Obsequious - (too) eager to praise-obey-or fawn (not the baby deer-know your words) over someone deemed more important or in authority
Darlene and Mrs. Worthington took a walk past all of the tailgaters at the Charity Cup Polo match. She had mentioned to Trent that today’s “Word En Garde” would have to be outside along the perimeters of the Polo tent, as well as the tailgating section. She was training Mrs. Worthington to walk on her leash. This was going rather slow due to Mrs. Worthington’s huntress sniffing as well as patrons asking for all of MW’s credentials. Darlene had made a small harness for Mrs. Worthington that said: Equine Ambulance Assistant. Naturally, this brought on an abundance of questions once the adoring fans put on their reading glasses and read the small text. Darlene had thought about just putting EAA-but to her those initials represented the Experimental Aircraft Association. One had to be careful with initials. Darlene had been christened: Darlene Deane Davenport. She never did appreciate the triple D monogram….. She thought about how Grandpa Deane had told her she could call him “GD”-but not out in the world. So, “GD” and “DB” (for “Darlene Bean”) were their-around the farm- names.
As she was reflecting on all of these monogram musings, Trent walked up from behind her and barked at Mrs. Worthington. Darlene turned around to Trent pantomiming that he had caught a fish. “I have our word, Darlene. I was walking past the Polo Cup alumni table-table number 1-, and I heard someone say that the event planner was very obsequious. Obsequious, Darlene-do you know it?”
Darlene: “Is the event planner dressed in obnoxious sequins?....”
Trent: “No to the sequins.”
Darlene: “Thinking….hummm what could an event planner be doing to alumni-swooning I suppose. Begging!? Fake laughing? Bowing like a royal footman? My Grandpa Deane used to do that to my Nana Jean…..and to me when he put me in his MGB.”
Trent: “How far you spin Darlene-focus……but your grandpa had an MGB?” Did all of your names rhyme?”
D: “No to the rhyming. Grandpa Deane was John Deane-people called him JD., and Nana Jean was Jean Deane. When I was little he would sing ‘Jean Deane prettiest woman I have ever seen!’ then when I was a teen, he would whisper sing:
Grandpa Deane
Is never mean
But have you seen
The Queen?
He would bow to Nana Jean and say, ‘Your Royal Highness, might I bring you some lemon water or some wine?’ And to me-well it was routine protocol for him to load me into his convertible MGB, picnic basket secured to the luggage rack and bow and say, “Your Royal Darlene are you ready to see the green scenes?’ I called his MG: Grandpa Deane’s Green Machine.”
Trent was picturing it all and asked: “Was he a farmer? Did John Deane have a John Deere?”
“He was a farmland investor, so he would take me all around the farm roads in his MG. One time he told me that he loved to think of the acres of squared off land as quilts. I always remember that when I fly over farmland... Land quilts, you know Trent?”
T “Yeah…he must have been an amazing Grandpa.”
D: “I called him my G-GOAT Greatest Grandpa of All Time. We were big on using initials and he was obsequious in the best of ways….”
T: “You knew it all along, no?”
D: “Yes, I knew it all along. That event planner was probably really working it with all of those alumni members -overdoing it-fawning all over them in hopes of larger donations-not such a bad thing in the end. Polo Charity events bring good things to the world. Obsequious can have a negative connotation but I speak from experience Trent-sometimes when someone is obsequious towards you, it’s quite fun!”
And with that Trent took a bow and said, “Your Royal Darlene, might I get you and your little assistant a refreshment from the tent?”
Grandpa Deane’s Green Machine
Can’t you just feel the breeze……. And see the trees……… And hear the obsequious pleas……. From GD in his MGB…… Land Quilts….remember that……..
Lot's of fun rhymes, super clever...I guess I expect nothing less from such a wordsmith!