And now for something completely different. I am participating in the A-to-Z Blog post challenge. The challenge involves writing a post most days in April relating to a letter of the alphabet. These posts may not be as polished as some of the other posts on Feeling Fit and I may go off topic. I may evolve them into something more polished later…
A is For Amusing Aunties
Have you ever misheard or misunderstood a common phrase or expression? Sometimes it seems that I live under a rock. I recall being out for happy hour drinks on a girls night with former colleagues. While we enjoyed cocktails and appetizers, one friend mentioned she is expecting her Aunt Flo to visit at any time and may need to excuse herself.
Yes, you may have guessed where this is going! I am sure I heard people use the expression Aunt Flo in this way, but I never really connected with the meaning. I actually thought she was literally talking about an aunt coming to visit.
So I commented, “You and your aunt must be very close, if I recall she also visited you last month.”
My friends started laughing, I think they thought I was making a joke. Then silence fell upon them as they realized I was asking a sincere question.
The response from my friend as she raised one eyebrow and gave a slight Mona Lisa smile, “Yes, she visits every 28 days without fail.”
Something in her facial expression made me realize this “Aunt Flo” was actually “Aunt Flow”. Then I realize I had heard this expression on occasion before. It just wasn’t one commonly used among my family or friends. I had imagined her Aunt Flo as a vivacious aunt similar to Auntie Mame. I thought it was so cool this fun-loving Aunt seemed to visit so often. How disappointing the truth is sometimes!
Conversation Topic:
Have you ever had a moment where you realized that you misunderstood the meaning of a common phrase or expression? I would love to hear (read) about it!
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