You're Never Done Mowing

 In episode 99 of I Hate Talking, the hosts gear up for a milestone and ask listeners to help them decide what to do for episode 100. Big “top 100” countdown ideas are quickly ruled out as too long, so they invite audience suggestions via comments, text, or email—and encourage listeners to share the show so friends can weigh in too.

The word of the episode is “diss”, a slang term for disrespecting or criticizing someone. They explain that it likely comes from shortening “disrespect” or “dismiss,” and talk about how it functions as both a verb (“don’t diss me”) and a noun (“that was a diss”), reflecting on how 90s slang still slips into their conversations.

Most of the episode then centers on suburban life and lawn care at their new home. After years of maintaining a large, hilly yard with a riding mower, they’ve downsized to a smaller lawn and invested in a battery‑powered push mower so their kids can help. They discuss neighborhood “lawn culture,” the social pressure of not having the worst yard on the block, and the scramble to get a mower delivered via one‑day shipping after noticing every neighbor had already mowed. Along the way, they compare gas vs. electric equipment, share stories about past neighbors who kindly mowed for them, laugh about jump scares and first impressions, and close with a favorite family quote: “You’re never done mowing.”

Keywords: I Hate Talking podcast, episode 99, diss meaning, slang etymology, disrespect, suburban lawn care, battery-powered mower, riding mower, neighborhood norms, social pressure, Amazon one-day delivery, family chores, kids mowing, never done mowing, episode 100 ideas.

Transcript

I Hate Talking: 0:29

Welcome to episode 99 of I Hate Talking. Hi everyone. So we have a request of you, our listener, and that is something fun that we can do for episode 100. 0 cool, because I don't really have any ideas. Wait, we're asking them what we should do. Well, yeah, because Do you have any ideas on what we should do for episode 100? No, all my ideas would take way too long. Top 100, -- such and -- such. Top 100. Just so we could do like a flash of like. The top words in the last 100 years. I see. But it would have to be like. A minute per word, less than that. Oh, yeah, because that would be 100 minutes. That's probably would be our longest episode ever. Yeah, let's not do that. Yes, so you, our listener, can obviously see that we need some help and we need to know some suggestions on what we can do for our 100th episode, which is our next episode. Because this is episode 99 and you can do that by leaving a comment or if you want to contact us directly, you can send us a text message or an email and let us know. Sounds good. And perhaps you want to get some of your friends' help, and you can always do that by Sharing an episode, and perhaps it's even this episode, and you can get their help with perhaps some suggestions as well. Sounds great. So we will move on to our word or phrase of this episode and we only have one, so we're not gonna do 100 words or anything like that or 99 words, I suppose, and that word is the word dis dis D I S D I S perhaps, maybe it's D I S S. So this came up in conversation a week or two ago when somebody used the word dis and one of our kids asked what that meant, and you explained it, but as I was thinking about it to myself after the words, I could not come up with a specific etymology. So that's why I figured we'd talk about it. OK, well, first I forgot that incident till you brought it up, and second, I think you probably remember better and you're being kinder to yourself in this retail. OK, well, retail then. Well, you said something. I don't even remember what you said, but it was mean, not kind to me, and I say, why are you dissing me? And that's when the kids were like, what? Yes, I suppose so. And then you gave a brief definition. Yeah, I think I said that just means you're being unkind or you're not being, you're not saying something that's nice. Yes, and I would consider it maybe. Specifically an insult, where you are. Dissing someone, so to speak, right, and in my head a diss isn't like outwardly mean, mean. Like you're trying to hurt the person. But it's definitely not a compliment. That's true. So I still don't have any idea on the specific etymology and maybe you could guess, but not really coming to any specific conclusions. So do you have any ideas before we look it up? Well, but first you did hear the word before, right? Yes, I'm very familiar with the word. I did grow up in the 90s. OK, um, etymology, no, this, I feel like it would be short for like Disagree or disapprove or something like that. Yes, you're on the right track, which is better than I did. So, first, the definition of the word dis or dis, because there are spellings with just one S, D I S, and there are also, it looks like less popular spellings of a double S, D I S S. And it is a slang term meaning to treat someone with disrespect, contempt, or to criticize them. -- Oh -- yeah, disrespect, there you go. OK, that's a better word. Yes, and that is the supposed etymology that it