The buddy system

Time for another random scattering.

First, I was walking through campus yesterday and overheard a guy on a cell phone saying, “I’ll give you her phone number. Do you have a pen and pencil?” (Inscribing notes on the wooden exteriors of pencils is actually a highly efficient storage system, I’ve heard. :P)

Second, whenever a guy calls another one “buddy,” regardless of intentions for camaraderie and bonding and what have you, it always seems to me that it’s an assertion of superiority. It’s what dads call their sons, and that senior/junior relationship gets brought to the forefront whenever someone says it. I said it to my roommate once and realized that I was using it to place him beneath me without even knowing it. So I don’t go by the “buddy” system anymore. ;)

Third, yesterday I overheard another fragment of a cell phone conversation, where the guy said, “Yeah, it’s forty grand dollars.” And I realized that “grand” doesn’t mean thousand, it means thousand dollars. Interesting.

Fourth, on a completely non-linguistically related note, I have an inexplicable fear of really tall guys deciding to use the stall next to me. It’s just creepy.

I agree that “buddy” seems a little condescending. Bud is even worse.

“Thanks, Bud.”

“My name’s not Bud.”

“Sure it is, Partner.” (Have you ever listened to Brian Regan (comedian? Just doing a little quoting.)

In my group of close childhood friends, “buddy” is an almost sacred term, not to be applied lightly. We use it to refer to one another, and it carries connotations of closeness and our long history together as friends. I realize this isn’t standard usage, though.

I agree that “buddy” and “bud” as used with strangers or casual acquaintances is condescending, along the lines of “champ”, “sport”, or “tiger”. The use of “buddy” is a huge A.P. cliche in the Mormon missionary world, for instance, and one that makes them seem insincere. Or that’s what I always thought when I heard it, at least.

Interesting how the same word can carry such different meanings in different contexts. Just goes to show often and easily we create our own super-specific languages in different social groups.

Bart: :) I’ve heard a lot about Brian Regan, but the only skit I’ve seen of his was the “you too” one, or maybe it was the “take luck!” one. I can’t remember. :)

Rikker: Indeed, which makes it almost a miracle that anyone can communicate with anyone else. ;)