So, I’m sitting off to the side, minding my own business, when this guy in a cowboy hat with the brim turned up like a Texas grin walks up to another man, sticks his hand out and loudly implores, “What about it?” I watched this interaction from the beginning, so I know for a fact that nothing preceded this question. The cowboy just hollered it out as a greeting!
If he’d been talking to me, I’d probably say, exactly what about what are you talking about?
The journalist in me (His name is Scoop!) would dig deeper with questions beyond what (about it?) to who (about it?), when (about it?), where (about it?), and why (about it?)! I don’t think even Scoop would ask how (about it?), because that’s about how this whole thing started in the first place!
Now, despite my misgivings, I noticed that clearly to the cowboy’s way of thinking, his greeting was completely appropriate! My guess is the cowboy hoped for one of three responses to his query of “What about it?”
Response No. 1: “Heck, yeah!”
Response No. 2: “Danged right!”
Response No. 3: “Sure as shootin’!”
… or variations thereof.
I suppose that in the grand scheme of things there’s nothing especially awful about the little interaction I witnessed that day. Even so, it all puts me in mind of the late, great character actor Slim Pickens in his role in Mel Brooks’ movie “Blazing Saddles.” … Come to think of it, both incidents put me in mind of virtually every role the late, great Slim Pickens ever played in the movies – a loud, ignorant, arrogant, boisterous, happily-self-UN-aware man with the temerity to walk up to a stranger, extend his hand for shaking, and boldly scream, “What about it!?” … maybe even adding “hoss” at the end!
I can’t say that I think we need more people like that in the world, but I can say, thank God for the late, great Slim Pickens who knew people like that cowboy I saw that day, recognized the inherent humor in them, and made the world a little better place when he played that character in “Blazing Saddles!”
So, to conclude, I’m reluctant to say, “What about it!?” Clearly, it is far better as a greeting than as a farewell. Instead, I’ll defer to Slim Pickens himself and quote his character’s line following the bean dinner scene in “Blazing Saddles,” when asked, “How ’bout some more beans, Mr. Taggart?” He replies, “I’d say you boys have had enough!”