I almost forgot

Oops

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I really love my space here to find the words and put them in sentences before pressing ‘schedule for whatever O’clock tomorrow morning’.

But I have to admit I almost forgot this week.

Each week, I say to myself that I’ll plan on starting my writing earlier in the week as a lesson in structuring my work in a more digestible fashion.

And one where I am not rushing to meet the deadline I have set myself.

I’ve been saying this about any work since university, where I used to rush to meet the deadlines by indulging in all nighters with essays.

And that was twenty years ago.

I still have hope though.

You guys won’t see the work that goes into the words I share with you every week, as we’re conditioned to ship the result of our work more than its process in being formed.

But this week I wanted to let you in on this part of my process.

This genuine ‘oops’ moment.

You see, in the UK, we’re on a frenzy with the first budget of the new Government who was elected back in July.

Whilst the public sector seems to be the focus point, the private sector seems to be a villain in the story.

It’s also Halloween, so I am waiting on anyone knocking on our door proclaiming ‘trick or treat’ as I type this out, whilst also helping devour on the stack of sweets we’ve bought for them.

And of course, as a practicing and proud Hindu, it’s Diwali and Hindu New Year this week too.

I was so caught up in all the sweets, rituals, justifications of why we have fireworks, and so many samosas, that I almost forgot this was due until a moment of panic whilst washing up.

The night before.

So I came here to tell you about the history of the word ‘oops’.

The Oxford English Dictionary notes that its earliest use in the English Language was evidenced in a humorous column about horse racing in the Washington Post in 1921.

There is one theory that it’s a shortened form of the saying ‘upsidaisy’, which is an expression, usually of reassurance, uttered as when someone, especially a child, stumbles or is being lifted up.

If we look at the history of this saying, Merriam-Webster notes that it was originally written as ‘up-a-daisy’, something referenced in English satirist Jonathan Swift's 1711 Journal to Stella.

Associate Professor at Oregon State University, Ray Malewitz, seemed to have searched further into the origins of the word ‘oops’ too.

During his research for a book on the cultural history of animal diseases, he came across the word “ooperzootics,” which he learnt means ‘a fit of craziness in humans’.

This reference was from 1872.

He also found a cartoon from 1909 that depicted a disoriented horse shouting “Whee!-Oop” after ingesting locoweeds, which produce a toxin harmful to the animals.

Oops, to me, is also linked to the idea of being genuine - something of an admission that a mistake was made.

And I suppose there’s a link to the human side of things.

The real.

The process needs these oops moments as much as they need the finished product - all edited and polished.

‘Oops’ was part of my process this week.

And I wanted to let you know that it’s okay if it features in yours too.