A usage PSA: "awesome" is now a wanted word!

[viktor_haag]

OK all you hobbyists. Here is the accepted definition for the word "awesome":¹

awe•some |ˌɔːs(ə)m|
adjective
extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear
: the awesome power of the atomic bomb.
• informal extremely good; excellent : the band is truly awesome!

I have two faint pleas.

First -- please notice that awesome is an adjective and not a noun. You cannot be "filled with awesome", you cannot "bring on the awesome", in fact you cannot do anything with "the awesome" at all.

Second -- even when used in the appropriate way, this word has become horribly over-used. It has become the chipotle of the hobbyist's vocabulary. So, please, stretch yourself! Enliven your discourse! Here are some similar terms you can use instead of the dreaded "a" word:²

Breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring, impressive; formidable, fearsome, dreaded; informal mind-boggling, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, excellent, marvelous; literary wondrous; archaic awful.

That is all, and thank-you for your kind attention.


¹New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd Edition
²Oxford American Writers Thesaurus, 1st Edition

Comments

[waiwode.livejournal.com]

This post brings the mind-boggling!

:)

Doug.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

This strikes me as following a doctrine of appeasement, Mr Pirko... 8)

[thebitterguy]

It's full of jaw-dropping, if you ask me.

[maliszew.livejournal.com]

I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[mylescorcoran]

I second your pleas, and not so faintly either.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Very well said, Viktor, and rather nicely put.

I hate that "A" word, in all honesty, as it's all I've heard about a certain rpg that I run in demos lately.

"Brilliant" is a much better word for this sort of thing, and it's close to it in the alphabet, for those who can't help themselves about using the "A" word. :)

[thebitterguy]

Yeah, but "full of brilliant" just lacks the Zing! of "full of Awesome".

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Could be.

But "full of Awesome" had a different meaning down on Yonge Street when I was living in Toronto. :)

[thebitterguy]

I officially condemn you and your followers for having your pants too high.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

I officially condemn you, Bitter Guy, for checking out my pants! That's harassment!

[thebitterguy]

Not when you've got them up around your armpits like that.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Bah!

[thebitterguy]

Darn kids! Get off my vocabulary!

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Just like the effing squirrels! ::ratzinfratzin::

[mneme]

This post is totally full of breathtaking!

(hmm. oddly, that doesn't quite have the ring that the (deliberate misuse) "full of awesome" has).

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

But how will I seem hip and cool without ironic misuse of a tired adjective?

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

By issuing wry, self-referential laments about such discoveries? 8)

[troy-duffy.livejournal.com]

You are both so freakin awesome it makes my teeth hurt. Those posts remind me of Oz from Buffy. And that IS a compliment!

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Well, at least you had the good taste to use the word in an appropriate manner... 8)

[deven-science.livejournal.com]

I like staggering. I'll have to try to inject that into my writings. I'll use it improperly though, like, "that's all kinds of staggering."