PERFECTO

I’ve started saying ‘perfecto’. I’ve just noticed.

I don’t know where it came from, I don’t know when I started it, and I don’t know if I’ve subconsciously absorbed it from someone. But there it is. Perfecto.

It’s Spanish, and it’ll blow your mind if you translate it. It means ‘perfect’. I know, right? Boggling.

Anyway, my question is - is this cool? I mean I know I’m famous for setting trends and invariably being the coolest, most hippest person in the room, but I do have my moments of embarrassingly sad. Which camp does 'perfecto' fall into?

Me: I’m still intrigued by your first question. Was there a problem with the translations?

Her: Actually it’s not a reproducible bug any more, so no worries.

Me: Ah, I see okay.

Her: I have checked and the translations are all fine.

Me: Perfecto.

Does it sit in that happy little valley between friendly and formal? Most workplaces are nestled in that valley these days, so it sort of seems suitable. I’m still not quite sure - a lot of my colleagues are Ukrainian or Belarusian and their word for perfect is… well, let’s say, hard to pronounce. This little Spanish flourish seems like a way to make ‘perfection’ (or at least, the perception of perfection) a little more fun.

I’m using it in my daily life too. The other day I heard myself say ‘Perfecto!’ while I made the okay sign with my fingers. No-one raised eyebrows so I guess it’s okay.

The key must be not to overuse it. And that’s interesting isn’t it, because if you’re setting a trend, by definition you want to see it everywhere. So to influence the world, you’ve got to use it, but not overuse it, and you can’t underuse it either, otherwise it goes nowhere at all. It’s like trying to second guess a social media algorithm. If you are inherently cool, or attractive, or already known, influence is easier.

Alternatively, I could just start a chain-reaction and get other people to start using it, without them knowing where 'perfecto' specifically came from? The key there would not be to mention anything about it, just wait to hear people use it back at me and then smile knowingly. That could work! Then, it’s not clear that they didn’t think of it, it’s not traced back to me, and very stealthily I’ve changed the world without the world knowing it!

Perf…

Wait a minute. I’ve got no way of knowing that that exact thing hasn’t just happened to me, have I?