Court filings are full of bloviation and nonsense. But every now and then, my eye will land on a precious little nugget that is simply delightful.
Dear Attorney,
My Client, Constance Boorish, has been dutifully doing lots of worthy things for lots of worthy purposes, and would never do otherwise. Blah-Blah.
In addition, to the many wondrous acts of kindness and self-sacrifice, my Client, frequently brought the deceased various niceties on a regular basis.
Niceties.
I paused to take that in. I can honestly say I had never seen or heard anyone use that word. Could it be from a Dickens play? Is that a word that can only be spoken by a Brit with a falsetto delivery?
My interest was piqued. Should I do a survey and ask around. That would be fun. What exactly is a nicety? Can you eat it? That’s always where my mind goes first. It must surely be nice. Maybe a piece of cake with rosettes? A lavender sachet? Great bourbon?
We can have fun with this one, because your nicety is not my nicety.
Unfortunately, a little research told me the word was actually misused. It actually means a fine point or a convenience, not typically something you put in a sack and take to a neighbor.
But hey, let’s all give each other niceties in 2023! I vote for niceties for all. We can make it a new happy gifty word.
And while we are taking on Nicety, let’s unload a few deadly words, like “empower,” It reminds me of the joke – if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it. Same concept. It comes on strong, but if you have to use it, …well you get the idea.
Anyway, I plan promote Nicety all year long. Keep an eye out for other word candidates. I am open to suggestions from the floor.