Sop

My wife of some 45 years and I get along just fine. Always have. Seems to be one of those “a match made in Heaven” deals. I can count on one hand any disagreements we have had. Well, make that two hands depending on your definition of “disagreement.” We never have had a “knock down, drag out” confrontation. If we have, then possibly I was unconscious and never knew what happened.

I was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Port Arthur, Texas so I am a Texan. Mardell was born in Watertown, New York so she is a Yankee. Now I do not hold that against her. A child is born wherever and whenever a mother decides to give birth.

There is nothing wrong with a Texan marrying a Yankee. Well, almost nothing.
There are one or two innate problems that exist from time to time when a guy from Southeast Texas attempts to engage a Yankee in conversation. Especially a Yankee spouse. Little language glitches show up unannounced but with regularity.

For example the other evening while dining out, I mentioned to my wife that I was going to order some additional biscuits so that I could “sop up my gravy.” My wife turned into a horrified face and either asked or exclaimed, “You are going to do what?!”

By the way, my wife’s name is Mardell. As stated, we have been married for 45 years. She is a beautiful Christian lady with a sweet and gentle spirit. Sometimes that sweet and gentle spirit becomes a bit strained when some of my actions tend to fray on her beautiful disposition. I understand that. You see, Mardell is part German and part Cherokee Indian. I just try not to make her mad.

Anyway, Mardell explained to me that “sop” was an old word. “One that no one uses anymore,” she lectured. I tried to retort that I was an old man and that my language usage came with the package. In other words, not only is it what you see but also what you hear is what you get. She seemed un-amused with this great wisdom.

I thought to myself, “How ironic that someone who dunks her French fries in catsup would question my sopping gravy with biscuits.” I didn’t say that aloud because you really do not want a mad German and a mad Cherokee Indian coming toward you with unclear intentions.

But I did explain that “sop” still is a great word used in Texas by Texans. “Sop” is defined in the dictionary as, “… a piece of food dipped or steeped in a liquid.” And the word “steeped” is defined as, “… the process of soaking in a liquid.”

Also, our word “sop” is akin to “sup” which is from the same root as our word, “supper.” By the way, the dictionary defines “supper” as, “… the evening meal.”
Some folks such as my wife call the evening meal “dinner.” We get the term “dinner” from the French “diner” meaning “to dine.” So should you eat at a diner in the evening, you might refer to that meal as a “dinner,” because you are dining at a diner. But in reality you are eating a “dinner supper.” You might even eat breakfast at a diner. That would be a “dinner breakfast.” Lunch eaten at a diner would be “dinner.”

Mardell speaks what I call, “Yankan and she “dunks.” I speak Texan and “sop.” And I’ll not even get into a discussion of “sip” and “sipping.” But it is all related. Look it up but don’t forget your Dinner Jacket.

This Yankee/Texan couple get along great as long as I have a dictionary to keep her English straight.

Winston Hamby
WinHamby@comcast.net