Does anyone share my pet peeve of the over and misuse of the word "awesome"??

[Siwsan]

I know people who use it as an adjective for practically EVERYTHING. I once listened to a presentation on a youth group, and the woman giving it used that word in pretty much every sentence. If that word was removed from the vocabulary, there are people who would be practically mute.

I found this, on line, and it pretty much sums up my feelings:

Many words have been wasted on the subject of when adulthood starts. Some hold that it comes about with the right to drink alcoholic beverages or vote in an election. For particularly stringent grammarians of a certain generation, the rite of passage that marks the official start of adulthood is the point at which one becomes annoyed at hearing someone say that something is awesome, when they don’t actually mean that it produces awe.

https://www.dictionary.com/e/awesome/

(I overdid it doing yard work, yesterday, so today I'm sore and grumpy. And I KEEP HEARING PEOPLE OVERUSING THAT WORD!!)

[mr_lebowski]

1. But hey, OTOH, I bet your yard looks awes ... errr ... FANTASTIC! (nt)

[Siwsan]

3. Ok, you made me laugh through my soreness!

And, at best, I'd say my property looks 'maintained' through blood, sweat and tears. Mostly the sweat, and sometimes the blood part.

[mr_lebowski]

7. Whatever it takes to keep the HoA off my back, that's my motto ;) (nt)

[California_Republic]

2. " absolutely "

[MontanaMama]

4. Yep! Agree 100%.

You might enjoy this TED talk Siwsan.

[Siwsan]

6. Thanks!

[hlthe2b]

5. Perhaps they don't teach this in school anymore, but one is supposed to mix up (and not repeat)

one's adjectives when writing. I have to edit my own writings carefully to avoid doing that, but I typically DO. When speaking, I'm even more aware of the need not to use (or at least not repeat) really overused adjectives and phrases.

I just don't think it even occurs to many people not to do so anymore. They hear others (online so-called "influencers" or their own peers) using a term and they automatically repeat it.

[unblock]

8. awesome post!

someone had to do it....

[Siwsan]

9. ARGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! (Just kidding!)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. I especially love it when I go to a restaurant and the waiter/ess asks for my order

and I order a salad or some such thing and the waiter/ess, who is about fourteen, replies, "Awesome!" (And then I tell him/her to get off my lawn.)

[rsdsharp]

15. Well, at least the wait staff where you eat doesn't respond with

"perfect" to every order from every person.

(To be clear, I too, hate "awesome.&quot

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. I get the "perfect" response from the counter guy at a local coffee shop.

You go the counter, order a cup of coffee and a caramel roll and the guy always says "Perfect!" That assumes some other order would be less than perfect, so what if you ordered a cup of coffee and a cheese Danish instead? Would he say, "Nice job, but you could do better"?

[rsdsharp]

19. Exactly! There is only one perfect.

Fortunately for you, you've found it.

[zipplewrath]

11. Literally

I'll see your "awesome" and suggest that I can beat the abuse level with the word "literally".

[Siwsan]

12. They are pretty even as peeves.

I am tempted to print up some cards with the actual definitions of both words. Then I can hand them out to the offenders.

[zipplewrath]

21. You assume

You assume that these folks can comprehend and learn from the written word.

[Siwsan]

22. I struggle to remain hopeful

About SOOOOO many things.

[zipplewrath]

24. Be a cynic

It's so much easier than being hopeful.

[jberryhill]

13. I abandoned all of my pet peeves in the woods

Some of them must have found their way to your house.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. No, they've just become feral peeves, which reproduce quickly

and sometimes become rabid.

[NightWatcher]

14. On Language, by Stephen Fry

And for something a little silly

[Siwsan]

18. I come from a family of teachers and writers

Uniqueness in language is one thing, while redundant inappropriate usage is quite another. One shows an abundance of imagination and the other, IMHO, shows a lack.

[NightWatcher]

26. Even though I consider myself literate and a "word-ie", I have to work to stop from using lazy

language as well. I try not to overuse awesome and literally, but my problem is cursing. I'm an atheist but can't drive for more than ten minutes without a dozen "Christ"'s coming out of my mouth... even when I'm alone.

[UTUSN]

20. Me. It is long ago completely washed out of meaning anything.

[Harker]

23. Yes.

I very seldom experience awe, and it's never been in reaction to a shampoo or toothpaste.

[hunter]

25. Here is some awesome...

Bruce the Eagle Gets his 15 Minutes of Fame in a Symmetrical Glamour Shot

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181219156

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/05/bruce-the-eagle/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. That qualifies as awesome.

[jayschool2013]

28. Awesome post

I'm more worried about people's inability to use the past participle.

"I should have ran for president" annoys me more than an innocent "awesome."

[hunter]

29. The correct form is "I should of ran for president." Right?

[jayschool2013]

31. Clearly

Nice!

[Siwsan]

30. I have a friend whose peeve is the proper use of lay vs. lie

I try to avoid using either of them, in her presence.

[jayschool2013]

32. Does she lie in bed?

My dog doesn't respond to "lay down" unless you explain the object of the command. "Lie down" he'll do.

[Siwsan]

33. I'm not stepping into that trap!!

The only form of 'lie' I'm confident in identifying has to do with everything coming out of trump*'s mouth.

[elleng]

34. and 'incredible'

It appears that everything is 'impossible to believe.' I don't think so.

[ProudLib72]

35. Substitute "wicked" for "awesome" then you have my pet peeve

Oh, and "dank" is another. Good grief, I can just imagine some Bostonian teens running around calling everything "wicked dank."

[Sanity Claws]

36. You have a really awesome pet peeve!

[happybird]

37. I'm guilty of overusing awesome

It's my favorite lazy word for something great plus a little extra. Super great, if you will.

I do try to switch it up, but awesome is my default description for fantastic, wonderful things.

The two misused words that drive me nuts are literally and iconic. According to pop culture media everything is iconic these days.

[Siwsan]

38. I now counter the word 'awesome' with the word 'groovy'.

I also have an 'awesome penalty jar' that requires $1, every time that word is used in my house. Admittedly, people didn't take me seriously so that's why I came up with the 'groovy' response.

[happybird]

41. Lol!

Groovy is such a fun word. You definitely get the side-eye whenever you bust it out, which is great.

A few years ago DH and I tried to bring "grody" back but, sadly, it didn't catch on among our friends.

[mokawanis]

39. I, um, have one, um, pet peeve, um, like that

My wife was listening to a podcast yesterday where two authors were conversing and one of them repeatedly paused and said "um". I've been around people who do it so often that it becomes a major distraction and makes me want to finish their sentences or point out their annoying habit.

[Siwsan]

40. Add to that "um", "like" and "you know"

And let's not forget the strange need for people to use the word 'basically' when they are explaining a situation.

[klook]

42. It's a nightmare.

Many things are “nightmares” these days — traffic jams, medical paperwork, home renovation projects — surely there are other words available.

[Totally Tunsie]

43. I'll "see" your "awesome", and raise you one "nothingburger".

Why do seemingly intelligent people use that word? Arrrgh!