Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness,
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life ..
Today I called someone "Chief".
This is a step up from 'mate', which I use for everything, from friends, strangers and inanimate objects round the house. It's also an improvement on 'boss', a word I picked up while working in the pub. That got used mostly for customers who seemed gruff and alcoholic, now I use it more often for helpful cashiers, gruff or not.
But chief?
Who calls people 'chief'?
It was in the garage down the road from my house. I bought a mobile top up voucher and a tasty drink, and I ended the transaction by saying "thanks chief" to the bloke behind the counter. And I kicked myself as I turned away, as I realised he was kind of asian-indian looking. Had I just nonchalantly insulted him by taking the Indian thing a step further? He either hadn't noticed or was too confused to call me on it.
Words like mate, boss and chief are a testament to my laziness. I see you, I know you, half of you I've known for the best part of four years, but I'm just too busy and too fucking lazy to call you by your name. I'm focusing on other, incredibly imprtant things. Too busy to think of your name, chief.
Anyway, how often do you use someone's name in a conversation anyway? Chief can be a way of mixing things up. Now you know.
And knowing is half the battle, chief.
