It was brought to my attention in a recent blog that I used the word "awesome", a word that has been ground into the dirt past being meaningful.
And then, I thought, awesome is an awesome word. The problem is prior use. How do I make everyone forget all the other times when awesome was used to describe something that was...well let me say, less than awesome.
The dictionary tells me that awesome is a word that means awe inspiring, amazing. The problem is it's been used to describe things that are pretty nice, or good, but not awesome. The Grand Canyon is awesome. A car is cool, or nice, or fun or anything but awesome.
I think I'll reserve the right to use the word awesome when what is being described is awe inspiring or amazing. I don't want to lose the use of a tool from my tool box just because others have used a sledge hammer when a mallet would have been the appropriate tool. My sledge hammer is only used for special occasions.
The English language is difficult, but also full of choices to give the right texture, tone and meaning to the spoken and written word. And, what an awesome gift that is.
fer sure, that's an awesome blog dude, and I am totally, like, on it with you, fer sure. Awesome is an awesome word man
ReplyDeleteGuilty.
ReplyDeleteI over use the word.
It's just such an awesome word.
Totally OK so-so middle-of-the-road average mediocre post, Tom ;-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome is a great word!! The thing is, what inspires awe in each person is different -- what's one person's awesome might be someone else's OK. So maybe it's not really that over-used, it's just that we don't always see awesomeness in the same things.
But the Grand Canyon -- that's gotta be awesome for everyone!!!!!!!!!!
Kelly