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Iconic

(10 Posts)
Outofstepwithhumanity Mon 19-Sep-16 11:54:57

Has it become obligatory to use the word Iconic in every t.v. Documentary? It's bad enough when every building, landscape, animal, or of art etc. is described thus, but the final straw was hearing a piece of music d scribed as "iconic" - give me strength! From an extremely grumpy pedant.

vintage1950 Mon 19-Sep-16 12:34:06

I agree!!! It's become a meaningless word to indicate that the speaker or writer is fashionable/hip/cool. Meanings don't seem to matter any longer.

Ana Mon 19-Sep-16 12:43:39

To be fair, the word 'iconic' just means 'famous, popular or widely recognized and well-established' according to the dictionary.

What's wrong with describing a piece of music thus?

Outofstepwithhumanity Mon 19-Sep-16 13:17:03

I always thought that the word meant visual imagery, deriving from the Greek Icon, the latter meaning of famous, widely recognised or well-established and its over use, is what this grumpy old pedant is whinging about!

Pandi Mon 19-Sep-16 16:00:28

The word is....wait for it....amazing!

Wheniwasyourage Mon 19-Sep-16 17:39:58

There's nothing particularly wrong with describing a piece of music as "iconic", Ana, except for the fact that the word has become a cliché and therefore, as has been said, is now meaningless and IMO, infuriating.

Ana Mon 19-Sep-16 17:49:06

Yes, you're probably right. The one that annoys me more, though, is 'unique' when it obviously isn't. Even worse is 'rather unique'!

kittylester Mon 19-Sep-16 17:51:29

You beat me to it Ana or, worse, fairly unique!

Wheniwasyourage Mon 19-Sep-16 18:04:18

Yes indeed. That was one of my late DM's bugbears, which I have inherited!

SueDoku Mon 19-Sep-16 19:01:42

'My most favourite xxxx' anyone? I think it started with Del Boy (and was put in as a joke that everyone would understand) but it has spread like Russian vine confused