Thursday, July 06, 2006

Men and Women Do Speak Different Languages: On the Subject of Soap

What is it with men and soap? I have the following conversation almost daily with my son.

I will send my son into the bathroom to wash his face and hands (note the verb). Seconds later he will reappear, all damp and shiny faced.
I will ask, “Did you wash?”
He will say, “Yes.”
I will say, “Did you use soap?”
He will say, “No.”
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, washing implies some sort of cleansing was involved, therefore: soap?

I am sorry to say this in not just a little boy issue. Now, before I get into some serious trouble, my husband uses soap to wash in the shower, but this fastidiousness doesn’t extend to housecleaning. Here is an example of a housecleaning conversation.

“Sweetie, can you wash the guest bathroom for me?”
“Sure,” says my husband, the sweetest man in the world.
A few minutes later, as he emerges from the guest bathroom, I ask, “All done?”
He answers, “Yep.”
I’ll say, “Did you use soap?”
He’ll answer, “No, I just cleaned with water.”

Is the male of the species allergic to soap? What is the word for “soap” in man-language? What is the word for “clean” in man-language?

I am at a loss.

No comments: