I want to talk to you today about an amazing thing that is, well, incredible and just plain awesome!
It’s called word inflation and it’s become a pet peeve of mine.
Actually, I don’t think that word inflation—the overly emphatic use of a word in situations that don’t demand it—is a great thing. It’s getting on my nerves.
I’d just like to know when it all started, and where. Who’s responsible?
Take the word “amazing,” for example. Once upon a time, the word “amazing” was reserved for truly amazing things, such as grace, an amazing race, a world record or a tremendous act of generosity.
When Sir Edmund Hilary scaled Mt. Everest for the first time,that was amazing. American swimmer Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals and defeating Serbia’s Milorad Cavic in the 100 meter butterfly in Beijing was amazing. A paraplegic climbing Mt. Rainier is amazing, even incredible. For the most part, though, amazing has become just another throw-away word, as in “your haircut is just amazing.”
Unless, of course, the haircut is “incredible.” I heard someone remark recently that amazing is for truly eventful events, like when the moon explodes. Now, that would be amazing, even scary.
Deep down, we all know this, in our heart of hearts. We know, for example, that The Incredibles are a cartoon family who got their name because they could do incredible things, like run at the speed of a bullet, fly and wrap their bodies around buildings.
And what of awesome?
Used to be, awesome was reserved for once-in-a-lifetime events: The Apollo 11 moon landing; the explosion of a star; an up-close sighting of a blue whale.
These days, everything is awesome: that party was awesome, my toothpaste is awesome, your boyfriend is awesome, my favorite TV show is awesome, and on and on.
Sorry folks, just because I can write doesn’t mean I’m awesome.
Obviously, the word amazing is often used when the word awesome might be a better choice, and vice-versa.
Word inflation is important because words matter. When everything is awesome, it means nothing really is. When everything’s incredible, nothing’s incredible.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an amazing person to go interview.
Editor’s note: Have a pet peeve about over-used words? Let us know by writing lynnwood@heraldnet.com or by sending mail to The Enterprise, 4303 198th St. SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036.
Oscar Halpert is editor of the Lynnwood/Mountlake Terrace Enterprise.
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