Disgusting!

Agree with you entirely. Unfortunately many words nowadays are misused and probably always have been - a fascinating subject if you want to pursue it. Personally I feel that it is just another way of asserting one's own opinion on another and thereby getting some feeling of being in control. Exaggeration has always been a useful tool for that purpose.

Have just re-read my post and think it sounds rather pompous - sorry - not my intention at all

Language seems to be used very lightly these days. Many words and phrases with specific meanings are used in the wrong context or without people recognising their real meaning. Perhaps teachers do not have the time to teach language properly, or as everyone has such busy lives they do not listen to plays and literature programmes on Radio 4 as I did when I was young (whilst decorating the walls or baking cakes). I do find it difficult sometimes when reading my Open University books when they leave out commas or write a rather muddled sentence, but I just suppose it is because they are maths/science people and not interested in language. Are we being too picky? I do not think we can win this battle, but I am not sure it is doing the young any favours. PS. I am not a clever clogs by any means and it is taking me ages to do the OU courses!!

I just think it is sad. We have a rich language full of wonderful words to express out ideas, feelings and emotions. I understand, and appreciate, that language evolves but it is the reduction of specific language /vocab that i find upsetting. We are developing the use of half a dozen generic words to describe a myriad of feelings and emotions!

I think young people express themselves differently from our generation. One girl telling me she was pleasantly surprised by something, said, 'I was like Wow,'
We don't say that, do we? Well I don't.

Thinking about it I would describe a crime as disgusting

I think it's normal that expressions change or else we d all still be saying 'See you later alligator ' is that so very different to feeling Wow ......nah words /expressions just renew and change along the years 'Haste thou not realised'

See you later Alligator

Is my DGD's favorite saying at the moment BlueBelle and she insists on the usual reply

I love to listen to the young ones using new words, sometimes inappropriately but who am I to criticize ?

My grandchildren soak up new words and can't wait to drop them into conversation at every opportunity. They are almost always highly descriptive words like "awesome" and "magnificent" (one of the latest).

Meant to add that the girls are forever telling their little brother that he is "disgusting"

Usually after he has burped, farted pumped, slopped or whatever else they find "disgusting".

Gillybob I too enjoy learning all the new words ( even if I don't remember half of them) if language wasn't ever changing it would be boring anyway who ever wanted to speak like their parents if my mum and dad said white I d say black. Normal isn't it ?

My grandkids are all teens now so I get a very varied conversations when they pop up for breathe from their iPads even that is just a same/difference I remember being told off for having my head in a book all the time and not being sociable I remember taking Enid Blyton to the loo with me and eating ( only child eating on my own) with a book on the table I must add not if I was eating with others just in case you all shout at my families' parenting

I agree about over use of certain words but it is not "disgusting", Penstemmon which annoys me the most but "amazing" .

It makes me cringe!

I just get rather worried about the narrow vocabulary- people over use a word because they don't have any others to use. I was told at school that the way to increase you vocabulary was to read widely and often which I have always done but I think reading may not be as popular as it was before 24 hour TV and techno-based games. The use of the word 'awesome' irritates me and encourages me to reply 'No not awesome, God is awesome a new pair of trainers is not' (said to nephew recently).

Most dictionaries (online ones, anyway) give the original meaning of 'awesome' followed by the informal meaning, i.e. very good, excellent.

jomarie

I don't get upset by the use of any word really, even if used wrongly.The young especially, have always had their own vocabulary.Remember Fab?

'It's wicked!' is one which catches me out no matter how often I hear it.

My three have adopted the Craig Revel Horwood style of saying everything is "FAB-YOU-LUSS" (Darling)

Reminds me of my GD recently:

GD (aged 3): See you later alligator

Me: In a while crocodile

GD: Daddy learnt us that

Me: Taught us

GD after great thought: Daddy said it was a crocodile

And off she skipped!

I know someone who still says this or that is 'fab'.
Talk about dating you!
Mind you I don't think 'awesome' would be any better.

Maybe I'll start saying 'spiffing'. (Er, maybe not...).
One old one I like is 'blithering idiot'.
And 'floozie'

'Fantastic' people, say about a pair of sandals or a new moisturiser.....really ?? They are easily amazed.

I do like 'skank' not sure if I am using it correctly but it saves a lot of other words being worn out.

I suppose, as language is constantly evolving, we have to put up with the skankiness of old words being abused.......have to go, I got up feeling a bit skank and now the dog is doing skank things to the post.............it can also mean a Reggae dance movement of course, neither the dog or I are dancing.

How about 'Brilliant!' as a response to any information you give over the phone? Someone asks for your credit card expiry date and evidently it is 'Brilliant'when you know what it is and tell them. Another overuse I hate is 'Devastated'; the number of times people are devastated when some minor thing happens; I thought devastation was losing your entire family in an avalanche, or seeing your country bombed to bits. Rant over.

Copperknob

'amazing' is bad enough, but 'totes amaze' as I heard the other day? MY vocabulary fails me !! ?

My current hate is the overuse of "hero". Sportsmen are not hero's.

Don't get me started on "awesome". Niagra Falls awesome, the Grand Canyon awesome. Not a cake, a new pair of shoes, a new dress, going shopping or having a great night out. These are not "awesome".

Perhaps totes is short for totally?
My favourite hate is the misuse of obscene - is it out of fashion now, given way to disgusting?