Scott | Vicknair - August 2024

HIDDEN MEANING Exploring the Origins of Secret Languages

Brad and David recently enjoyed an insightful chat with Mike Alder, a Louisiana-born, California-based trial lawyer who has found success through mentorship, giving, and humility. Mike discusses lessons learned from trial verdicts, including how embracing failure as an event, not an identity, can be the key to success, along with a strong belief in the power of mentorship and consistency. These lessons have also spread from his professional life to his personal as he and his wife have recently undertaken the development of a beautiful ranch in the heart of Louisiana to use as an event space. “OVERRULED” next takes a deep dive into the controversy surrounding the FTC’s recent decision to ban noncompete agreements. With over 30 million employees affected, the implications are vast for both CHECK OUT THE LATEST ON ‘OVERRULED’!

Secret languages, born from a mixture of pragmatism, seclusion, and boredom, are spoken and understood only by a select few. From Pig Latin uttered in schoolyards to whispers of Lunfardo in the prisons of Argentina, the secretive languages of the world have origins that may delight and surprise you. Boontling In Northern California, a small community speaks a unique amalgamation of an Appalachian dialect, Spanish, and the language of the Pomo tribe called Boontling. It originated in the late 19th or early 20th century in Boonville. There, you can find locals referring to doctors as shoveltooths and roaring flames as jeffers . It supposedly originated among the women and children who toiled in the local hop fields and quickly spread throughout the community. Somehow, despite existing only in a small farm town, it has an expansive 1,600-word vocabulary and around 100 fluent speakers! Pig Latin Ancay ouyay understandyay isthay entencesay? You may decipher that question if you remember Pig Latin from elementary school. Despite disagreements about its linguistic credibility, Pig Latin has existed since Shakespeare’s time (around 400 years ago). Ironically, it is completely unrelated to Latin, and the origin of its name is a mystery. Famous speakers of Pig Latin include founding father Thomas Jefferson, who reportedly wrote letters using the light-hearted language. Lunfardo This language is so secretive that it’s practically criminal . Lunfardo began in the prisons of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where inmates masked their words from the nosy guards. The language has components from Portuguese, Galician, French, and German. For example, if an inmate wanted to compliment a pretty woman, they would call them a papirusa , which means “beautiful woman.” These days, Lunfardo exists mainly in the lyrics of Argentine tango music.

employers and workers. Join Brad and David for an in-depth discussion on the legal, business, and philosophical perspectives of noncompetes, including the potential constitutional challenges and what this means for the future of employment contracts.

Scan the QR code to learn how you can download our Ebook!

2 | (504) 384-7978

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator