Word of the day...
... over at dictionary.com is "fulsome", which must surely qualify as one of the most abused in the English language.
Obviously you know this already, but there's always a place for a quick reminder:
Arguably, it's a word which is now so widely misused that its meaning has actually changed through general acceptance. The definition had already mutated from its original, mediaeval meaning of "abundance" to the now official one, so isn't it OK just to accept the mutation of the language and absorb it as a word with two opposing meanings, like "cleave"?fulsome \FUL-sum\, adjective:
1. Offensive to the taste or sensibilities.
2. Insincere or excessively lavish; especially, offensive from excess of praise.
Well no, not really, because it's all about the context. "Cleave" gets away with being contradictory because its meaning is clarified by the preposition that goes with it, whereas the phrase "fulsome praise", if we were to accept a dual connotation for "fulsome", would still be ambiguous. It's entirely unnecessary in any case, a by-product of the kind of thinking that runs along the lines of "longer word = sounds more intelligent". Whereas clearly what really makes you sound intelligent is knowing what "fulsome" means.
posted by Pashmina @ 12:39 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
"longer word = sounds more intelligent"
*has moment of painful self-recognition*
The word of the day in my inbox today was "pulchritude" which is a pretty ugly word for beauty. Hee Hee. That was fun!
I really agree with this one. It has often annoyed me, especially as it is usually used in the more pretentious sort of pseudo-intellectual article.
"more pretentious sort of pseudo-intellectual circle"
*has moment of painful self-recognition*
See, funny that meaning two is quite indicative of the overuse of the word - a fulsome use of the word fulsome.
Good point. Damn that "fulsome", it gets everywhere.
I quite like "pulchritude" (and especially "pulchritudinous") myself, it has a pleasing number of syllables and is quite difficult to spell...
*has moment of painful self-recognition*
'Fulsome' is annoying. But the two that really get on my tits are "infer" and "disinsterested".
AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
Couldn't agree more, Tim. And you hear them all the bloody time, even on Radio 4.
The whole country's going to the dogs, I tell you.
Ranks up there with 'enormity' among most mis-used words in the language.
Oh, and if you are still taking requests, can you please explain one day how correctly to use the expression 'begs the question'. It certainly *doesn't * mean 'raises the question in an urgent, begging sort of way' ...
Requests always welcome, I'm on it. Or rather I will be shortly, promise.
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