Sunday, December 09, 2007

Space - The Final Frontier

I think I noticed this a long time ago but simply pretended that it wasn't happening, but today I was watching TV shows on the DIY channel - "Watch as our unnaturally perky host replaces a toilet!" - and it struck me that nobody says "room" any more. Everything's a "space". What a lovely space, this a large space, I need a relaxation space, I painted this space white.

Not that it really matters. Compared to the issues that really gnaw at me, like profligate consumption of limited fossil fuel resources with nothing coming along to replace them, or an Administration that seemed bound and determined to invent a reason to go to war with Iran no matter what anyone or anything says otherwise, the overuse of the word space on TV shows that are probably secretly underwritten by Home Depot and Lowe's is really pretty minor.

But it still sounds weird. It makes me wonder what barbecue conversations will sound like in a few years.

"Say, Richard, just how big is this house?"

"Oh, it's four thousand square feet, five bedspaces."

"Cool. Say, Marge wants to know where the bathspace is."

"Ah, you go past the foodspace, and down the narrowspace, and there's the bathspace. Say, who's got gutspace for more burgers, there are more coming off the grill!"

PS: Replacing a toilet never makes me perky. So what am I doing wrong?

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