The exclaimed "Oh!" can be at its worst when it is ominous; when it is exclaimed by my elderly mother. On my last visit, I heard its high-pitched ring from her bedroom, and I found her on her fanny, legs sprawled out. She'd slipped off her too-slippery blue satin bedspread, as she tends to sit down too close to edge of the bed.
Luckily it was just a little slip, not a fall, and that "Oh!" hopefully has been squelched, as we have placed a thick nubby throw over the slippery bedspread.
My favorite "Oh!" is the revelatory one exclaimed by my children.
Actually it can be more of an "Oooooh!" as certain truths (or non-truths) dawn on one or the other of my boys. As when Kenny can be thinking thoughtfully, as he can when we're stuck in traffic and there is no Nintendo DS: "Oooooooh! Guess what! Do you even know what the world would be like if there were no children? Santa's elves would have no jobs. Because there would be no toys to make. And then Santa would not need his sleigh."
Here's the history behind this particularly exclamatory "Ooooooh": Ryan likes to turn every new toy over to see where it's been made, and (lost in his own thoughts, as he was deprived of his own Nintendo DS) he'd asked why was it everything was made in China.
I'd launched into the true story of how it seems that everything is made in China because a lot of factories have closed down in our own country. And without the factories there are a lot of lost jobs.
"You mean like the Oompa Loompas," Kenny had said. "They worked in a factory." (We're in the midst of reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)
Then there's the less enthusiastic "Oh." The "Oh" which is as dully expressive as my boys' new favorite, the "whatever." As on this same car trip, when Kenny ruminatively began picking his nose, and I launched into my new mantra that newly-minted seven year old boys (he turned seven on Easter) can no longer pick their noses.
"Oh." So he stopped. Only to resume something equally annoying, if not quite as repulsive, popping the air out of his cheeks like popping balloons.
16 comments:
such a little word--gets a lot of mileage--great post
OH NO is RIGHT..picking noses is a definite NO NO... :0)
Oh is my daughter's go to response when I tell her things she really doesn't want to hear. Except when she says "Oh" it is usually followed by a pause and "Okay then". Some example would be "You have your physical next week." or "Didn't I ask you to wash the dishes?" or "You really need to pick up your grades." Her response is "Oh, Okay then." and not in a freindly tone of voice, either.
-Debbie
Oh! Just a small word, but with so many different meanings depending on how it's said. Great post for the letter O!
Count your blessings. Won't be too long now before your son learns that wonderful sound effect, armpit farts.
A little chuckle-- Oh seems to take on the meaning of 'whatever' around here too! LOLOL
Cheers, Jenn
http://www.wine-n-chat.com
LOL. I love this... and I am sure for the rest of the day I will be listening for "Ohhhhh"... as an actor, I play with words like this sometimes, see how many different meanings my inflection may squeeze out of them. :~)
Julie Jordan Scott
Fellow A to Z Challenge Writer
twitter: @juliejordanscot
O is for Octavia
On a Mission to Spread Word-Love Throughout the World
Good post, Made me smile! Thank you
Oh! You made me smile! Loved the stories of the many different Ohs. :D
Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Oh,dear...great post!
Oh! he he he good job and a nice take on the prompt! It's a cool work, isn't it?
You really had me laughing with this one Sandra. Oh, and btw... (grinZ... I just HAD to... say it once)... :-)
There are so many variations of "oh" when we think about it. Great O post.
This Ryan's a smart guy. I'm always looking to see where things are made.
Lee
Places I Remember
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
LOL I love it!
I've loved your last five posts, and am sorry to have been tardy in commenting. I had to come and catch up, but now I'll get your posts in my email inbox. Thanks for providing wisdom and a smile in equal measures.
Best wishes,
Casey
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