If YOU could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be and WHY?
It is a fact that people in Bill Shakespeare’s time had working vocabularies of around 54,000 words. Estimating the number of words in the language today is a complex process, but the Oxford English Dictionary says that there are around 170,000 words in current use. I believe them.
A dreadful word
According to a recently conducted study by The Economist, most adult native speakers of the English language, who took their vocabulary test, have a range from 20,000 to 35,000 words. In contrast, the working vocabulary of the average American is 3,000 words and, I suspect, declining. If there’s one thing in the world that will make you look a fool it is ridiculously using this overused, suspect and dreadful word. As with a lot of words in the English language, the meaning of AWESOME has morphed into something else. Originally it meant inspiring awe, appalling, dreadful or weird. But now? Take a look below — a picture is worth a thousand words!
English detectorists, in the main, use a plethora of other words when commenting on finds, like stunning-excellent-cracking-first rate-super-fine–very good, and many more. The word AWESOME is over-used and should be kept to describe Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon and the Colosseum, for example. They are truly awe-inspiring!
The horrible awesomeness of greeting cards
Those members of my blog know well my aversion to AWESOME, a word beloved and almost universally used by American detectorists to describe some mundane artefact a forum member has recently unearthed. I have seen the word AWESOME used as a general purpose exclamation of approval. I suppose this makes the dudes feel good describing a rusty button from the beginning of 20th century as AWESOME – the word has morphed into something else and the true meaning has been lost.
‘Awesome is being used and abused on all sorts of greeting cards. ‘You are truly awesome!’ and ‘Sometimes you forget you’re awesome!’ makes me wince. And my particular favourite ‘You’re all kinds of awesome’ leaves me baffled. I have no idea what this means but given its original meaning, it’s very funny and does make me chuckle. ‘You’re all kinds of dread mingled with respectful fear’ sounds so much better and a lot more fun. And maybe a lot more accurate. That’s a card you give to someone you know really well.
The true meaning of awesome has been lost, and so has its appeal and usefulness. What was once used sparingly to describe a feeling that was profound and meaningful, is now used every minute merely to describe a trivial pleasure, such as buying a pair of woolly socks from Marks & Spencer. What a waste of a great old word.’ Courtesy of Rusty Pencil
Conclusion
What the average Englishman doesn’t do is overuse AWESOME for things that in my experience don’t inspire awe. Expensive trainers are nice.
You may think that I’m a prig, and you are entitled to your opinion, but I’m just concerned about language and the way it is used. COOL. I repeat . . .
If YOU could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be and WHY?
This has been a tongue-in-cheek production destined to provoke discussion
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But, I truly cannot help being so absolutely aw….!
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AWFUL?
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Of course. But you like me. Dick Emery.
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Never liked that term John.. too overused… It seems as though once a word enters the common lexicon, it gets worked to death.
But that said.. I think you are awesome!! LOL
Best
Micheal
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Flattery will get you everywhere.
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