Tattle Tale

 

Paternal Grandmother drawn from photo.  She would not approve of tattling!

tattle (v.)

late 15c., "to stammer, prattle," in Caxton's translation of "Reynard the Fox," probably from Middle Flemish tatelen "to stutter," parallel to Middle Dutch, Middle Low German, East Frisian tateren "to chatter, babble," possibly of imitative origin. The meaning "tell tales or secrets" is first recorded 1580s. Sense influenced by tittle. Related: Tattled; tattling. As a noun from 1520s. Tattler, the name of the famous periodical by Addison and Steele (1709-1711), means "idle talker, a gossip."

From our nifty link to https://www.etymonline.com. Which can be found at the bottom of the page.

*********************************

Did your mom use the word tattle? Mine did. My mother did not approve of the kid style blame thing. In largish families it can be a thing. But I never hear it anymore. A couple more words she used that I never hear anymore are meddling and mischief! Words for later.

I looked it up, just to be sure, and as expected it means to secretly expose someone’s wrongdoing to someone of authority for the purpose of tripping the wrongdoer up somehow, causing trouble for them. I would include doing it openly, not just in secret.

Apparently ratting someone out is now a good thing, or at least the expected thing. Think about all the Karens of the world leaping into the blaming fray. This behavior is often felt to be valiant even, by Karen and her sisters.

Often, I am given a word to chew on and Friday it was tattle.

I was thinking about the constructive nature of love making straight the paths, filling in the valleys and generally constructing an easy way to walk. Love fills in gaps and makes bridges.  It creates that which did not exist before.

Love does not tattle. Love does not cause extra trouble. I very seldom or in fact never have, ratted out a lousy waitress or some such because I figure she will sink or swim on her own without any input from me. I have Yelped a dangerous medical practice, but that is a different thing.

 Am I doing the kind of gardening that makes it easy to visit the garden, pleasant and smooth? Or am I rolling rocks in the way and digging little pits to catch the foolish in? Am I watching my tongue, that hot little flame of fire? Do I tattle on my brother or my sister? I have. 

Of course, we all get it.  Don't be a tattletale.  Be a keeper of the garden.