Title: The Weird Thing About Words
Fandom: Bones
Rating: Gen
Length: 237 words
Content notes: None
Summary: Booth tries to make a point


"You know what's weird?" Booth asked suddenly.

"At this particular moment?" Temperance replied.

Booth continued, undaunted. "No, the weird thing about words. Like how much they change. You know, the original meaning of 'spicy' was just, 'having spice in it.'"

She snorted. "Is that the definition in the dictionary?"

"So my oatmeal this morning, with cinnamon and sugar in it would be considered spicy. Having spice. Or fresh cookies, with nutmeg and vanilla and all that! Having spice. Spicy."

Temperance finally looked up from her work. "What's your point?"

"Because now we think of spicy as meaning hot spices. So if I called my oatmeal spicy, people would think it had peppers in it."

"Would they?"

"They would," he assured her.

"So why are you telling me all this?"

"I was just thinking that you must feel like that all the time, realizing that people are using words wrong. Doesn't that bug you?"

"It bugs me when you use that phrase. Does that count?" Hodgins piped up from his station.

Temperance eyed him and decided to needle Booth a bit herself. "My, Hodgins, aren't you feeling spicy today!"

"I think you mean saucy," Booth corrected.

Hodgins smirked. "No, she means spicy. Check it out." He pulled a pocket dictionary out of his desk and tossed it towards the other man.

"Yes," Temperance clapped Booth on the shoulder. "You wouldn't want to be using words wrong, would you?"