When you work in the field I do (interpreting; not speech), there’s almost no such thing as too much information. Tonight, I was reminded once again just how much I love my job. I love it because random words like ‘phallic’ pop up from time to time, and invariably, I wind up getting into a huge discussion of what, exactly, the word means.
Phil: Phallic relates to the penis.
Coworker: Not exclusively. It can be related to the vagina.
Phil: Since when? A phallus is a penis.
Coworker: But it can be feminine.
Phil: It’s a penis!
Coworker: …
Phil: It’s a penis.
As it turns out, we were both right. According to Merriam-Websiter online, ‘phallic’ can be relating to or being the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory that follows the anal stage and during which a child becomes interested in his or her own sexual organs. But a ‘phallus’ is still a dick.
hahaha well you learn something new every day.
Oh god. My last day at the old job featured my colleagues discussing the difference between succubus and incubus. Apparently once catches and one pitches, so to speak.
WHO CARES?!
If this is true, then my daughter is in the phallic stage of psychosexual development.
I have to keep telling her to get to know herself when she’s alone and not say at Target.
I don’t want her to be THAT kid with her hands in her pants all the time!
Hahah, oh fun with semantics.
Kez: It’s true! And who doesn’t love having conversations like this in front of complete strangers?
Ben: I’d like to say everyone should! But that’s not true. I totally care, but I’m in a field where such things are part of what makes language interesting, not to mention what can make the difference between doing a good job with the work or totally sucking ass. Such is the way of interpreting.
Crissy: Considering I knew a couple of jocks in high school who did that, I think your daughter is in the clear.
Andrea: Aren’t such discussions the best? Forget the detail and “normal” language and skip right to the dirty stuff, and suddenly semantics is the best thing ever.
when i think “phallic” i think “penis”. no matter what merriam says.