Elaine’s Weird Word of the Week: Aight?

Language is a powerful thing. You can hurt people with words, or make them feel warm and fuzzy. You can also enjoy the humor of what I call "weird words." These are words that are often colloquial and native to certain parts of the country.

My Weird Word of the Week is "Aight." "Aight" is a country saying, most often found in the South, or among rednecks, combining two words that mean "okay" - "all" and "right."

Although, "all right" is actually spelled with one "L" - alright?
But, it's actually pronounced with a long "I" (eyet).

You may have noticed the recent upsurge in this word in social networking websites like facebook, or as I've noticed in texts from my children.

For example, my 14-year-old son Shane may text me and say, "Bring home some more Dr. Pepper, aight?"
And, my cousin Brian from Alba, Texas, used this word when he came to visit me in the hospital last summer.

"Are they treating you good here? If not, just tell me and I'll take care of 'em, aight?"

I was a little concerned about what he meant.

Perhaps the funniest incident that I've witnessed involving the word, "aight," is when KEEL Morning News anchor Angela Thomas, used it in the control room on Friday. I asked her a question and her response was short and sweet - "Aight."

It was hysterical to me that this country-fried expression was coming out of the mouth of a "newsy" anchor woman. However, I don't think she's ever used the word "aight" in a newscast or on the radio.

Enjoy this word and tune in to my show next week for another edition of "Elaine's Weird Word of the Week."
Aight?