amusedI just have to say, that I absolutely loathe the current trend for "li'l" as a short, cutsy term for little.
I'd never seen anyone this side of the Atlantic use it until I went on the Southern Brujah Hall list. There's someone on there who uses it all the time.
"[R] gets out her li'l phone and calls Jax". I muttered about it to a few people, who convinced that was just how the player was.
"But how can she refer to herself as 'li'l'? She's got about 4 children and the proportions of a small African country!" I wailed.
I could be wrong, but this is just how she's been described. But no-one else used it, and so, I hoped, it would be over soon.
Then, slowly, insidiously, it began to crawl across the spectrum.
pure_simon used it to refer to Caroline, about her "Stamping her li'l feet" in a tantrum. Yes, maybe he does go 'awww' at her - he is her fiance and has the right to, and maybe he does see her as sweet and helpless, but I've seen that woman in a temper and my God, the SAS would run from her like the girls they are when she can't find her handbag.
Somehow, that phrase makes me think of knitted booties on babies. And the paedophilic overtones are frightening. I can't get the image of Simon and Caroline in matching baby suits out of my head.
Then... when I thought it was safe...
nevecat uses it to refer to herself. "Li'l me is confused..."Nooooo.... it's evil! Kill the disease before it spreads!
Next we'll have Grim refering to himself as the 'Li'l London ST', Romulus as the 'Li'l Justicar', and Matt as the 'Li'l Cheesemonger'.
Stop it now!
'Li'l' should only be used by:
1) Those with an american accent, preferably from the deep south who's relatives know each other far too well.
2) Those who really are very small and can not pronounce the word 'little' properly. Anyone over the age of 5 will be looked at strangely and have their sweets confiscated.
3) Those in possession of a full sense of irony.
