There are some sayings that never go out of style.
“What a maroon” isn’t one of them, although I still tend to break it out on occasion.
There are also some things that are referred to as expressions–a pain in the ass, ironically enough, comes to mind.
“A pain in the ass” has stood the test of time.
Even when I was little I remember overhearing adults say things like, “So and so is a real pain in the ass.” In this case, the word “real” was used for emphasis. But I always thought “a pain in the ass” stood alone just fine.
Gradually during the course of my lifetime, a pain in the ass assumed (when’s the last time you read the words “ass” and “assumed” consecutively?) greater versatility.
Instead of so and so is a pain in the ass we used the term a pain in the ass to refer to something that is a hassle.
“The optician can’t change my eyeglass prescription until I see the eye doctor again. And I can’t get in until next Thursday!”
What a pain in the ass for Sheila.
Anything that wastes time is also a pain in the ass.
“Why do we have to take annual safety classes? Nothing’s changed in the past year regarding how we practice safety.”
Traditional Animal Nickname: Donkeys/les ânes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What a pain in the ass.
The word “hassle” used to be used as a verb.
“Stop hassling me, man.”
This statement brings to mind the period of time known as the ’70’s, when Cheech & Chong were popular.
In their case, the “man” could figuratively and literally be hassling them.
But they’d never say, “Stop paining in the assing me, man.”
Hassle died a relatively quick death, though, but pain in the ass endured–literally and figuratively.
Good worker, but can be a pain in the ass
If you’re a good employee but known as a pain in the ass at times, it can stunt your career growth.
Jim has the ability to bear down when necessary, but he can also be a pain in the ass.
He’s a real pain in the ass, albeit to someone else, however, whenever he begins kicking a co-worker’s ass for slacking.
Are colonoscopies literally a pain in the ass? I would say yes both literally and figuratively, too, due to the amount of preparation necessary for one. Jumping through hoops like fasting and blast defecating with the aid of colonoscopic tinctures are preliminary pains in the ass before the actual pain in the ass that is the colonoscopy.
So to recap to this point, people can be pains in the asses. So can a particular situation such as going to school tomorrow and having to take a test–such a pain in the ass.
I would suggest some analyzation is necessary when it comes to investigating pains in the asses. The five w’s and one “h” of news writing applies to a pain in the ass, too. Accordingly, one must ask themselves the following questions to determine the legitimate use of the term pain in the ass:
- Who is “a” or “the” pain in the ass?
- What is the pain in the ass (describing what the pain in the ass looks like may be helpful for identification purposes)?
- Where is the pain in the ass (a child might correctly answer that a pain in the ass most likely originates in one’s ass)?
- When was so and so or something, someone, some place or somewhere determined to be a pain in the ass?
- Why is this particular individual, person, place, time or thing a pain in the ass?
- How does the term pain in the ass fit the person, place, time or thing you’re considering it for?
I knew when I started down this road that it would not be easy to finish this blog post. I love, love, love writing, but sometimes certain topics can be a pain in the ass for me.
This is not one of them, however I’m finding my glutes are a little sore now, though. It’s time to stand up and move along. Nothing left to see here but a pain in the ass who is through (for the time being) with writing about them.
