Warning: Old Man rant ahead.
I’m not really a Get-Off-My-Lawn! guy, but sometimes things really bring out the Geezer in me. And chief of among them are hip new words or phrases that come into vogue out of nowhere.
Derecho, for instance. I’ve already debated this on the 3 Old Geezers podcast with my fellow cohost, whom I will call “Geezer Steve.” Steve argues that derecho has been in play for years and I just haven’t noticed.
I object to that, because it’s only in the last, maybe a year, that I ever saw or heard the word. And I consume a lot of media.
If you are like me and confused as to what a derecho is, think of it as a big thunderstorm. That’s what we called them back in my day.
“Wow, look at that line of clouds, I’m pretty sure a big thunderstorm is about to hit.”
But, nooo. Now it’s a derecho, defined as a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.
Although Geezer Steve has been sending me links to stories that make reference to derechos, I contend that it’s the word flavor of the month.
There are many others, of course. Let’s start with “haboob.” It’s a big sandstorm, and back in the day they were known as “sandstorms.”
I wonder how many Western Oklahoma farmers during the Depression ran into their house shouting “there’s a haboob” about the hit? None.
See what I mean? Thunderstorms evolve into derechos and sandstorms become haboobs.
Want more? Bomb cyclone. Polar Vortex. Atmospheric river. Flash drought. I could go on all day.
It’s not all related to weather, of course. In the NFL, we have “edge rushers,” when in the old days we had defensive ends. In baseball, it’s all about launch angles today.
In popular culture, we’ve got FOMO and ghosting and Finstas and Karens and Stans and on and on.
When you’ve reached the Old Man stage like I have, there’s so much to get riled up about. And one of them is KEEPING THOSE PESKY KIDS OFF MY LAWN.
So, I’m headed outside to police my neighborhood and keep an eye out for a dreaded derecho.
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