originated as a shortening of the word disrespect or possibly dismiss. OK, yeah. So, don't disrespect me, don't. Dismiss me, don't diss me. Nice. You're becoming a rapper now too. 67. So, -- it can be used as a -- verb, as well as a noun. So the examples given here are as a verb, don't diss my car, or a noun, again, the example, a massive diss. Yep, sounds good. I know that word, I don't even know how it came up in our conversation, just like popped out of my head. It was definitely a word I used to say when I was younger, yeah, in the 90s, early 2000s, and So I think even when I said it, I was kind of surprised, like, oh, but that is a good word, cause you weren't being mean, you weren't trying to hurt me. But you weren't being kind either, so it's like, hey, stop, you're teasing me about something I did wrong. So, hey, don't do that. -- There -- you go. And then in terms of the spelling, either with one S or two S's, according to online etymology. It says that the original word was spelled with only ones, which would make. Which would make sense because it's coming from the prefix DIS in terms of disrespect or dismiss, and that was something that emerged in the late 1980s and 1919990s. And then it seems like they explain that the double S spelling is often considered more standard in modern usage because That way it does not get confused with a particular Usage of just the prefix dis, so like if you're explaining something that If it's not respectful, it's disrespectful, so that would be. Potentially something to avoid with using the doubles as well as Potentially people pronouncing it as die, D I S, so it's spelled with a double S, so that you know that it's pronounced this. I have a kindergartner right now, and we're learning about the magic E. And so he would not approve of pronouncing that dies. There's no magic E to make the I say its name. That's true. Now there is a Greek god, I guess that is spelled D I S. In mythology, Dis is the Roman god of the underworld, also known as Pluto. Dis, so, it is the same, so that would not necessarily lead to confusion unless you are mispronouncing that particular character. All right, so that is our word or phrase of the episode. Yes. All right. So now we'll move on to some topics, perhaps of what is going on in either a disrespectful or respectful manner. Which path will we choose for the rest of this episode? Respectful. OK, -- there -- you go. -- Did you have an idea for -- both? No, I did not. Oh, OK. -- So we did just finish -- mowing. Yeah, in our new house, in our new house. So in our previous house, the yard was much larger and was in a particular climate zone where the grass was probably. Thicker and more, I don't know what you would call it, bluegrass, I guess is maybe even the kind of grass it was. So we had a right. So we had a riding mower for that and that riding mower. Stayed Back and that was not something that we moved, so we had to purchase a new mower and because our yard at our new house is relatively smaller than that, we have purchased a push mower. Love gas powered devices, but. In order so that we could have the kids start doing some of the mowing, we have opted to buy a battery-powered mower. Right, first I'm getting the envision of, cause again, we live in suburbia now. Um, and Picturing you on like the riding lawnmower would be ridiculous. I don't even think you do like one swoop of the front, and then you'd have to run out, right? Like you wouldn't be able to get that close to. Yeah, it would be, yes, it would not be very practical, unless you had like maybe a small rider zero turn, but yeah, it would be, you would not really be able to use a tractor mower very effectively. Yeah, our kids didn't get much use in the past. Our oldest did mow a little bit. Back home, but it wasn't something he enjoyed, and nor was it practical, cause there's only one part of the ground you thought was safe for him, because uh we do have like rolling hills and stuff, and so you have to know that, so you don't tip it well. That's true. The previous home had very hilly terrain, a lot of roots and things because of the hills or ways that you had to sort of Angle the mower so that you didn't hit the blades on the actual ground, which I learned that the first time I mowed there 7 years ago, I guess. -- 8 -- years ago, yeah, 8 summers. You had the lawnmower for 8 summers. -- There -- you go. You can do a before and after picture of me mowing. Then house and today at our new house. Yeah, it'll be very different pictures. On many accounts. So yeah, so I know you really enjoyed at the time driving lawnmower. But that took all day. It was like every other week you had to do it, and it was an entire day's event to properly care for that yard. That's true. It did take quite a bit of time, and it was not every other week, all year round, but maybe 8 months out of the year, probably during the spring, summer, fall months. Right, so you've been, our neighbors have been getting out and mowing, and so you've been starting to stress. Cause it's just been the last week that any grass greenery has popped up in our area. So explain to