Hello, Honey, Elvira Mistress of Felinity here.
I'm more than just a great looking Pussycat, I'll have you know!
Bold, Fresh, Smooth, and the most delightful Pussycat in the world!
You can call me Mistress Elvira, for short, just don't call me late for dinner, treats, a nap, or a snooze!
Welcome to The Elvira Factor!
You are about to enter the No Bull Zone!
Grab your tails, Felinity Assembled, it's going to be a bumpy ride! ;-D
(You missed the debut? Shame on you! ;-D )
Now for the Meowing Points Memo:
Sometimes the Humans can be so...so...oh, hell, I don't have a word for it...yet. After all I only just celebrated my first birthday this week. ;-D
When I laid down on Daddy's copy of the the OC Register, yesterday, in an effort to get a belly rub...I got distracted.
HEADLINE: No more 'smooth puss' buttons for San Juan ... for now.
Reporter Brittany Levine reports that the "San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association ends traditional Hoos'gow Day phrase because of what some consider its offensive alternate meaning."
After reading the full story I find the whole idea very hard to, um, swallow.
As she writes:
For almost 30 years, residents dressed as deputies have been locking up folks with hair-free faces in fake jail cells the day before the Swallows Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano. The only way out: Buy a button with the phrase "smooth puss" for $5.
But this year, "smooth puss" has been retired. The Old West phrase refers to a man with a clean-shaven face, but it's taken on another meaning over the years – one related to female anatomy – that many find offensive.
Political Correctness runs amuck, yet again.( The comments show that even some Humans are scratching their heads over this. )
Now I know how my mentor, Nikita, feels when he defends the word Pussy from the Vulgarians, and Language Police.
A spokeswoman for the Association claims they will look into the matter, and could change their mind again next year.
I plan on writing them a note, to see what they have to say for themselves, and will report on what they have to say, if anything.
In the meantime the 2 Board Members who voted for this change, and those in the regular membership who agree with them, are Knuckleheads.
And that's the Memo! ;-D
Next up is...My Word!
Yes, the word is "Puss"...Shame on you if you thought otherwise. ;-D
As Nikita has long pointed out...There once was a time, up until the last quarter of the previous century, when there was not a Human alive, male or female, who didn't love Cats, that was not ashamed to stand on their front or back porch, or in their yard, and joyfully yell Pussy, or the shorter Puss, at the top of their lungs, day or night, when calling in the family Feline.
The history of a word:
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Puss was used as a "call-name" for cats in both German and English, but pussy was used in English more as a synonym for "cat": compare "pussycat". In addition to cats, the word was also used for rabbits and hares as well as a humorous name for tigers. In the 19th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the meaning was extended "in childish speech, applied to anything soft and furry", as in pussy willow.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories, which Daddy has on his bookshelf, the word, and its informal short version "Puss", goes back to the very early 16th century and before.
Nikita has been defending these words for years, in great detail, an effort that many Humans don't know how to deal with. ;-D
More relevant to this particular story is the fact that, as the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.) points out, as far back as 1890, "Puss" has been used as a slang term for "Face".
The long, honorable, history of this word is undeniable, and should not be ruined by the other, vulgar, uses it, and its longer parent, have been tied to.
When used in their proper context there is nothing wrong with them being spoken, or printed, in a public venue, and only the Politically Correct, or the ignorant, un-informed, and sex obsessed, would think so.
Take the word "Smooth", when married to the word "Puss".
What's wrong with pointing out that a Human has a Smooth Puss, or face, when the context is obvious?
Where we Felines are concerned the Slang meanings for "Smooth" are actually quite complimentary, especially to a Lady Cat, like myself, when paired with "Puss".
The Online Slang Dictionary defines Smooth this way: Cool, Awesome, Phat, etc...
The Urban Dictionary says "Smooth" means one is cool, slick, awesome, suave, nice, hot, sweet, clean, amazing, smart, sly, beautiful, funny, good, stylish, perfect, great , and sexy, among other uses, and I have no problem with any of those, and don't know any Cats who would.
For cryin' out loud, some Humans really DO need to get a life! ;-D
Daddy says that if there was a way he could do it, and not take 6 hours to get there visit the event, and go back home (The time spent on the bus is 2 hours each way), he'd put me in the Stroller, and we'd go down there on March 25th, and get our Butts "arrested".
It would be well worth the $5, or $10, hee, hee! ;-D
Our Patriot, this edition, is actually 2 Patriots.
The unknown member of the Fiesta Association who showed good Common Sense in not agreeing with his, or her, colleagues.
Reporter Brittany Levine, of the OC Register/Capo Valley News, for bringing this story to the attention of the general public.
Well, that's it for this edition.
Dear reader, your comments about anything you read in this post, or any other, past, present, or future, on this blog, are welcomed, and encouraged.
Thank You, and Good Day! ;-D
***UPDATE - 2PM***
Letter sent! ;-D
Elvira to Fiesta Association: May I Have a Word?
***END UPDATE***
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