The following is a public service announcement for the benefit of all those from English speaking backgrounds.

Hi, there. I'm SPIRIT. If you're like me, then your family originated in an English speaking country. Why, they've practically been speaking English since the days of King Arthur. Now, if you're like me, then you probably have friends that do not come from English speaking backgrounds. Sure, their English might be good, heck, even their parents' English might be good, but for some reason or other, many people from non-English speaking backgrounds seem to do the same thing that REALLY bugs me.

THEY DON'T CALL THEIR GRANDPARENTS "GRANDMA" OR "GRANDPA".

Look, I know your family isn't Anglo-Saxon, I get it. But if you're telling me a story, don't start talking to me about your Nona or your Zayde; I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE. Having a different culture than me is fine, but seriously, SPEAK TO ME IN A LANGUAGE I UNDERSTAND. Yes, you call your grandparents Baba and Oma (or whatever), that's great, but when you're telling me about them, PLEASE REFER TO THEM IN A WAY I UNDERSTAND.

And another thing, "nana" is not "grandmother", it's short for "nanny", i.e. a person, usually with special training, employed to care for children in a household. Now, if that job description fits your grandmother, by all means, you can refer to her as that -- otherwise, just say "grandma".

To sum up, calling your grandparents whatever you want when speaking to them or about them to someone who knows them by that name is fine, just don't use this name when speaking to someone who does not know this unless you provide an explanation.

Tune in next time when SPIRIT gripes about all the confusion created by women who refer to all their female friends as "girlfriends".