As most of you may have known, I am an avid collector of English-related dictionaries. True. I do enjoy looking up one word in varied dictionaries, trying to
find out how each explains and illustrates. This dictionary-to-dictionary
journey alone is as a great fun as any. I never doubted, or questioned, their prestige and professionalism until I came across this phrase:
Agony aunt.
I know what you are doing upon seeing this phrase. Yeah, Kingsoft Powerword says it refers to someone in newspapers or magazines whose job is to answer questions, often personal affairs oriented, from readers or audiences, and offer advice
or suggestions. Oxford agrees. Collins says the same thing. And so do Longman and 21 Century dictionary. Some of them note that it's more of a British English phrase than an American one. Agnoy means very bad mental or physical sufferings. Altogether the image that "agony aunt" projects seems to make a lot of sense to Chinese, who see and read editors-and-readers columns so often. Isn't it
a perfect match for what we say "Close Sister" (Zhi1xing1jie3jie3)?
As a matter of fact, that is what 21st Century, the newspaper I have been reading, suggests, too.
I was quite happy with my newly learned expression. But I was soon somewhat surprised, if not shocked, when it was pointed out by David that this phrase may carry upsetting connotations. Well, agony aunt; agony aunt. Does this sound like
someone who ... literally ... enjoys being told about others' sufferings? This
was close because I had thought of calling our dear Mary an agony aunt! I soon
got the response concerning the compellation direct from Mary herself, only being told that she did not want to be called this way. The slang term was not even complimentary, she said.
I could have brought up some unpleasant, or at least embarrassing, experience if
I recklessly dubbed Mary as an agony aunt. How I believed in these dictionaries! They should have at least mentioned that considering the risk of offending the callee, the phrase should be used in its own home cutlure.
The proper nickname, instead, might be "advice columnist", which from all angles
doesn't seem or sound offensive.
I am not warning that we should from now on take everything with a grain of salt
. But it's true that it's wise to look before we leap, I think.
Pan.
