As we all know, I collected shopping lists* for many years, and once gave a reading which put everyone present in stitches. I like randomness. Recently my friend M bought something at a sale which contained a list of some kind, and SJ has hung onto it, appreciating its cryptic (to us) juxtapositioning.

She asked me what I made of it, and I'm asking YOU.

Here’s the list:
Rude
Sassy
Summarize
Assessment
Portarse ?
Callete ?
Obey
Feeling
Logo
Edit
Peer editing

My answer:
Portarse ? <-- means to behave in Spanish
Callete ? <--- callate = shut up in Spanish
Someone has classes and compiled a list of things from a Spanish class assignment where they had to write copy for an advertisement to fit "rude, sassy." The "potare, callete" is the student's idea on a couple of words to use, as is "obey" but he didn't know the correct translation of that word. "Feeling" is an aspect the professor said to think about (someone is hurt, offended, gets angry). The professor has given them a choice of five logos to use on their print-out of the advertisement mock-up. The next class will be a collaborative editing session ("Mark is next - Mark, show us what you did for the assignment. WTF? Needs more cowbell."). Your 50-word ad copy is due on Tuesday, SJ.

Conversely, someone is trying to think of a name for a Second Life sim, a line of clothing, a kitten, or is thinking of clues for a crossword puzzle.

Or, perhaps, it's terrorist code that means something: take the last letters and it says "EYE TEE Y GO T G" which might mean they intend to blow up a golf course or that it means "I T Y GOTG" which obviously is a warning to a co-conspirator.

It could be a list that reveals something about each person who views it, and may in fact change for every person. It might say, "Cabbages, Spackle, Tourbus, Shy, Annotated, Passive-aggressive, Snarky, In-line filter" for someone else. Have you tried showing the actual list to someone else? Maybe the list stays the same but the interpretation reveals complex things about the viewer.

In other words, NO IDEA.

*Usually found crumpled on the floors of shops or left in grocery carts, they are sometimes touching and often hilarious, but always give a tiny clue to a real human's needs, thoughts, and manner of living. I still have all the ones I collected but I try not to collect more, although once in a while I am sent them by a friend.