I read an article a few weeks ago from the New York Times, My Life Sentences by Jhumpa Lahiri. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author (whom I’ve never read but intend to now) writes about her experiences as a writer. She does so beautifully.
The article is about how words have affected her; the weight of them and how stringing them together results in making one feel. You know what I mean. When you read something and you have to stop, just take it in. I’ve read books, where if I’m not alone, I’ll read a passage out loud — make someone listen because it’s JUST. SO. GREAT.
I’ve bookmarked pages in my books with those little colorful tab thingys and or highlighted sentences. Or I’ll find a gorgeous word that I don’t know the meaning of or haven’t heard for a while and jot that down in a notebook I have for just that purpose. You never know when you can pull that word out and it will perfectly suit a character you’ve created, saying it, using it, flinging it at someone or something.
Propping Up Phrases
The reason why we use those emoticons when we comment on each others’ blogs is so that we convey what we’re trying to say, what we feel. Smile, grin, sad, surprise, shock, mad, wink — all those range of emotions summed up by a few keystrokes.
When we’re reading a passage from a novel or in print, the writer sets everything up for us through use of scene, plot and dialect. Blogging is a simplified form of that; we don’t have time to set all that up. We communicate our thoughts and feelings from a few phrases and hope that everyone gets what we’re trying to say.
Otherwise, why are we doing it? It must be that we’re trying to express something when we hit that publish button and our string of words (and life sentences) go flying out there — for others to judge, love or hate. It’s exciting and a little scary too.
Whether what we read makes us laugh, cry or pisses us off, we feel something. We often prop up our responses to blogs with those cute little smiles, frowns and winks so that the blogger/writer doesn’t misinterpret our brief comments.
Here’s some for you to use in case you need more:
Double Entendres and Famous Phrases
I love the sitcom The Office, more so before Steve Carrell left. His character, Michael Scott was known for the double entendre, “That’s What She Said.” Mike Myers and Dana Carvey used it plenty in Wayne’s World. It’s hilarious and we get it for its risqué meaning without it being offensive. Most of us, at some time or another, have probably used it. Literature is full of double entendres as is classic movies. Mae West was the queen of it.
In the movie, When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan gets across to Billy Crystal in a very expressive way that a woman can fool a man. That scene/writing is famous, but the line that followed from the older woman nearby, “I’ll have what she’s having,” will go down in history as one of the best comedic lines ever.
Still others have to do with love, hate, war and everything in between. Here’s some that’s withstood the test of time — from books and movies — and a few of my favorites.
“You had me at hello.” Jerry Maguire
“You can’t handle the truth.” A Few Good Men
“I’ll be back.” The Terminator
“What would you do with a brain if you had one?” The Wizard of Oz
“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players…” As You Like It, Shakespeare
One day I’m going to have an entire room that has quotes all over the walls, painted, written, scribbled in a hurry. Maybe chalkboard paint so I can erase and write new ones when I tire of reading the old ones.
*Until then, please share some of your most memorable or favorite phrases, quotes, string of words and your own life sentences.
I’ll wait patiently; gimme your best. (That’s what she said.) ;).
***
*The use of emoticons is entirely optional. 😛
Brigitte's Banter 
The writer experiences everything twice – C.D. Bowen
I have this on my “business” card
Posted by on thehomefrontandbeyond | May 23, 2012, 3:54 pmThanks, that’s a great one. :).
Posted by Brigitte | May 23, 2012, 4:06 pmLoving your post:) I love when a string of words stops me in my tracks and just have to share it too! Have a Great Day:)
Posted by cravesadventure | May 23, 2012, 4:42 pmThank you and you too. :).
Posted by Brigitte | May 23, 2012, 4:43 pmHere is my recent favorite:
Man, like the bridge, was designed to carry the load of the moment, not the combined weight of a year at once.
–William A. Ward
Posted by Allan G. Smorra | May 23, 2012, 5:47 pmOh, that’s a good one. Not heard it before, but I like, I like! Thanks!
Posted by Brigitte | May 23, 2012, 5:49 pmOh, I like that one a LOT.
Posted by dayuntoday | May 23, 2012, 9:07 pm“We don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing.” 😉
Posted by dianasschwenk | May 23, 2012, 8:34 pmNice!
Posted by Brigitte | May 24, 2012, 8:47 amAre we humbly grateful? Or are we grumbly hateful?
Posted by dayuntoday | May 23, 2012, 9:06 pmWell, I’m not grumbly hateful, but anyway….:).
Posted by Brigitte | May 24, 2012, 8:47 amGreat post! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Deborah Hutti | May 23, 2012, 11:34 pmyou’re welcome. :).
Posted by Brigitte | May 24, 2012, 8:48 amGreat post! Oh, I’m guilty! I’ve accessorized works with “That’s what she said.” Here’s another confession: Today I almost used “I’ll have what she’s having.” Oh, la la! Funny timing! T. (By the way, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies is worth the read. And yes, I also miss Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott!))
Posted by Theadora | May 24, 2012, 3:01 pmHa! We are of the same ilk, you and I, I think. :). I will make a point to read Ms. Lahiri’s book you suggested. After all, you have very good taste. Merci and tre bien, T.
Posted by Brigitte | May 24, 2012, 5:24 pmWhen you read something and you have to stop, just take it in. –This is so me! I sometimes find it hard to move on to another book because usually the previous one I just read have left an indelible mark on my life. I also highlight sentences that have touched me and wish to share them to others so as to inspire them the same way it had inspired me.
Posted by Nurse Anj | May 27, 2012, 10:44 pmHi, thank you — I think most of us have favorite books/passages that affect us that way. Appreciate your comment. :).
Posted by Brigitte | May 28, 2012, 8:29 am“Little did he know”…..because I love Stranger than Fiction, and “The world is too much with us”…wordsworth I believe.
Posted by ladystamper | May 29, 2012, 3:34 amI LOVE that. Thanks so much for sharing and stopping by. :).
Posted by Brigitte | May 29, 2012, 9:06 amMy words are tied to my heart, so I always think this when I’m typing something down:
“I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” — W.B. Yeats
🙂
Posted by aisafromasia | May 29, 2012, 11:22 pmBeautiful, beautiful. Love this so much — thanks and adding this my list of quotes. ;).
Posted by Brigitte | May 30, 2012, 8:40 amI’ve recently read some of Jhumpa Lahiri’s work, and it is truly a work of art! You also have a great way with words, and your blog captured me fully. Thanks!
Posted by roadiescrolls | May 30, 2012, 12:26 amWhat a nice to thing to say — thank you so much and I intend to read Lahiri’s work, recommended not only from the NYTimes but now from you and other followers. Many thanks!!
Posted by Brigitte | May 30, 2012, 8:39 amoh! this is so good!! i have a whole diary full of favorite quotes and what nots.. just a sample-“anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot” 😀 and there’s a lot more where that came from..
and jhumpa lahiri’s ‘Interpreter of Maladies is a good read..
Posted by hemadamani | June 10, 2012, 7:11 amHa! That’s a great one, thank you and thanks for the reblog. :).
Posted by Brigitte | June 11, 2012, 10:19 amReblogged this on hemadamani.
Posted by hemadamani | June 10, 2012, 7:12 am