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enthusiast
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enthusiast
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what are they?
I first heard this roughly half a century ago on an episode of I Love Lucy where the words were swell and lousy. I'm sure it's recorded somewhere in the Mahabharata, if not the Rig Veda. If the way modern Hindi uses ठीक and अच्छा is any guide, you're probably right. 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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And once these two words (take your pick) are gone, they will be replaced by two more for y'all peevologists to complain about.
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stranger
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stranger
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When sales clerks or supermarket checkers ask me how I am, I generally say "vibrant," and sometimes also "radiant." They typically pay no notice, of course, even though these descriptors might seem out of character for a 70-year-old man. I've tried using "ebullient" too, which just brings blank stares. I have yet to try the military version, "e-f***in'-bullient," but I have my doubts if that would do any better.
Last edited by CRBW; 04/08/08 05:26 AM.
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old hand
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old hand
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what are they?
I first heard this roughly half a century ago on an episode of I Love Lucy where the words were swell and lousy. I'm sure it's recorded somewhere in the Mahabharata, if not the Rig Veda. And if not there then Aristotle said it for sure! Nothing new under the sun. From time immemorial the words of 'young people these days' have got up the noses of their parents.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Does anyone seriously believe that the language is so woefully deficient that the concept originally referred to as awesome cannot be expressed in English because the word has been devalued through overuse?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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the language is so woefully deficient
How awesomely awful! Just look at what the words mole, set, and drive have done to the glove maker's son's vocabulary.
[Deleted extra to.]
Last edited by zmjezhd; 04/08/08 12:56 PM.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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old hand
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old hand
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I do believe that original meanings can be almost completely lost to all but the likes of "us". One example is decimate. This word means, to nearly everyone speaking English, devastate or destroy. It's original meaning is the loss of every tenth, resulting in a 10% loss overall, a far cry from destruction. I agree that the concept can still be expressed, but probably not by using the original word, in many situations. Awesome has not tumbled nearly as far as decimate, however, mostly because the root word, awe is still widely recognized and used ("in awe") and retains the same general idea of its original meaning.
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old hand
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old hand
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the language is so woefully deficient
How awesomely awful! Just look at what the words mole, set, and drive have done to to the glove maker's son's vocabulary. ...elucidate for the uninitiated please... 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Awesome has not tumbled nearly as far as decimate, however, mostly because the root word, awe is still widely recognized and used ("in awe") and retains the same general idea of its original meaning. shocking.
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