be so funny to call up B-Repub or Old Navy, (in my most deadpan male voice of course) and ask if they had a sale on thongs. It would probably brighten some retail clerk’s dreary day. Eventually, I would let on that I meant shoes … which would probably also provide entertainment in a dork sighting sort of way.
And as my daydream continued, it took me (metaphysically speaking) to the corporate offices of the XYZ Shoe Company. Did they at one time conduct marketing surveys to see if in fact they were losing control of their brand image? Were they losing their grip on the “thong.” How much advertising budget were they willing to devote to maintaining control of the thong? Should they bring in the corporate lawyers to fight for the thong? Did they host panel discussion to see if a thong most often divided toe cleavage or rear endage? At what point did they throw in the towel, and just say “We have lost our hold on the thong.”
Silly, you are thinking? Would a corporation really try to protect some term that had become a common household word, with a considerably different and widespread meaning. (What, you don’t talk about thongs in your household?)
May I submit Exhibit A … a battle over a word that has many common meanings — meanings that are used in totally different contexts … from different worlds … Check this out. Then, ping me tomorrow, and tell me what you think …
Know what I sayin?
