Friday Phrases: "Half a Bubble Off Center"

According to my Aunt Elsie, a phrase my grandparents (my dad’s folks ) used to use is “I believe his bubble is off center.”

According to the Urban Dictionary, the original phrase is “half a bubble off center,” meaning:

·         not all there, mentally speaking. A couple of sentences short of a paragraph, a few shards of pottery short of a full anthropological theory, a few wafers short of a communion, one's belt doesn't go through all of the loops, one's driveway doesn't quite make it to the road...I THINK YA GET THE PICTURE!

I was not able to find out when, where, or how this expression originated, but it has also been translated “a half-bubble off center” and other words such as plumb and level have been used in place of “center.” 

In thinking about my husband’s level—which he uses to assist in hanging things correctly on walls—I picture the bubble in the middle. It has to be in the precise middle in order to be accurate. Otherwise, one ends up with crooked pictures, cock-eyed shelves, etc.

I guess I find myself wondering why it’s only half a bubble. Maybe it equates to “half crazy,” which sounds more polite, I suppose, than “completely nuts.” And we all have those days when we feel a little half crazy. Ever had to ask yourself any of these questions?:

·         What did I come in here for?

·         How did that get in the fridge?

·         Has that always been there?

·         Where in the world could I have put it?

·         Who was I calling?

These and other brain lapses can cause one to feel like we must be “losing it” to some degree. But rest assured, if those are your worst signs, your bubble is intact. J

A person who is truly a half-bubble, or even a whole bubble, off center is one who exhibits more than the average clues suggesting that something is not quite right—wires are seriously crossed; they’re “out to lunch;” the mother ship is coming.

It’s still curious as to why a “bubble” was used as the visual symbol in this phrase. Could it be that because of a bubble’s nature to float around aimlessly, it became associated with having a mind that is not targeted or grounded? Could it be related in any way to the oft-used expression “burst your bubble”? Having a bubble go off center denotes coo-coo, while having one’s bubble burst involves disappointment. Maybe those who are off center are more likely to have their bubbles burst because their ideas don’t quite match with reality…

I don’t have the answers, but what I do know is this: My bubble is centered, so I’m not going to worry about it—maybe I’ll get myself some bubble gum, blow some soap bubbles to celebrate my state of “stable bubble-ness,” and take a bubble bath. Maybe even listen to Michael Buble (yes, I know it’s not “bubble,” but it’s the closest I could get).

In the meantime, may the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face; and may your bubble always be centered.