Being ‘woke’

 

Being ‘woke’

                                        Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

What does ‘woke’ mean, now that it is not solely the past tense of ‘wake’?

Merriam-Webster says, ‘aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) and identified as U.S. slang. It originated in African American English and gained more widespread use beginning in 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. By the end of that same decade it was also being applied by some as a general pejorative for anyone who is or appears to be politically left-leaning.’

The OED defines it thus: 'woke, adjective: Originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice; frequently in stay woke.’  

What was the OED thinking in that final phrase ’frequently in stay woke’? It makes no sense! The addition of 'used' between the first and second words might help!

‘In the current climate’ – (how I hate that phrase!) - we are obliged to turn somersaults and trip over our tongues to be ‘inclusive’ at all times. With that in mind, I offer the following thought:-

‘Man’ should be replaced by ‘person’ to avoid embarrassment, misgendering, offence. Chairman has been chairperson for many a long year, but let’s take further steps.

Just a quick list – I’m sure you can think of more.

Manacles - personacles

Manchester is now Personchester and the Manager of Manchester United (or City) is now the Personager of Personchester United (or City)

mandatory – persondatory

mandibles – persondibles

manhood – personhood

manicure -personicure

manifold – personifold

Manitoba – Personitoba

mankind - personkind

‘Mansfield Park’ by Jane Austen is now ‘Personsfield Park’

manta ray – personta ray

mantra -persontra

manufacture – personufacture

manuscript – personuscript 

A man and his dog . . .

Barry received this from a friend today - I thought you'd like to share it!

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them . . .

After a while they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate and as he got closer he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'
'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.
'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the traveller asked.
'Of course, sir. Come right in and I'll have some iced water brought right up'.
The man gestured and the gate began to open.
'Can my friend', gesturing toward his dog, 'come in too?' the traveller asked.
'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'
The man thought for a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk and at the top of another long hill he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate he saw a man inside leaning against a tree and reading a book.
'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'
'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in . . .'
'How about my friend here?' the traveller gestured to the dog.
'There should be a bowl by the pump.'
They went through the gate and sure enough there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveller filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full he and the dog walked back toward the man standing by the tree.
'What do you call this place?' the traveller asked.
'This is Heaven,' he answered.
'Well, that's confusing,' the traveller said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'
'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'
'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'
'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'