Rats!

Ok, maybe it’s because I was a child who grew up reading Peanuts on the weekends, and their occasional paperback as well; or maybe as my wife suggests, I’m just an evolutionary throwback when it comes to my vocabulary, but either way I still use the exclamation “Rats!”

With two very young children I feel it serves as an acceptable alternative to ‘crap, damn, shit, fuck, goddamnit’, or any other expletive one would like to keep from their children as long as they can. But my wife bristles at its use. But how bad could it possibly be? I mean Charles Schultz’ Charlie Brown let a good “RATS!” fly now and again, and it was subsequently rendered immortal in the comics across the world as well – so how bad could it really be?

She says no one uses that phrase anymore and seems opposed the image it creates in her mind - filthy, diseased, writhing rats. Well I have to agree its not a pleasant thought, but that isn’t my intention either. And as for being an ‘outdated expression’ I have to do some digging, it’s not like I’m using ’23 Skidoo!’

Rats:
An expression of annoyance, frustration, disappointment
O.K. that seems to capture my intent.

I’ll have to keep digging, initial searching of ‘outdated expressions' or 'slang’ on Google didn’t help too much so far - Rats!