A quote...

[feren]

My George Carlin calendar had an interesting observation for the weekend, which was particularly apropos given it was St. Valentine's Day on Saturday.

Griddle cakes, pancakes, hotcakes, flapjacks: why are there four names for grilled batter and only one word for love?

He makes a good case.

Comments

amore

[neuracnu.livejournal.com]

I was raised baptist and we had a preacher who did a series of sermons on the different types of love: eros, storge, phileo, agape.

Eros love: Lust.

Storge love: Family love, like the love for mom and dad or weird uncle joe, even when he's been drinking.

Phileo love: I love flapjacks!

Agape love: Unconditional love, ie: "God's love", ie: the sermon's point.

God may be bunk, but the rhetoric was still interesting.

I like soup,
And I like ice cream sandwiches, too.
I like fish sticks,
But I love you.
- "I Love You" by Barenaked Ladies

Re: amore

[feren.livejournal.com]

Eskimos also have a bunch of words for snow, but we don't use them either -- even if they have been incorporated into the English language.

I believe Carlin's point was more about the mentality and use surrounding the word "love" than it was about vocabulary. Actually I would say his point was neatly summed up in the BNL quote.

Re: amore

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

Storge love: "I smell... sweaty, drinky uncle person."

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

'cause pancakes are yummy and you can get them anytime! Love, where are you going to get that this time of the day?

Re:

[feren.livejournal.com]

[Love, where are you going to get that this time of the day?]

I imagine if you're talking about the Chicago region you could start your search at the intersection of Congress and Cicero....

[frostyw.livejournal.com]

I don't see the problem; I think one word rather than four words from different parts of the country is better, but I'm probably taking this too seriously.