Rant 2.0: What the !#?*! Is an Aglet?

     

    AGLET:  a metal or plastic tube fixed tightly around each end of a shoelace.

     My niece, Kaylee, used this word in a conversation last Saturday evening.  I instantly called B.S. on it and now I’ll need copious amounts of salt and ketchup to get down the rather large piece of crow I must now swallow. 

     By my very nature, I immerse myself in studying those things that interest me, and I tend to study them with total commitment.  That would include Drawing, Painting, Shooting, and Dogs.  But never in my studies or travels have I stumbled across the word aglet. 

Kaylee

    (I think if I chase that chunk of crow with Strawberry Kool-aid, it might be a bit more palatable.)  The bitter truth is that my niece has inadvertently taught me a valuable lesson.  It’s something akin to that old adage, “Keep your mouth shut and let them wonder if you’re a moron, rather than opening it and confirming all doubts.”

     Now I know if I played Cranium or Balderdash or Twenty Questions, then I would have placed this pointless appellation into my hard drive for use on some witless idiot, much like myself.  But as it stands, I still can’t find a reason to clog my vocabulary with such drivel.  When would one use such a term unless you owned a freakin’ shoelace factory?  “I’d like to go to dinner with you, but I busted my aglet, so I’ll be sitting this one out.” ….. “Doc, I think my dog ate my homework, as well as my aglet!” …. “Does this aglet make my butt look big?”

     So where is this entire diatribe leading us?  While rummaging through my flat files last week, I found 3 Salinas Rodeo Posters that I designed in 2000.  (By the way, they happen to be sold out and are now collectable).  I will give away one of these posters to the reader who provides me with the best usage of the word aglet in a sentence.

     Also rest well knowing that all family members of the artist (including Kaylee) cannot win.  Uncle Mark gets in the final cheap shot!

     Good luck!