So my ten-year-old son is telling me about a local family he really enjoys visiting: how old their kids are, the games they play, the cool toys they have, the stairs appropriate for sliding down. He likes their dad too, and thinks their dad is a lot like me. Well, not 100% like me.
“He’s a lot younger than you, though, and much less shabby.”
Shabby?
“Yeah, he shaves better and wears nice clothes all the time.”
Oh.
The funny thing is, I know this other dad personally. He is only 3 years younger than me and teaches at my son’s school, so dresses professionally for the classroom, while I’ve been wearing grubbies to do construction work in the mornings when my son leaves for school.
But I don’t bother explaining all this to my son. Instead I have to ask– where did you learn the word “shabby”?
“Everyone knows that word, Dad.”
Maybe I should go shave…
lol. it’s amazing how we pick up words, meanings, culture from the atmosphere. i’d better start dressing up too.