And Stuff

When people are talking to you and say "and stuff" to you, does that make you wonder exactly what in the hell they are talking about?

I certainly do for I always have worried about "stuff" and the quality as well as the quantity of "stuff". Dropping the quotations, the concept of stuff has always been one that has troubled me. I know that George Carlin once said that your stuff is someone else's shit. (get your shit out of here so I can put my stuff here) For me it goes deeper then that because to me stuff is not anything you can quantify. In the lexicon, stuff, when used as a noun, has fifteen different interpretations of what it can mean. While I am told that its origins come from a word that meant to equip.

How did we get from equipping something to a word that can mean anything it wants to?

So when people say something such as "I am mad at you and stuff," what in the hell are they trying to tell me. "I'm mad at you and you can kiss my ass" I can deal with, but "and stuff" I can't. Here are some other quick examples of what I am talking about:

• I built this huge building with the strongest steel and stuff - no confidence in the builder at all.
• If you elect me, I will rebuild the community and stuff - no vote there.
• If we spend billions, we will improve the quality of life and stuff - not a red cent I tell you!
• George Washington was the father of our country and stuff - So, he fathered a lot of stuff as well I guess.
• I take you as my wife and stuff - Is that a verbal prenuptial agreement?

That is why sometimes when people talk to me I look like I just found a rabid squirrel in my shorts...

-WTS