Sunday, July 10, 2011

Dialogue Entry

Do you know what gravity is?


It’s the thing that’s keeping us on the ground.

It’s what we call the thing that’s keeping us on the ground.

Would you call it something else?

No, but I’m sure that it could’ve easily had been called something else.

Like what?

Probably anything.

Give an example.

It could’ve been called infersion or something.

Infersion?

Sure.

That sounds like other words.

Well, it’s not a ‘real word.’

Now it is, right?

Right. That’s why I said ‘real,’ like with scare quotes.

Oh. Was I supposed to read ‘scare quotes’ by your intonation?

Next time I’ll be sure to underscore my ‘scare quotes’ tone by bending both sets of my fingers into hooks.

You’ll gesticulate ‘scare quotes,’ thanks. Is that gesture officially considered an archaism yet?

What other words do you think infersion sounds like?

You mean other than infusion? Or inferno? Or inversion? Or invasion?

Yeah, besides those.

Really, it just sounds like a malapropic way to say an inference.

Is it malapropic or neologic?

Honestly, they both sound wrong. Worse than infersion, actually.

Infersion may be an inferior substitute for ‘gravity.’

It’s notable that you’re ready to admit that.

Fuck you.