TM 258: What words would you like to see added to/removed from common use?
“It was amazing -” Tony Profaci began, but before he could finish, Mike cut him off.
“What the hell does that even mean?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Mike kicked back his scotch. “Ahhh-MAAHHH-zing - so you were amazed? You were stunned? You couldn’t move? Jesus, I’m sick of that word.”
“You get crankier every year, Logan,” said Profaci, “and that’s sayin’ something, ‘cause you started out as a serious asshole.”
“Whatever - and I’m sick a’ that, too.” Mike gestured to the bartender with his empty glass. “Whatever, whatever, whatever. People mean shut the fuck up, they should say shut the fuck up.”
Tony shook his head. Logan was usually pretty cranky around the holidays, but the guy was hitting an all-time-low. “Look,” he tried to change the subject, “You gonna invite Don Cragen to your house this year?”
“I dunno, but I’m sure as shit not gonna promise him an amazing time - or tell him it’ll be cool. Goddamn, I hate how everyone has to say things are “cool” - who the hell appointed your average asshole the arbiter of what’s cool or not? Like a Staten Island soccer mom would know “cool” if it bit her on the ass.”
“Mike, maybe you oughtta lay off the booze for tonight.” He’d seen Mike get mean drunk before, and this was exactly where the night was headed. “Come on, man, let me get you home.”
Surprisingly, Logan looked at his glass, emptied it, then threw down the cash for his tab. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. ‘s been a long day, that’s all.” He stood, a little unsteadily.
“It’s okay, Mike. It happens.”
“Yeah, yeah. “It happens,” “See ya,” “Time to go,” - those all still work for me.” Logan swayed a little as he put on his jacket, staring out into the winter night.
“It’ll be fine, Mike.”
“Yeah? You know what, Tony? That’s just another buncha words. I’m getting’ sick of all a’ ‘em. Sometimes, I’d just like to erase ‘em all. Think I’m gonna go to sleep, let it be quiet for a while.”
“You’ll see, Mike,” Tony said, even though he knew the cliché was a stale as they came; didn’t mean it wasn’t true, though. “Get some sleep - it’ll be better in the morning.”
“What the hell does that even mean?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Mike kicked back his scotch. “Ahhh-MAAHHH-zing - so you were amazed? You were stunned? You couldn’t move? Jesus, I’m sick of that word.”
“You get crankier every year, Logan,” said Profaci, “and that’s sayin’ something, ‘cause you started out as a serious asshole.”
“Whatever - and I’m sick a’ that, too.” Mike gestured to the bartender with his empty glass. “Whatever, whatever, whatever. People mean shut the fuck up, they should say shut the fuck up.”
Tony shook his head. Logan was usually pretty cranky around the holidays, but the guy was hitting an all-time-low. “Look,” he tried to change the subject, “You gonna invite Don Cragen to your house this year?”
“I dunno, but I’m sure as shit not gonna promise him an amazing time - or tell him it’ll be cool. Goddamn, I hate how everyone has to say things are “cool” - who the hell appointed your average asshole the arbiter of what’s cool or not? Like a Staten Island soccer mom would know “cool” if it bit her on the ass.”
“Mike, maybe you oughtta lay off the booze for tonight.” He’d seen Mike get mean drunk before, and this was exactly where the night was headed. “Come on, man, let me get you home.”
Surprisingly, Logan looked at his glass, emptied it, then threw down the cash for his tab. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. ‘s been a long day, that’s all.” He stood, a little unsteadily.
“It’s okay, Mike. It happens.”
“Yeah, yeah. “It happens,” “See ya,” “Time to go,” - those all still work for me.” Logan swayed a little as he put on his jacket, staring out into the winter night.
“It’ll be fine, Mike.”
“Yeah? You know what, Tony? That’s just another buncha words. I’m getting’ sick of all a’ ‘em. Sometimes, I’d just like to erase ‘em all. Think I’m gonna go to sleep, let it be quiet for a while.”
“You’ll see, Mike,” Tony said, even though he knew the cliché was a stale as they came; didn’t mean it wasn’t true, though. “Get some sleep - it’ll be better in the morning.”