Sunday, May 25, 2008

Oh, Huh!

When my sister was younger and found herself backed up against a logical wall, she would frequently respond to facts with a vehement, "Oh, huh!"

Recently, I've discovered the root of this: our own dear mother. I don't particularly remember her 35 years ago resorting to any presentation of uncomfortable fact about a Republican with something like, "Well, did you hear what Hillary did?" She may have, and it really is the rhetorical equivalent of, "Oh, huh!"

There comes a time when we must converse like adults, and the fact that "Oh, huh!" is not the answer to a parry or point.

Irony alert: my mother is currently a professor of rhetoric at a small sectarian college in the Northeast, where she is proud of how she is able to stand her ground against the Liberals.