Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Vent Shtick

For us gentile types the English word stick and the Yiddish word shtick sound very much alike. One letter different.
For us dyslexic types the spelling could be anything to make that sound.
Being a gentile dyslexic you can understand how excited I was to find this product on the shelf.
I grabbed for it hoping that the shtick would be something I could use as some sort of gag during my act on stage. The fact that I was at the car wash when I discovered this gem of variety performing did not enter into the thought at first.
Upon further reading I realized my misapprehension. It is after all a vent stick not vent shtick. It could be applicable to my act only if the shtick I did at the show stunk up the joint so bad that it affected the drive home. This stick could help with the residual odiousness of the performance in only the most visceral way.  It is no more than an auto deodorant.
I guess that there are some who believe when I say I am a working vent I mean I have some connection with air conditioning and heating. Obviously to me the word has a different connotation.
I think I was about 11 years old when I met a ventriloquist in Lubbock, Texas.  When I explained that I did an act too, the guy said, "Are you a vent?"
Confused at first I quickly caught on that it was a nickname for ventriloquist.  It makes sense since that is such a hard word to say and spell.  From that moment on the word vent never had the same meaning for me.  The man's name was Ted Knight who later would become mega famous as Ted Baxter on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show". From that moment on his name would never mean the same thing.
Everything reminds me of something now a days.  They say that is a sign of getting older.  I say it is a sign of being more educated.
As you were,
Jay 

2 comments:

P. Grecian said...

Everything reminds me of something nowadays, but I can't remember what. Now THAT is a sign of getting old, Jay. :-)

Kenny Croes said...

you mean the vent stick isn't supposed to be placed in my mouth? oh. no wonder my wife said my breath smells like knotty pine.