Yeah Noah Webster, you know the guy who wrote the book that is most respected authority in the American household, well that's a bit of a stretch, but at least it is among die hard scrabble players. Webster's Dictionary, it used to be my friend until now. Yes, I know an odd way to begin a post but my insanity will make more sense in a few minutes.
As an educator I really shouldn't be telling the author of such an important teaching tool to kiss my lilly white ass but I am, and this is why.
Although it may be hard to believe, all my adult life I have been refereed to as being "weird", however I have always preferred the term "quirky". Now I have this ongoing debate with a friend and well my therapist has also jumped on the band wagon with this. They insist that you can not assign a label to your personality, that any assigned adjectives must be perceived by others not yourself.
So it was suggested that I look up the definition of these two terms and compare their meanings....this is where the kissing my ass part comes in. According to Webster, quirky is defined as A peculiarity of behavior; an idiosyncrasy
OK that's a bit vague, lets look at synonyms, you know words that are similar in meaning, sorry slipped into teacher mode for a second there.
Anyway synonyms for quirky: bizarre, far out*, freakish, freaky*, idiosyncratic, in left field*, kinky*, odd, off-the-wall*, out of the ordinary, outre, peculiar, strange, unconventional, unorthodox, unusual, wacky*, way-out*, weird
This is totally NOT boding well for my argument when the words weird, freakish and strange are considered to be interchangeable with my preferred term quirky. Ok what the fuck does Webster know, he wrote that damn book back in what the 1700's not like the term even really existed then, I need a more current source, so as any good teacher does she turns to the Urban Dictionary. What? Gotta keep up with the ghetto slang, have to know when I am being dissed by my students. Yes the Urban Dictionary will definitely plead my case for me that I am NOT weird but rather quirky.
Quirky
A word often used by narcissistic scenesters when they describe their oh-so-unique selves in their Livejournal user info pages in attempts to sound like interesting people.
It is a word best used by one person to describe another Those who apply "quirky" to themselves thereby call into question their very own "quirkiness" by appearing seeming gleefully self-aware (just like everyone else)..OK so I am fucked, I can't assign this wonderful adjective to myself according to this definition, so along with Webster you can kiss my ass also.
So have I settled this heated debate as to wheather I am weird or quirky? Hell no, all I have learned is that well it's not acceptable to call yourself quriky even though you very well maybe. I guess it's up to the public's opinion and well I think that weird is gonna win out. Oh well, life goes on, and well if you want to know the definition of weird....look it up or hell just keep reading this blog I am sure you can find loads of evidence to make your case. However, if you read carefully the Urban dictionary says the term quirky is "best used to describe another", so tecnically I can use the term about myself, right? Oh come on, it's kinda like the expiration date on that carton of eggs in your refigerator, best when used by this date...doesn't mean that the eggs are spoiled if you use them a week after the date listed, right? Don't you love how I can manipulate the definition to suit my needs? Now that's what I call quirky....
