Author Archives: Owen Nuckols

Luvu – Folk Speech

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: English

Text: Luvu

Context: “In my family, we always say ‘luvu’ in texts, the response is ‘luvu2’ now that we don’t have to worry about staying under four characters. It was originally a way for my sister to text my mom that she was okay or had gotten somewhere safe when she had an older phone and was limited in the number of texts she could send. Four characters didn’t count as a text, so ‘luvu’ didn’t count against her minutes. It was basically a measure of safety and has evolved into something my family says a lot, and is just kind of another greeting or goodbye to us now.”

Analysis: It is very common for families to develop unique phrases over time that they use amongst themselves. They are often borne out of circumstance, but become an integral part of a family’s relationship over the years. Even though they no longer need to stay under a character limit, the fact that the informant’s family still regularly uses this phrase is fascinating. It’s obviously a variation of “love you,” but “luvu” seems to be far more meaningful for the informant and their family than the more common, two-word version.
It reminds me of a quote I heard years ago, and while I can’t recall the exact wording, it said something along the lines of, “Love is creating your own language.” In other words, people who love each other, whether it’s a family, a couple, or even just close friends, come up with their own unique combinations of jargon, jokes, and phrases that may sound like complete gibberish to someone else. But to those people, they are familiar and comforting. Anyone who hears “luvu” will likely assume it’s just a shortened way of saying “love you.” And while they may be correct, only the informant and their family will ever truly understand its significance.

I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it – Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: English

Text: I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it

Context: “I’ve always used this instead of ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.’ The original proverb feels way too optimistic. I’m not necessarily trying to be pessimistic, but burning the bridge is more accurate. When I know there’s something challenging coming up, I just want to get through it.”

Analysis: This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of someone twisting a traditional proverb into something original. Some people simply don’t resonate with the borderline toxic positivity that many proverbs carry, and as a result, they come up with a variation that they feel applies to them better. Some issues aren’t a bridge to cross. Sometimes, they need to burn. And while this spin on a very well known proverb might come across as too negative, I appreciate a more realistic take.

Trapped in a Room – Riddle

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: English

Riddle: “You’re trapped in a room with no windows and no doors, no escape. There’s nothing but a table and a mirror. How are you able to get out?”

Solution: Look in the mirror, and you see what you saw. Take the saw, cut the table in half. Two halves make a whole, jump through the (w)hole.

Context: “I think I heard this from either my older sister or my mom first. It was one of those things they told me to try and stump me because how was I supposed to know the wordplay? I remember getting really frustrated at it but then thinking it was brilliant and immediately telling a bunch of other people, feeling so smart because I knew the wordplay and they didn’t. It’s one of those riddles that’s less about the actual process of finding the answer, it comes down to whether you know the specific wordplay or not.”

Analysis: This is undoubtedly the most creative riddle I’ve heard in a long time. The majority of riddles I’ve heard are just overly vague descriptions of simple things, like an egg or a mountain, but this one is far more interesting. I struggle to think of how someone could solve it without first being clued into the wordplay. But instead of that detracting from the quality of the riddle, I think it adds to it. The unusual nature of the riddle is what captivated the informant and gave it such significance to them, only compounded by the fact that they initially heard it from a close family member.

Hooah – Folk Speech

Nationality: American
Age: 56
Occupation: Physician
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: English

Text: Hooah

Context: “Hooah is a term that just about everyone in the military knows. It doesn’t really mean anything specific, it’s more of a general term that means different things in different contexts. You can use it like ‘dude,’ so if we’re in a conversation, I could say ‘hooah’ to be easily agreeable. Or if there’s something awesome I could say ‘HOOAH!’ enthusiastically. If I jump out of a helicopter, I’ll yell ‘hooah’ and that’s sort of an army specific thing. If you ask me to do something I don’t really want to do, I’ll say ‘hooah’ (said with a dejected tone). It can really be used for anything.”

Analysis: It’s no secret that the military has its own unique jargon that is shared amongst its members. Because military life is so difficult, those involved form a bond of companionship stronger than most other groups or organizations in the world, and language is the primary means through which this takes form. But what I think sets “hooah” apart from the countless other military terms and phrases is how broadly usable it is. I can’t think of any terms from any groups that can mean as many things as this. The fact that it is so universal in the military but completely absent anywhere else speaks to the strong community aspect of the institution, which I feel is often overlooked when discussing it.

Mortality Rate – Joke

Nationality: American
Age: 56
Occupation: Physician
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: English

Text: Despite our best efforts, the mortality rate remains 100%.

Context: “I originally heard this joke back in med school, and it really stuck with me. I’m not sure how widely known it is in the medical sphere, but I’ve heard it several more times since from various practitioners, so it seems to be a pretty popular one. I’ve heard surgeons say it, cardiologists, even some nurses. I’m not sure where it originated from, but everyone I’ve told it to finds it pretty funny so I’ll keep using it.”

Analysis: This is a surprisingly dark joke for the medical field, and it makes me wonder where it came from. The morbidity of it makes me think that it developed as a way for doctors to cope with the loss of a patient when they weren’t able to save them. Lots of people use humor to deal with tragedy. Doctors see more suffering and death than the vast majority of people, and it makes sense that such experiences would influence their sense of humor. Or perhaps it doesn’t have any dark origins at all, and is just a creative way to say the classic phrase “everyone dies.” Either way, it’s fascinating to think about.