me and to other people listening, what this phenomenon is, cause you keep being like they're mowing and so and so's mowing now and so and so's mowing. Like who cares? So, it didn't look great as there's little patches of green popping up here and there, but also, I guess cause I grew up in the desert, that doesn't bother me to see little patches here and there kind of thing. So tell me why this bothered you so much. Well, it is not necessarily a bother, but there definitely is some social pressure, I think, particularly, probably for men as head of household in suburbia. That you need to have a well kept lawn, and you certainly do not want to be the worst lawn on the block. So, I think it was 2 weeks ago, we heard some people mowing and I was like, wow, it's starting already. And then some more people were mowing last weekend and then like everybody. In the visual vicinity of our house mowed yesterday. That was it. We had to mow because otherwise our house was literally going to be the worst kept house on the block. I guess so. So I had to Amazon Prime. The mower. You didn't have to. I didn't, yeah, no, I'm pretty sure I had to. It was a requirement. I did. So that arrived today and immediately like didn't even do anything else. We got home from where we were. The delivery was waiting and that was the very first thing that I did was unpack that, set it up, and begin mowing. Yeah, OK, and also, it just shows how little I know of this world or how much it's changed since I did have to mow in the past, you know, when I was like, Teen or Early marriages or whatnot, because this lawnmower first is electric, I didn't know that was a thing, and second, it is so light. Like I remember having to mow and that thing was so big and took all my power. To push and direct, like if you had to turn it around, it was like, OK, here we go. Or this was like, oh, just pick it up and move it. Yeah, probably the battery is the heaviest thing in it. So it is very light, easy to maneuver. It's also very easy to start. You just press and hold your start button and then pull the bar, and then it's running. So that makes it pretty easy. -- So -- is this a new thing or? Do we just not know cause the same thing, a couple of years ago, we bought an electric power washer, and that changed my life because I was like, oh, I can just push, plug it in, push the button. Where before we had another power washer and I just couldn't get it started. I feel like the same thing when mowing. I struggled so hard. To start it when it was gas powered. So is this just in the last 5 years, decade, or has this been around and I just didn't know about it? Um, it's probably been around maybe for 10 to 15 years, but I think the technology has greatly improved over the last 5 years or so, because when they first had electric. Lawn care equipment, the batteries would run out very quickly or were not reliable, but I think with some of the modern day battery production processes that now they are much more powerful and long lasting. So I think they've become more popular because of that, and I think they are popular in our area because pretty much. I've only seen one gas-powered mower out of everybody that has been mowing over the last two weeks. Is that what motivated you to get this one? No, the motivation was the fact so that I don't have to do it, so the kids can do it. The kids can do it. So I do think that it is a bit safer as well. You don't have as many moving parts. You don't have quite the power because that is one of the drawbacks of battery-powered devices is that. Although the power washer is easier to use, and this particular mower is easier to use, but it doesn't quite have the same power as a gas-powered device. So, but then you don't have to worry about storing gasoline, and pouring it. That's true, and that probably is what gave some issues with our gas-powered power washer because I think it had some old gas that was put in it at some point and that made it difficult to start and did not run as well after that. And then one thing for the neighborhood, and maybe it will be a few things in the future, but I. I was pretty confident, like, oh, I bet there's like a mower guy, a lawn guy that comes and does a bunch of people, and then we can just kind of jump on to their, while they're here, here's some cash also and do our yard as well. But yeah, like you said, everyone seemed to have done it themselves. Yes, I have not seen any mowing services. -- Everybody seems to do it themselves -- when we lived. Um, in a neighborhood a decade ago ago, we all pretty much use the same guy. He just did our whole cul-de-sac, and it was very inexpensive relatively, cause he just was there that Saturday and just did everyone's life, and it was probably easier for him because he He didn't really worry about the lines of the property lines. He just mowed all our yards, and it looked good cause it was all cohesive and Easy for us. He'd come down once a month and knock on our door for money, and it was done. That's true. May also be West Coast, East Coast thing. Not sure. Maybe that's true, but I do like the idea of getting