Most of us are used to thinking of the above phrase in a negative way in a personal situation, as in “at least I got the last laugh.” Even now with such a thin line drawn between insult and compliment, such an old-time phrase can be the perfect way to describe disappointing social encounters. You can count yourself in the Baby Boomer demographic if you find yourself blurting out these ol’ timey expressions more than your teenage grandchild’s slang.
The familiar sayings might be idioms, metaphors, or similes, which were part of the required elementary curriculum in the school one attended. The majority of teachers who had achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree from a four-year university or college also learned diagramming sentences.
There is a definite range to the acceptable tool used for the accurate measurement of social civility. So far, I haven’t found one that has been invented yet, although I have to admit that my siblings and I used to gift each other with the gag gifts that we found in the local five and dime store or at small town carnivals that came through every summer. They were light on insult and heavy on humor of all kinds, and if our parents and grandparents noticed, they made us take them back or throw them away. We all had to use our hard-earned money for such jobs as lawn mowing, babysitting, or taking care of an elderly neighbor’s pets.
Those were the days. Uh-oh. I, too, have lost my sense of humor. Now who has the last laugh.
By DOLLY VISCARDI