Lingering Language

          When, recently, I came across a prose sentence that contained the words ‘desuetude’ and ‘decrepitude’, it struck me as having crossed over into the field of poetry. Was that the author’s intention? If avoidance of poetic form had been intended, they could have chosen to write ‘decrepitness’ (though, on checking, I see that it is generally no longer in use. It has, as it were, fallen into a state of desuetude.) Besides, alliteration and assonance are but two of poetry’s constituent ingredients.

          I’m probably overthinking the issue, but that can happen when you’re out for a solo stroll – or a ‘constitutional’, in old-fashioned parlance. When our local gym closed for a two-year re-fit, I was spared the indignities of traipsing up there in sports wear to slog away on a cross-trainer to keep the old ticker in shape. I made a plausible case (to my Other Half) for not joining another, nearby, on the grounds that it was twice as costly and I could get my exercise by walking and cycling instead. Not only are they cost-free, but these are useful activities that can be co-opted to a purpose, like running errands for her, for example. My case having prevailed, I now undertake, most days, to make such excursions.

          Whether I walk or cycle depends on both the weather and my intended goal. Cycling in the rain is no fun and can be dangerous – in traffic especially. Walking in the rain, if you surrender to the spirit of it, can be akin to the childish delights of puddle splashing. Cycling on a fine day can be exhilarating, though the ‘wind-in-your-hair effect is these days somewhat cancelled by safety helmets. Still, you can cover a lot of ground on a bike in a short time, which is ideal for multi-stop missions. Walking in fine weather is a more leisurely affair and allows opportunities to listen to a podcast or observe and consider one’s surroundings. Some days, it’s a toss-up as to which I’ll choose.

          One particular day, I walked across a park and, on coming to the road, had a view of the back of the parade of shops along it. One of them, a restaurant, displayed an advertisement painted directly onto the brickwork. Although in an advanced state of decrepitude, the old-fashioned typeface remained unambiguously legible: “Catering for Beanfeasts, Parties & Clubs”.

          It was the word “beanfeasts” that intrigued me. Reminiscent of the era of Billy Bunter and jolly bunfights (whatever they were), it seemed quaint and in need of having its origins explained. The dictionary is unsure of the etymology but describes it as a meal given by employers for employees; but who “feasts” on beans these days? Even vegan cuisine has more exotic options for celebratory meals. The word may be heading for redundancy, but one certainly hopes that the tradition will not.

          Whether we like it or not, some words inevitably lose their relevance or pungency because of changes in behavioural patterns, economic activities and social etiquettes. Future generations may well scratch their heads over the origins of everyday verbs, such as ‘to google’, for example. But lose some, gain some; the English language continues to give birth to words and phrases as required, not only by behavioural changes but also by other languages and cultures mingling as the internet universalises communication between us. The Oxford Dictionary is updated regularly to acknowledge the newcomers, so I anticipate a new verb soon will replace ‘to google’. Could it be ‘to AI’?

         I hope we can come up with something more elegant than that but, meanwhile, it’s encouraging to see the adoption of words and phrases from across the globe, for while the mother nation itself faces decrepitude, at least its language has not fallen into desuetude.