Desho!!

Today is Japanese linguistics post day, apparently. Anyway, something else I have noticed a lot since I've been in Japan, is the way that many people, especially women (at least that is what I have observed) have of giving themselves a little muttered encouragement. Everywhere I go, I hear people talking to themselves in a quiet undertone, saying "desho!"

If I translate correctly, this means more or less, "let's do it!" (or maybe even "let it be so!") I have heard people saying it when rushing around frantically trying to get a lot of work done, or even just in the act of sitting down on a bus while wearing a kimono (which is probably quite hard work too). Whatever it takes to get through the day...