People are constantly saying things that don't actually make much sense, just to fill in the empty spaces. The empty spaces cause them to feel nervous. One thing that people say around here all the time that drives me NUTS is "How are you keeping?"

Keeping? Keeping what(?) is what I want to know. How am I keeping what? How does one keep something?

Well, what they actually mean when they say that is simply: "How are you?"

So they add one extra word which obfuscates the original meaning. It's inefficient and pointless and it bugs the hell out of me, but that's the way their parents said it, so that's the way they say it. I have no idea if it's a habit confined to Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada or if it has spread further.

- LH