My lovely and very large wife will be giving birth within the next five days. Naturally, almost every phone call for the past couple of weeks has involved, “How’s she feeling?” I’ve told a few people, “Pretty good still. I mean, she’s pretty uncomfortable, but that’s par for the course.” Well I finally thought about that phrase that I’ve been saying automatically.
People associate “par” with the status quo. After all, that’s the number of strokes in which a golfer should be able to get it in the cup. It makes sense on that level, sure. Here’s the problem though: par’s really good for almost everyone in the world. My dad is probably the best golfer I know, and if he went out and had 18 pars, it would probably be the best round of his life. Does that sound like “status quo” to you? Hell, if I could get two or three pars, I’d probably be riding my putter Happy Gilmore-style around the green. I don’t go out to a course often at all, and when I do, it’s seldom anything that anyone would refer to as “golf.” I swing the club, the ball sometimes moves, and I eventually meander up to the green and three- or four-putt en route to shooting a score around my weight. When I’m with my friends though, I could shoot Kirstie Alley’s weight and I’d still have fun. Someday years in the future, I hope to actually pick up the game and get a little better at it. Until then, I’m content with my shittiness.
So next time someone asks me how my lovely wife is feeling, if I hear myself use the phrase, “par for the course,” I’ll follow up with, “So considerably better than I’d be doing.”
That is an interesting phrase, “Par for the course”.
When it is used for anything other than golf, then par for the course means either just o.k. or fine.
Over par in golf is bad. Over par for the course in life is good….I think.
Under par in golf is good. Under par in life is bad.
I have scored under par in golf three times.
Those were great scores.
I have been under par in life a few times as well and those times I’d like to forget.
Just trying to add to the confusion.
Paul
You see, Dad, when I hear “under par” being used as a synonym for “bad” – regardless of the context – it just sounds incorrect to me. Whether it’s technically accepted or not, I can’t separate “par” from golf, and I think of “under par” as exceptional. In fact, I’d like to propose that we start using “down to par” instead of it’s ascending counterpart.
If you use the word “sub-par” I think that is clearly negative.
Guy #1 “How was your date last night?”
Guy #2 “Sub-par.”
Guy #1 “Why?” “Did she have a penis?”
I hope that clears up my point.
BTW, congrats on your likely last post sans children. Can’t wait to meet my new family.