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Word of the Day: Crickets
In Japan, the chirping of crickets signifies the change of the seasons.
Students who take evening classes with me have commented on how nice it is to hear bell crickets through the microphone.
Some train companies even put bell crickets on their trains in little tiny jails so people can enjoy the chirping sound.
The sound of insects is often associated with a feeling or atmosphere.
The sound of cicadas is often used to indicate intense heat and sultry summer days when the only thing you want to do is lie on a tatami floor with the fan blowing in your face and sleep.
Not all cultures are the same.
In movies, chirping crickets symbolize total silence, no response or no communication.
It’s as if you’ve been ghosted.
The sound is often used to enhance the feeling of isolation, the lack of something or the looming possibility of something happening.
You may hear someone use it concerning a company’s customer service.
Omotenashi exists in Japan but not in North America.
If you have a problem with your car, for example, it’s common to contact a dealer for assistance and then, well, crickets.
Nothing, zip, nada, there’s no communication from the company.
It’s as if you never called in the first place.
Friends do it too.
After having a tiff with a friend, you may Line them an apology, but they don’t Line you back.
You’re left in the dark with nothing but your thoughts, wondering what’s wrong.
Crickets.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 13 – 14).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 68.
The higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100, the easier the passage is to read.