Newark Is Poop

I was in a meeting this morning in which I’m pretty sure I heard someone use the phrase "scatological development", as in a "scatological development in the architectural landscape of Newark" or some similar boring work talk. I did a double take.

When I got back to my office, I went to dictionary.com to make sure my understanding of what "scatological" meant was correct. And it was. The word "scatological" means one of three things: of or relating to the study of excrement; marked by an interest in excrement or obscenity; or of or relating to excrement or excremental functions. Hmmm…

Not be a vocabulary snob, but methinks the person speaking did not mean to refer to the architectural landscape of Newark as marked by an interest in excrement or obscenity. I’ll admit that I’m not 100% sure that the word scatological was used, but as a connoisseur of poop-related words, my ears certainly perked up after it (or something like it) was said. I looked around the room and no one batted an eye, but that’s not unusual - no one really bats an eye in these meetings.

So while it is awesome someone may have accidentally referred to parts of Newark, NJ as poopy, this is a sad story, since I will go to my grave never knowing the truth and always wondering what really was said.

Trouble. Scatological trouble.

(And if I’m wrong and there’s another interpretation of the word or a word that sounds similar to scatological could have been used more appropriately, please let me know.)