Watch Your Words

Today I am sharing a poem on the power of words: how they can haunt the writer or speaker indefinitely. Written by Canadian farmer and writer Robert Kirkland Kernighan, it warns the reader to “be careful” with words as they may have dire consequences. On the other hand, it may be argued that actions speak louder than words, but that is a different story altogether.

"Chickens Come Home to Roost"

by Robert Kirkland Kernighan

The world is wide and the faithful tide

Returns to the welcome sands;
It 's often true that the work we do

Comes back to its maker's hands.
And every man knows the wondrous plan

By creation introduced:
Be it soon or late, at a certain date,

The chickens come home to roost.

Be careful, then, ye sons of men,

What reckless words ye say;
Be they good or ill, your sayings will

On your threshold stand some day.
You 'll bear the blame, for all the shame

Was by your lips produced;
You 'll know it then, and feel it when

Your chickens come home to roost.

Many a time you 've dipped in slime

The name of a modest maid;
With scandal's dirt you Ve fouled her skirt

And made her soul afraid.
Your evil tongues have snapped the rungs

Till the ladder of fame was loosed,
But you 'll get your pay at the close of day

When the chickens come home to roost.

The words you say are hidden away
On the fateful judgment shelf;

You 'll yield your breath in a fearful death
'Neath the wall you Ve built yourself.

Be careful, then, ye sons of men,

When the shadows are all unloosed,

For soon or late you must face your fate
When your chickens come home to roost.

Word of the Year 2022

As usual at the end of every year, it is enlightening to look back at the top-rated words worldwide, based on different sources. Interestingly this time I came across Russian words of the year that reflect the war on Ukraine. In an article by Michele Berdy, The Moscow Times reports that, every year, a group of word enthusiasts, led by linguist and professor of Russian language and literature Mikhail Epstein, identify the words that capture the spirit of the year. Unfortunately, in the past year, most of these words related to war. By 2022, Covid-related terms had almost disappeared from everyday speech, to be replaced with military-related terms, the top three words being a word for war/ military and words for mobilization and relocation. Other words of the year include terms for refugees, sanctions, and occupation. In the category of expressions of the year, the top one refers to “special military operation”, the second being an expression for “no to war”.

The Merriam-Webster word of the year, lookups for which had risen by 1740%, is gaslighting: “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage”. It is reported to be used in both personal and political contexts, especially in relation to fake news, deepfakes, and artificial intelligence. Derived from the title of a 1938 play and movie, the origin of the word sheds light on its meaning.  In the story, a man attempting to convince his wife that she is going insane causes the gaslights of the house to dim due to work he is doing in the attic but has his wife believe that she is imagining that or hallucinating. According to Merriam-Webster, the initial meaning of the term was one of “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator”. Part of a “deliberate conspiracy to deceive”, it relates to lies that prop up a “larger plan”.

The second Merriam-Webster word of the year, inspired by western sanctions on Russian leaders and their families is oligarch, from oligarchy (rule of the few). The third term is omicron, the Covid 19 variant.

The Oxford word of the year is goblin mode, slang for "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy" behaviour. Though first used in 2009, it proliferated greatly after Covid restrictions were eased, referring to people who did not want to return to the old way of life. The second top-rated word is metaverse, followed by #IStandWith.

Referring to the difficult times the UK is experiencing, permacrisis is the Collins word of the year, a term for “an extended period of instability and insecurity”. It also applies to global issues such as the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the cost-of-living crisis.

In Lebanon I would say the Arabic word for collapse should be considered the word of the year, followed closely by that for corruption.