Want to Hear Some Nifty Stories?
As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit of clothes. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.
Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment.” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. One can learn many lessons from epic stories. Think of the difference between an Aesop fable and a tale from the Arabian Nights. Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.
Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always in vogue. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Stories that are nifty are stories that are priceless!
April 4th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Write more soon. Lovin this blog.
April 13th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Very fine.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Laughter enlivens the spirit. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. Call it priceless humor.
Look around you at the great humorists. Art Buchwald.
May 13th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective.
May 26th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I will be sure to remember this place. This was really great.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I really like this blog.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one do you prefer to hear? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Very cool. I will certainly come back here.
June 25th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
It was tough going most of the time. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I hoped my children would do the same.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Pestilence. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
great info.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Most of the time it was rough going. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I hoped my children would do the same.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Thanks a million for the post.
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Good stuff.
July 30th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I hoped my children would do the same.
August 1st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres.
August 16th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Liked your blog.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
The messages stuck in the memory, too. The Golden Rule. Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you. Give back to your community.
September 30th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. ” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Helpful info. Really great.
October 27th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Helpful post. Really great information.
October 28th, 2009 at 4:11 am
Lovin your blog. Write more soon.
October 31st, 2009 at 4:14 am
Awesome post. Great blog info.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.
You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Check out “Rock Soup” or “Herschel in the Woods” from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. My CD World Full of Stories has many examples a listener can enjoy.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:23 am
The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.
You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. The demonic can also be found.
November 17th, 2009 at 5:26 am
I listen to lots of conversations. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:29 am
This blog rocks.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:07 am
In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia. The differences as well as the similarities of the various countries impress me deeply.
January 31st, 2010 at 8:06 am
As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory. To this day I still remember and follow those messages.