Lettuce

Lettuce. If you ever wanted to do something or go somewhere with someone, you might say, “Let’s do something or go somewhere, someone.”

It has been brought to my attention by myself that this speaking is quite out of date. Take, for example, the sentence: Let’s go to the movies. What we mean to say is: We should go to the movies = or = I feel like going to the movies. What we literally say by using that contraction is let us or allow us. Allow us to go to the movies.

This is where I find my trouble. If you are speaking to someone and say the word ‘let’s’ you are almost definitely NOT asking for permission. Imagine hanging out with one of your friends and saying “Let’s go to the arcade,” only to hear your friend reply, “Only if you do my homework for me”

Using the word ‘let’s’ basically establishes yourself as inferior to anyone you speak it to. You are asking them for permission to do things that they would probably find entertaining anyway. It is ridiculous. Dictionary.com lists over thirty different definitions for the word let, all of which essentially: to allow. As for the contraction let’s, it lists 4 definitions all saying a contraction of let and us.

Ironically this is just too deep within our language to remove now. A growing and solidifying tumor of our language: it is here to stay. When I was pressed to think of different ways of phrasing “Let’s go to the movies” earlier on this very page, I was stumped. It took me 10 minutes to think of what I did, and frankly it sucks.

Still I will not stand idly by and watch such servitude. Moses had it right when he said “Let’s go” to Ramses. He wasn’t talking to Ramses saysing, "hey dude, let's go." He was saying, "Let us (the jews) go." Now was that so hard?

When I finish writing something like this I often realize one of three things: 1# no one cares. 2# I am probably worng. and 3# 08CS>SJ08