BULL . . . pucky

(Photo stolen from ShanghaiChew on Flickr)

Week two of summer vacation is here. I really need to send thank you notes to the girls' teachers, who are a credit to our education system.

We are so very lucky to have the school that we have, which is a jewel. Involved parents, fantastic teachers, and a very wholesome environment. I discuss this with the girls' grandparents quite a bit, and often when I talk with my father about his own elementary education, the following story comes up.

Dad grew up in Berkeley, California, before and during World War II, when Berkeley was known for the excellence of its schools and for little else. Even so, he remembers little about his teachers or his school days . . . except this incident, which comes up often in conversation.

David's (my dad) second grade (or thereabouts) teacher very unfairly asked her pupils if they had ever heard their parents swear. This was hugely unwise and would get her fired today, but in about 1942 people were a tad preoccupied with a war or something.

When it was little David's turn to answer, he told the teacher, "My father never swears, but one time? I heard my mother say 'bullshit.'"

My poor grandma, when she later heard the story, was horrified. She was not a woman to swear, but obviously she did at least once. She was quite pregnant with her third child in June for little David's birthday, and she made her husband, my quiet grandfather, take the day off to bring cupcakes into the classroom that day because she refused to show her face.

In later years she was able to recognize the humor of the situation, which is part of why I loved her.

Comments

[Da Goddess]

My grandmother taught me one of the most precious bits of swearing ever. Made me love her so much more.

[mommypie]

Bullshit IS a great word.

I remember hearing my mom swear once. The word was asshole.

Thirty years later, I can't stop with the bunghole/cornholio/poop/fart jokes. Coincidence?

[Suzanne Broughton]

"YOu like that word 'bullshit' don't you?" Did you see On Golden Pond? That's a quote--my favorite quote--from that movie. And now back to comments that are actually relevant to your post...

[Chesapeake Bay Woman]

Out of the mouth of Dave's...

My grandmother used to always say, "What in the HELL-o Pete is she doing?" A clever way of cussing but not really because she's saying What in the...HELLO PETE! and get away with it.

Or something like that.

I need a cupcake. Make it a dozen.

[Martha]

My husband's grandmother was, shall we say, colorful in her expressions. If she disagreed with someone, which she often did, she was prone to say "well he's a horses ass anyway." :-)

[Kathi D]

Oh Bob Cleveland!

I once overheard my dad talking with my uncles late at night at Grandma's house and my dad said the "s" word and I was SHOCKED! I had never heard him swear, nor did I ever catch him doing it again. That bad "uncle influence" must have done him in.

[Elaina]

Haha! I love stories like that. I have some Grandma cursing stories I could tell now but I'll save that for when I might do so in an optimally embarrassing moment, like when the pastor comes to visit her.

[Bob Cleveland]

"She was quite pregnant with her third child in June for little David's birthday..."

WOW. I had enough trouble getting mom to even WISH ME a happy birthday, let alone get ..... uhhh .... you know....

[JD at I Do Things]

Aw. I love a swearing grandma. Sounds like she was entitled to it. And now I want cupcakes.