Grunt and Grumble
Why do men in the country talk that way?
One spring morning, I stopped at Stewart's, the local convenience store, to get the New York papers and some coffee. I eavesdropped on the two guys in front of me as they poured enormous quantities of cream and sugar into their cardboard coffee cups.
Man in blue cap: "Hey."
Man in red cap: "Hey."
Blue Cap: "So, you still working over at—"
Red Cap: "Yup."
Blue: "You get your—"
Red: "Yeah, all fixed."
Blue: "I bet it was—"
Red: "More than two grand …"
Blue: "Ouch. So you lost—"
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Jon Katz’s latest book, Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die, was published by Random House last October. You can visit him at www.bedlamfarm.com and http://www.facebook.com/BedlamFarm or email him at jon@bedlamfarm.com.
Photograph by Peter Hanks.