Perfect!

Maybe it’s just me, or possibly the fact that I enjoy writing, so by extension, I appreciate language in general, that I’m finding some of today’s catch phrases annoying. Yes, it’s true, every generation has developed its own pet phrases that seem to have unique meanings just for them. In the nineteen fifties, the terms Daddy’o and Beatnik were used quite often. So were Greasers and Socs or Kool Kids.

As the decades progressed, so did the catch phrases. During the sixties and seventies, it was common to hear young people describing things or events as a real gas or far out. Police were called, “The Fuzz,” and when things went poorly, it was a real bummer. Of course, everyone could Dig a cool song or movie, and no one had an apartment; it was a pad.

Now it was the eighties and nineties that rolled in with catch phrases all their own. If a question was asked and the answer was an obvious no, it was responded to with, No-Duh. If you happened across something that was rough or misshapen, including a tough situation, it was Gnarly. Of course, a good-looking or shapely woman was Bodacious, and a man was Ripped. Also, don’t be surprised if you were upset about something and were told to Take a Chill Pill. Many things during that time were described as Radical or Tubular.

The early two-thousands have not been as prolific with their catch phrases as the previous generations. They started strong with Dawg; everyone seemed to be called that at one time or another, and people liked to show off their Bling. It was as common for a person to ask, Wasssup as how are you today? An event might be described as Bitchin and that would be a good thing, but it could have an entirely different meaning when referring to a person. Hopefully, you have never been referred to as Crunk or drunk to the point of passing out.

Now we come to the mid-two thousands and the reason for me to write this piece. Have you ever entered a doctor’s office and walked up to the front desk to check in? Of course you have. The receptionist may or may not smile, but will ask for your name and date of birth. You tell her, she taps on a keyboard, and then replies, “Perfect.” What is perfect, my name? My parents thought it was, that’s why they gave it to me. Maybe it was the computer because it pulled up the correct file, or maybe she was congratulating herself for entering my name correctly. We will go through the same routine two more times, once for my address and once for my insurance information. Each step will be completed with “Perfect.”

The people you would like to hear the word perfect from, the doctor and the nurse, seldom say it. Of course, on the way out, you need to schedule a follow-up visit where once again you will hear, “Perfect.”

The other catch phrase that seems to be on the twenty-somethings' tongues is Gotcha. If they don’t want to waste a lot of time having a conversation when they could be texting or watching influencers, they say Gotcha. You may not even have finished your sentence, but they’ve Gotcha. Unfortunately, they don’t have me because I have to waste my time reexplaining what only needed to be explained once if they simply listened the first time.

Okay, so I sound like a grumpy old man that doesn’t seem to want to change with the times, but if we could go back in time just a little bit, it would be Perfect!