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Exactly how does one use this phrase currently? In a pejorative sense (as I understand it) or in a flattering sense (as how the use seems to be evolving). Any ideas?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Here's Webster:
Main Entry: ful·some
Pronunciation: 'ful-s&m
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English fulsom copious, cloying, from full + -som -some
Date: 13th century
1 a : characterized by abundance : COPIOUS <describes in fulsome detail -- G. N. Shuster> <fulsome bird life. The feeder overcrowded -- Maxine Kumin> b : generous in amount, extent, or spirit <the passengers were fulsome in praise of the plane's crew -- Don Oliver> <a fulsome victory for the far left -- Bruce Rothwell> <the greetings have been fulsome, the farewells tender -- Simon Gray> c : being full and well developed <she was in generally fulsome, limpid voice -- Thor Eckert, Jr.>
2 : aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive <fulsome lies and nauseous flattery -- William Congreve> <the devil take thee for a ... fulsome rogue -- George Villiers>
3 : exceeding the bounds of good taste : OVERDONE <the fulsome chromium glitter of the escalators dominating the central hall -- Lewis Mumford>
4 : excessively complimentary or flattering : EFFUSIVE <an admiration whose extent I did not express, lest I be thought fulsome -- A. J. Liebling>
- ful·some·ly adverb
- ful·some·ness noun
usage The senses shown above are the chief living senses of fulsome. Sense 2, which was a generalized term of disparagement in the late 17th century, is the least common of these. Fulsome became a point of dispute when sense 1, thought to be obsolete in the 19th century, began to be revived in the 20th. The dispute was exacerbated by the fact that the large dictionaries of the first half of the century missed the beginnings of the revival. Sense 1 has not only been revived but has spread in its application and continues to do so. The chief danger for the user of fulsome is ambiguity. Unless the context is made very clear, the reader or hearer cannot be sure whether such an expression as "fulsome praise" is meant in sense 1b or in sense 4.
I'm all for happy revivals. Fulsome praise would be overdone and insincere--perhaps that of sycophants and other toadies.
Bloviated regards,
WordWindy
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Re: other toadies
why toadies? are toadies like toads? how? thought to be slimy? "low life?" (well they are not very tall, but they are taller than snakes in the grass!--whoops, wrong thread!)
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear of troy: forgive me if I have missed a joke. We had a thread a while back that described a carnival mountebank peddling a nostrum so powerful that his assistant could bite the head of a toad without ill consequences. The assistant was referred to as a "toadie". Very deserving of far less than fulsome praise.
Dear marylynncorder: Tell me when to bite the toad's head off.
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Fulsome praise would be overdone and insincere
Interesting, DubDub. I probably would have thought of it more along the lines of Definition 1b from Webster, being: generous in amount, extent, or spirit.
Hev
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Dear hev: cynics' sneers can turn the nicest words into insults.
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I just wish people would stick to using fulsome to describe praise. Far too often, I've heard people (who should know better) talk about a fulsome investigation, when what they meant was a thorough investigation. Grrrr!
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A country bimbo I used to know would say "thanks a pantsload!" to person annoying her. That's fulsome thanks.
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Since fulsome has a variety of meanings--anywhere from cloying to full--maybe fulsome praise would have to be judged by context, speaker's/writer's tone of voice, and the situation involved taken into consideration.
The way most people don't bother looking up definitions anymore, it makes sense that fulsome is simply taken today by many to mean "full" and nothing more...kind of like going (ironically) fulsome circlesome.
DD
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