Coulda Shoulda Woulda

[clevermanka]

I hate it when people respond to a question of availability with "I should be able to do that."

Really. You should, huh? So what's preventing you?

"I should be able to meet with you, but I would rather not."

"I should be there, but I might not feel like getting out of bed that morning."

"I should be around, but if I find something better to do, I want to leave my options open."

The only time the use of "I should..." doesn't annoy me is when it's followed by "but I don't have my planner with me. Can I email/call you back to confirm?" or maybe "I should be around, but I'll call you if I have to leave."

Just saying "I should be around" or "I should be able to make it to your party" marks you as an indecisive wimp who's not-so-subtly hedging your bets.

Whew. That's off my chest.

Now here's a question. Given the obvious tie-in with my last name, why have I not considered (until now) making this costume:



The guy in this video is annoying as fuck, but check out his DIY chainsaw. Awesome.

I'm sure I can figure out a way to do that torn-open shirt effect (without breaking public decency laws, you pervs). I'm sure tons of guys have already done it, but I bet there's not many chicks out there sporting this one. Dunno that I'll be trying it soon (I'm not willing to throw out Arabian Nights again), but it's certainly in the Queue of Possibility.

Comments

At the risk of appearing pedantic.. (ha)

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

"Should" in this case is a generic conditional, an acknowledgment of a lack of control of understanding of future events, from a grammatical point of view anyway. It's A bit like saying "like", in that it is essentially indicating a lack of precision. The annoyance comes, or could, when the lack of precision is taken as a lack of concern for precision. Ultimately it's not as bad as affecting weird accents, or long streams of parentheticals or even being a nudje

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

an acknowledgment of a lack of control of understanding of future events, from a grammatical point of view

If I thought the people in question were using it with that in mind, it wouldn't annoy me. The people who annoy me by their use of this phrase use it all the time.

Ultimately it's not as bad as affecting weird accents...

It's not as bad as the mass killings in Rwanda, either, but it still bugs me.

[grnvixen.livejournal.com]

ROTFL! Yes, this outfit could be soooo you :). Hmmm, think strategically placed leather strapping.....

Mom was right..

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

She used to say, "You oughtn't to should on yourself." Odd but funny and made the point.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I think it would be a hoot! Maybe for 2011.

[verminiusrex.livejournal.com]

When I say "should", it means "I fully intent to, but I have a wife and two kids who like to make my life unpredictable by introducing random emergencies with the sole purpose of making my life difficult." But "should" is shorter.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Right. I don't do it out of a lack of concern/interest but just the realization that the future is not wholly under my control. Comes from living with a Chaote...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I guess this could be a reason why I don't often ask you if you're available to do things.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm curious why people are feeling the need to defend themselves. Especially people with whom I'm not socially active.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Because you attacked/insulted a phrase that can be used for legitimate reasons?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I think you SHOULD do the Ash costume for ConQuest! It SHOULD look good on you. I SHOULD be able to rig up my chainsaw to suit the effect. People SHOULD like it.

(See? Should can be okay sometimes *g*)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yes, but those aren't the kind of uses I'm talking about, are they?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I know! It's hard to do it in the way you mean.

Oh, how about this: I should be... um, dammit.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Whatever, dude. I don't know why this is so important to you.

I said it pissed me off when people used that in conversation with me and put them in a negative light. By justifing your own use of the phrase in a personal manner, you sound whiny and defensive to me. If you want to attempt to make your point in a rational way, you might take a few tips from femfataleatron's method, above.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It's hard to do it in the way you mean.

That's because you're not a waffling douche-hat.

[madmatmax.livejournal.com]

I'm guilty of using should in terms availability. It's usually in terms of probabilistic uncertainty, but when I worked retail it was to be noncommittal.

For some reason I find the use of the word 'sure' to be annoying in these types of cases. For some reason there is some sort of sarcastic overtone.

A simple yes usually is best

[grnvixen.livejournal.com]

This just popped into my head: leather corset, suitably scruffy. Scruffy, but girly, blouse, ripped in all the right places. Leather strips for effect.

Oh yeah, and bigdammgun of course!

I like :).

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, it's really not that important to me; I'll leave you to your concerns.

[slinka.livejournal.com]

"waffling douche-hat."

Oh, I wish I could use that. "Should" used in that context annoys the crap out of me too.

[pms-inc.livejournal.com]

I did this recently- I'm made of schmuckage and will be more cognoscente of that from this point forward. Point taken.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Aren't you the clever thing!?!?!? I never would have thought to feminize it!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Solidarity, sister.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

A simple yes usually is best

And you know exactly what I am talking about, so don't you start, smartypants!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

As someone pointed out in email, it's the opposite end of someone asking "are you doing anything Saturday" and then if you say yes and don't wanna do whatever they're offering, you're sorta fucked. =D

And you are not made of schmuckage. Even if you continue to use it! Just because I don't like something doesn't mean it's evil, after all.

LOL

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

It totally bugs the crap out of me too and I know we have at least one mutual acquaintiance who ALWAYS responds in that format.

[grnvixen.livejournal.com]

But of course, scruffy is sexy in the feminine too :).

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

We seem to have a mutual lot of things. =)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh yes indeedy!

True That

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

:)

Hope you had a good holiday!