Delivering(:) an English tale
“Delivering an English tale”. I can assure you I haven't given birth to some weird English baby with a tail! It's just a “story” about the “English language”.
English language is like telegram. You'll get some degree of information from each message but any definite conclusion should wait for a detailed explanation.
They tell you a sentence, then you need to either guess what it means or they need to tell you the appropriate meaning of each word for that situation!
Meaning of the words are situation-dependent!
I think some people were concerned with the size of the dictionaries and they decided to recycle the words. There's a new concept? No need for a new word! Just open the dictionary and use a random word for this new situation.
Take the word “Deliver”. It can be about many different actions. You can deliver the mail. You can deliver a message. You can deliver a baby!
What?! How are these acts similar?!
For one, there isn't going to be any pains when you deliver a message. Unless! You tell a father: “Your 16 years old daughter just delivered my baby”! There might be some pains associated with delivering “that” message! But that's an exception rather than a general rule. People don't usually “deliver” a punch to your face when you deliver a message. You say: “Hey John, boss said there is going to be a meeting at 4”. He says: “Thanks”! See? There isn't any pains. Definitely no screaming! No blood whatsoever!
The same is true about delivering the mail. No pain there either. How are these acts similar? Imagine the doctor delivers a baby and hands it over to the father and then says “Could you please sign here?”. Or, if there isn't any father and the mother can't hold the baby, he puts a note: “A delivery was attempted but a recipient was not present. We will try redelivering tomorrow! After three tries you need to pick up your baby at the post office”. No it doesn't work that way.
The same is true the other way around: “Honey, a mail was delivered today. It's yours.” versus “Honey, a baby was delivered today. I'm quite sure it's yours!” No. It doesn't work that way.
Coming to think of it, delivering a speech can be a little painful. Like this!
I’ve invented a scale. From 0 to 10. It's called “How painful delivering stuff is”.
Delivering a baby is a 10. Delivering a mail is usually a 0. Specially since they just drop it at the door, knock and escape. Delivering a speech can be a 2 or 3. Maybe it depends on the situation. Also if you’re part of the Toastmasters or not.
A court can “deliver” a verdict too. That's sometimes painful. It depends on why you're in the court in the first place. It can be a 0 or maybe a 7 or 8.
This scale can a be a help to “deliver” a visual concept about “pains of delivering”.
It certainly “delivers” on its promise!
There are so many possibilities here and we can't do anything about it.
Maybe we should just pray: May God “deliver” us from the pains of “deliver”.
::samic::
Written on 2019-01-31 by Samic.