our kids to do this. I don't, they're not as excited. I think they were more excited about the riding lawnmower. Cause that's like driving. And this, they're just like, wait, so now I have to push this thing. Outside I guess. I mean, I push mode with a gas-powered device when I was a kid, like 1 acre, and this is not even anywhere near 1 acre, so yeah, they'll they'll get used to it. It's just another job they have to do that they. Yep, so 2 of them did mow today and did a Substantial part of the yard, not all of it, but took turns doing that. And then the little, littlest one tried it for a little bit and then realized that probably he needs a bit more height and strength to do it effectively. OK, also, how quiet it is. It's shockingly quiet. So that's true. You probably should still wear ear protection, but we did not because it is relatively quiet. So one of our kids, I think would really get into this, and I want you to teach them eventually, but I didn't want to push my luck today. I love the crisscross yards, when the, um, and I think that he would, he's very meticulous, and I think that he would really. Do a good job. We teach him how to do the crisscross lawn. Or does that look weird next to all our other neighbors who just do straight across? Yeah, it may look a little bit odd. We'll have to drive around and see if anybody's doing crisscross, but it seemed like everybody was doing. Horizontal lines. There's somebody who doesn't even have real grass. I haven't seen that. I would judge them. Mhm mhm. I saw them. I didn't judge them. I was like, Oh, that's smart. -- Are -- they? Can you see them from our front porch? No, you can't. OK, so further down the line, yeah, I, I saw it in one of our neighborhood walks. I see. So they did some mowing and that was successful. So, hopefully, in the near future, perhaps I will only do the edging and then they can do the actual mowing. How do you feel about that? Yeah, I'm happy to impart some duties and responsibilities to them so that they can be productive adults. But I do enjoy mowing. It is sort of therapeutic. So, I did it today. May have a little bit more to do because the battery died because it was the very first charge, so it was not fully charged. I do enjoy mowing maybe like the 1st and 2nd time. And then Of the season and then after that it sort of becomes more of a chore. But you didn't enjoy it today, right? Was it just because you weren't prepared, like you felt sprung on and forced to do this today? Um, perhaps I was a bit hopeful that the kids would do it and take a sense of pride in it, and -- they did pretty good -- walk around with a poppy soda behind them and Hear them on. Yes, that was my intent. So it didn't quite work out that way, but they did a substantial part of it, so I was pleased. It was also kind of sprung on them too. Like, hey, tomorrow, yeah, well, I mean, I gave him a day's warning. I did. As soon as I placed the order, I was like, this is what you're going to be doing tomorrow. So they did have a bit of warning. And then my dad has a quote that relates to mowing, and this is actually what he wants written on his tombstone. So he wants his name and years of life, and then a quote underneath that that says, You're never done mowing. So, I don't know what it is about mowing in either our family or in America, life in general, but it is seemed to be a key part of our cultural experience. Do you, when you remember back to your childhood, cause you were saying that you were young, mowing. Would he mow part of it too, or did he supervise you? Or was that just a couple of years of his life where he didn't have to mow? I believe that he did a lot of the weed whacking and edging with some of those, perhaps a little bit more dangerous lawn care equipment type devices. And yeah, I would do push mowing with a gas mower and at some point graduated to a riding mower. And I do remember certain houses that we lived at where perhaps there was a little bit of a hill or complex turns and things that you had to do that perhaps he would do and I would do more of the flat straight areas. So, I think we separated the duties similar to how I described. Perhaps we will separate the duties for our kids. Oh, there you go, full circle. Is it a good workout still, because that's what they say, right? Mowing is a good workout, but since it's not so heavy, just taking a walk physically exerting yourself, but I mean, it's more than a walk because you're still pushing, you're maneuvering the mower. Is it like when we used to walk with the stroller with the babies? -- It's probably as heavy or less than that -- heavy, maybe for an adult, but yeah, it's gonna be a workout for a kid. OK, yeah. Yes, and then even with the riding mower at our previous property, it was still quite a bit of work because you had to do all the weed whacking, which that was a, probably took just as long as riding the riding mower portion. This will, I think, in All different aspects probably be an easier mowing experience at our new property. Yeah, and I think for you overall, it's gonna be better. Or maybe better is not the right