Back in the day, words had weight

The spoken word is quickly becoming a lost art in America. Almost as quickly as the written word is becoming a lost art.

Writing letters got scaled down to writing e-mails. Then those e-mails were replaced by sending texts. And those texts were even further abbreviated by the use of emojis – defined as small digital images or icons used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in electronic communication.

Facebook became the rage … and we now know everything there is to know about everybody’s dogs and cats.

And then there is the world of twitter. I can only shake my head and reserve comment … of course, in 140 characters or less.

Before a certain segment of readers levels an “old man” tag at me, let me admit that I use all forms of modern communication – albeit begrudgingly. It is a necessary evil of our modern society.

But it doesn’t mean there isn’t still a part of me that longs for the more colorful, more descriptive, more musical lilt of the written word … from “back in the day.” Or, even more seductive, the spoken word, when phrases and sayings were meant to inspire additional thought.

Years from now – if anyone still cares about the art of communication – people will cringe when they review the list of frequently used terms and colloquialisms from this era.

The most commonly used term in current American jargon amounts to the most useless and meaningless five words in the English language – “It is what it is.” What does that mean? Was any argument ever won … any understanding of an issue ever changed … any emotion about a subject ever heightened by use of that phrase?

Or, we all know someone who cannot talk through even the most minor of decision-making processes without sending the entire conversation into limbo with the closing phrase, “We’ll figure it out.” And, of course, they rarely do.

The throw-away phrase or colloquialism has always been a part of American dialogue. But a good case can be made for the argument that “back in the day” the phrases were more thoughtprovoking. We had slogans that bordered on being parables. They guided our lives. Our parents were full of them. My mother’s favorite was, “If you can’t say something nice about somebody, don’t say anything at all.” Good thing I didn’t listen to her … or an entire column-writing, radio-commentating career would have gone down the drain.

My dad’s specialty, as I was headed out the door with car keys in hand, was, “Keep your

nose clean.” I’m pretty sure he wasn’t advising me to fill my pocket with tissues.

And there was the youth baseball coach, who immediately prescribed the same cure for every injury: “Suck it up. Rub a little dirt on it and you’ll be alright.” OK, let’s play two.

President Reagan had a magical way with his sayings – a cross between humorous folklore and straight-forward political

assertion. My favorite: “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m here from the government and I’m here to help.” That certainly left you with an image.

And going much farther back in history there are those who gained fame with their clever quips.

Benjamin Franklin: “A stitch in time saves nine.

Confucius: “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

But all of the parents, coaches, politicians, philosophers and scholars were minor-leaguers in the slogan business, when compared

to … NUNS.

That’s right, the good sisters – whether Immaculate Heart of Mary, Order of St. Joseph, Sisters of Mercy – were veritable assembly line machines when it came to spitting out colorful and meaningful sayings.

First, and foremost, they all went to the same school of terminology. It did not matter what era or what order of nuns was doing the correcting, but all juvenile offenders were called “a bold, brazen article.” It was standard phraseology and immediately conjured images of going straight to hell.

Or, when reminding you to keep busy they would pronounce: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

More from the good sisters:

“Empty barrels make the most noise.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

“If Johnny jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge too?”

“Wasting food is a sin. Don’t you realize there are children starving in China?”

Seemingly, the nuns had a saying for every occasion. They were a rare breed of human being … in a Darth Vader outfit. And they struck the same amount of fear … in anyone who was within the reach of their yardstick.

About the only one who could turn the tables on them was another member of the cloth – a priest.

The first television priest, again from “back in the day,” was Fulton Sheen. He had a huge following of viewers who were as entranced by his moral preachings as they were by his colorful way of expressing them.

If there is any doubt that the spoken word was infinitely more memorable in those days, end the debate with this quote from Bishop Sheen: “Hearing nuns’ confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.”

Try to find an emoji to express that.

Tony Leodora is president of TL Golf Services, host of the weekly GolfTalk Live radio show on WNTP 990-AM and host of the Traveling Golfer television show — as well as editor of GolfStyles magazine. He is former sports editor of The Times Herald. Send comments to tlgolfservices@aol.com.