things_we_used_to_say ovenbird The inscrutability of my own children made me think about things we used to say as kids that made absolutely no sense. One of my favourites is the now archaic term "no_guff." Did other people use this? It was a term that basically meant "duh!" and you would say it in response to someone else expressing something stupidly obvious. This particular usage seems to be specific to Ontario. This phrase was prevalent around 1990 I think. Once, when I was in high school, and it was definitely not 1990 anymore, my mom pulled this phrase out and used it unironically and my brother and I almost died laughing. She never tried again. 250611 ... epitome of incomprehensibility Elementary school. If two people said the same thing at the same time, someone had to say "jinx!" to acknowledge it and, perhaps, prevent bad luck. The thing I didn't understand was adding "ajax!" afterwards. It was like poetry that preferred sound matching over sense. Ajax is a town near Pickering, but that wouldn't relate. Speaking of Ontario things, I don't know if "no guff" was a kebby-quasi expression too; I don't remember it exactly, but there's a lot I don't remember exactly or laxly or atoll. 250611 ... ovenbird Jinx is still going strong! My kids do use that one, but despite my prodding they refuse to revive "no guff." Another, though this isn't nonsensical. We used this one regularly as a retort if someone said something rude or mean: "I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you!" 250612 ... raze we used to talk of taking the tributaries of our lives and fusing them into one unbroken stream. we spoke of the serenity of being seen for who we were, not knowing we were blind to the truth that time turns "almost" into "never was". in_dreams we say so little, and yet we're always understood. 250612 what's it to you? who go blather from