Goobering (in the car and elsewhere)

“Don’t goober up my car,” said my husband, as I spread cream cheese on my bagel in the passenger seat.




“What?” I asked. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”



“I mean, don’t mess it up.”



I relayed the conversation to my mother-in-law when we reached her house. She laughed and remarked at Goober was a character on the Andy Griffith Show. All I remember about that show is some annoying and very repetitive whistling during the opening.



Todd, my husband, jumped in with the fact that Goobers are a candy, chocolate-covered peanuts to be exact.



But that still didn’t explain to me what the heck a “goober” really was and/or is. Turns out that “goober” has come to mean a silly goofball, a dimwit, someone with no common sense. By that definition, even I could at times be classified as a “goober.”



But this slang definition arose from the character of Goober Pyle in the Andy Griffith show. Goober served as Mayberry’s village idiot, acting in childish and foolish ways. In pop culture it has become synonymous with the word dork. (Which also has a double meaning, but we’ll save that for next time).



As for the chocolate covered peanuts? “Goober” is also a slang term for peanut, and was probably used as such long before the invention of the Goober Pyle character.



Now what about “hairy goomer?” Or is that “gomer”?

Cool beans (taste good!)

A phrase I use often is "cool beans." It definitely has some cheese factor, but it is just more descriptive than the over-used "cool." I also use other random phrases like "I come bearing gifts" and "hark, who goes there?" but we'll save those for another time. I'm pretty sure those two are quotes...from something.

According to a Urbandictionary.com, "cool beans" originated in the pop culture vernacular sometime in the '70's. The exact origin, however, is unclear. Apparently one of the characters on Full House (very likely Stephanie) used the phrase ad nauseum. Given that I watched the show all the time during my formative childhood years, it is probable that is where I picked it up.

On a side note, cool beans (literal beans I'm talking about here) taste really good. I always eat baked beans straight from the can, and they actually taste funny to me if they've been heated up. I used to tell my mom that if I was ever homeless I would just eat Bush's baked beans all the time, because I wouldn't even need a microwave to warm them. Of course, I would need a can opener.

Office space is a verb

I love it when nouns become verbs in everyday usage. What I love even more is when pop culture words or phrases pop into everyday usage - as long as I know the reference. It's like having a little inside joke - that only people who know the reference can understand.

In high school it was "this one time...at band camp..." Sadly, it wasn't until I was in college that I finally watched American Pie and got the story behind that one. And I was in band. And I played the flute. You see the dilemma. At least I never went to summer band camp.

At work the other day, one of the other managers asked if he could "Office Space the microwave." The only thing I could think was "when did Office Space become a verb?" He wanted to throw the microwave (which no longer works) from the roof. Sounded like fun to me! Of course, that could definitely leed to a lawsuit or two if you were to hit a customer.

All Apologies

I have been MIA for the past few weeks due to the fact that I have been moving, unpacking, and had an utter lack of Internet access. All I have to say is yay for WiFi and access at restaurants. This is now coming to you live from Panera Bread. Yummy panini.