I play doubles tennis. It’s fun playing with a partner. There is a term a few of them use which didn’t originate with the game. When a player hits a bad shot, say into the net, he might say, “my bad.” The term has been around quite a while now. I can’t help smiling when a player says those words. After all, I didn’t hit the damn ball into the net. He did. I hit plenty of bad shots during a match. If I said, “My bad” after every poor shot, I’d soon be overwhelmed. Was he taking the blame in case I was berating myself because he missed his shot?

My bad seems to have replaced “my fault.” The word “bad” suggests something less than fault. Adults can be at fault. Kids are bad, but because they’re kids, (and prone to use poor grammar,) they must be forgiven. Is that why “my bad,” which can also be substituted for “I apologize” -also an adult word, has become so popular?

Not that I think anyone should take too seriously my criticism of “my bad,” it’s just that I do have a minor obsession with words, how and why we use them. Words and buzzwords catch on for a reason. I don’t pretend to know exactly why but I have no qualms about coming up with theories.

“A hundred percent” is another buzz term. “Do you think Biden should have ended his campaign?”

“A hundred percent.” What I love about this one is the absolute certainty the term implies. There aren’t that many things in this complicated world where we can truly be certain. Sure, if your wife says do I look good in this dress, it’s fine, if not wise to answer “a hundred percent.” The same goes for answering a hundred percent when your husband says, “Buying that pontoon boat might have been a mistake.”

More often though, being completely certain feels like a trap. It’s hard, even upon reflection, to admit that we might have been wrong after having stuck our necks out. I’m proposing we go with 80% from now on.

“Len, do you think this post was worthwhile?”

“Eighty percent!”

Another bee in my bonnet today. It’s “period, full stop.” Another declaration that puts a belt and suspenders on a simple statement.

“So, your position is that Trump could have made a better pick for Vice President?”

“Absolutely! Period! Full stop!”

Will one of you kind readers enlighten me? Why do some of us say period and then add the words full stop, which after all mean period?

Another term that once served to clarify what we were saying is “I mean.” We hear it a lot these days. It’s become a way to jump start something we’re about to say. When someone says, “I mean,” what should follow is an explanation of their thoughts, perhaps to clarify something said previously. The way it’s being used now, is nothing more than a filler, like “You know.” I should know. I mean I catch myself using this one frequently.

While we’re on the topic of distorting the meaning of words, have you noticed that when someone is waiting on you, the checker at the grocery store, the clerk taking your information at the doctor’s office, or the restaurant worker taking your order, they all seem to have developed an annoying habit of responding with the word “Perfect!”

“Your last name?”

“Serafino.”

“Perfect!”

Wow! Glad I got that one right.

“May I see your driver’s license?” I show it to them, and I’m rewarded with yet another “Perfect,” as if there was a chance that I could have shown them someone else’s driver’s license.

Perfect is another word that has lost all meaning. A perfect score on a test would signify an accomplishment, right? Somehow, simply saying my last name doesn’t seem to justify such high praise.

One more. When a friend, a colleague or casual acquaintance agrees with you, it used to be sufficient to signify their agreement by saying, “You’re right.” Sorry, not good enough anymore.  Now we must be told we are “Exactly right.” In other words, perfect!

Is saying exactly before right necessary?

100 percent.