word, but less of an obligation, because the kids can do it, I can do it. I never drove the riding lawnmower. Uh, we talked about it before, but I never. Want to just cause it scared me because, I mean, at some points you are slanted and it's just so scary to watch you like you're on a tip. We did not have to keep up with it perfectly, if you were traveling or anything like that, because we didn't have that many people down our streets. We now have, live in a neighborhood where people see our street constantly, sometimes only the Amazon driver who saw our road. That's true. And that is true that I did most of the riding mower work because it was a bit dangerous with the. Amount of hills that we had because I've never actually tipped it, but I have been on two wheels and had to steer to avoid tipping it, where you have to sort of grab onto the fender and sort of lean over so that your weight is distributed properly so that you don't tip it. While you're, so you're holding on with the fender with one hand and steering with the other and pressing the gas and everything and trying to stay on the straight line. So that area at the very front was Somewhat difficult. OK, here's another question I don't think I've ever asked you. When we moved to the country, our last home. You traveled a lot back then for work, and we did not have a riding lawnmower, cause once again, We hired someone at our previous place to do our yard. We had it done once when we moved in. And then it was several weeks later, and you know, we kept saying we need to buy one, but like, we were just moving in, life was crazy busy, you were traveling a ton, neighbor mowed it for us. And at the time, we didn't know who he was, I was kind of scared, like, do I go out there and pay him or What is he like, does he, how do, like, I don't, yeah, I just didn't know, cause he just showed up and started mowing. I'd never seen him before in my life. Later I found out he was a neighbor who knew that we needed it, and we just moved in was kind. Did that bother you or were you thankful? A little bit of both, yes, -- I would have -- like a little bit embarrassed. Yeah, a little bit embarrassed that Somebody else had to take care of my particular responsibility, but I was thankful that they did because, yeah, it was not possible for us to take care of that responsibility because of traveling and not having the proper equipment at that particular time. So -- that is -- true. Yeah, a sweet guy. Yeah. Yes, he told his wife told me later that, cause I wasn't sure what to do, and I text you cause you were gone, and you were like, just leave him some water on the front steps and just Do that, and that way you can acknowledge I've seen you, thank you, or whatever, and we'll go from there. So I did that, and I guess he told his wife afterwards, like, I think I really scared her, or made her uncomfortable. I was like, oh no, I didn't mean to, and then about several months later, I was outside with my kids, and I had earbuds in. I was listening to like a story, and he came up to say something and I screamed. Like I panicked, and he was like, I'm so sorry, I'm, it's just me. And ever since then I've always been a little embarrassed around him, like, oh man, he thinks I'm such a jumpy, scared person that he's always been so nice, but I'm like, oh man, I did not make a good impression. That's true. And I almost asked our next door neighbor, as he was mowing yesterday and we were outside, if I could borrow his mower and mow my lawn because that's how much the social pressure is. No way. I did think about that, which is not something that I would like to do, but the thought did cross my mind. I almost did it, maybe 40% chance that I was going to do that. But it said I overnighted our new mower. But what if he would have said, let me just do it for you? See, that is actually, that is actually one of the main reasons that I did not ask him because He may have offered to do that, and I would have felt bad. So that was actually one of the reasons that I did not ask that. Yeah, I'm sort of glad you didn't, because I feel like, I mean, this is just me spiraling, but then I'm like, oh, next time he mows, he's gonna be like, well, I need to mow his side too, to like help them out. He's he's very nice. I like our neighbors. All our neighbors are so nice. I'm really liking them. We'll get used to it. It's a different culture. It's a different. Community than we've ever been part of, so we'll figure it out. Indeed, and Amazon one day. I mean, that's insane. That's true. That didn't used to be a thing. You'd be ordering your mower and waiting 6 to 8 weeks. Now you can get a delivery estimate down to the hour. Yeah, just like 8 hours later. There you go. Indeed. So, just a reminder, you, a listener, can give us some suggestions on potentially what we can do for our 100th episode, and you can like, share, subscribe, leave a comment, send us an email, send us a text, let us know, and share with a friend if perhaps they have some suggestions as well. Sounds good. From your friends at I Hate Talking. Until next time, remember, you're never done mowing.