tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post7553094033357147869..comments2024-03-28T16:11:36.465+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: 2014 US-to-UK (co-)Word of the Year: awesomelynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-85507177579732117372015-01-13T08:38:03.702+00:002015-01-13T08:38:03.702+00:00I see signs (in the UK) that 'epic' is th...I see signs (in the UK) that 'epic' is the new word, replacing awesome.... In the MoneySupermarket TV ad, and in some children's comments in a survey of new toys (Christmas issue of Good Housekeeping UK).Biochemistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-84075724895831935712015-01-13T03:53:21.222+00:002015-01-13T03:53:21.222+00:00We moved back to Australia from the UK (where our ...We moved back to Australia from the UK (where our kids were born) in 2012 and when my 4.5 year old son started pre-school I noticed he very quickly picked up the use of 'awesome' whereas he had never used it in the UK. 'Awesome' is certainly ubiquitous among young kids here. Interesting to hear it is now becoming more common in the UK too.<br />Rebecca Lubanskynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-55550127386613045582015-01-07T19:53:42.623+00:002015-01-07T19:53:42.623+00:00Just noticed a reference in the anonymous comment ...Just noticed a reference in the anonymous comment to a "young geezer." That's an oxymoron in AmE.Tednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-4025432501483872612014-12-29T10:08:28.380+00:002014-12-29T10:08:28.380+00:00I had to laugh - I have been a "fan" of ...I had to laugh - I have been a "fan" of the word "awesome" ever since I saw <a href="http://www.shitmykidsruined.com/2010/05/22/silas-is-osm/" rel="nofollow">this 'Sh*t My Kids Ruined' photo</a>.<br /><br />(My 5yo twins and 7yo say "Awesome!" multiple times a day. Even though the 7yo was born in the USA, she left at the age of 4 months and the twins have never been there. It's ubiquitous in Australia too.)Mrs Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05655632448285928588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-72936124514378491952014-12-24T20:14:53.648+00:002014-12-24T20:14:53.648+00:00Just thought I'd throw in the legendary (i.e. ...Just thought I'd throw in the legendary (i.e. not provable) story of John Wayne in the Jesus biopic "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965). According to Tim Healey in his book "The World's Worst Movies", John Wayne had some difficulty delivering his one and only line (as the centurion presiding at the crucifixion): "Truly, this man wuz the Son of God." The Director, George Stevens, urged him to give it more AWE. Mr Wayne tried again: "AWww, truly this man wuz the Son of God."Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05772401529245940267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-15270408347541142342014-12-24T18:09:21.088+00:002014-12-24T18:09:21.088+00:00I think there was also a 19C use of 'awful'...I think there was also a 19C use of 'awful' where one might now find awe- inspiring, or of course, awesome. <br />Awful, like terrible, now has only negative connotations.Biochemistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53088744585179565512014-12-23T16:38:36.619+00:002014-12-23T16:38:36.619+00:00Dru, the other two quotes are cisatlantic and well...Dru, the other two quotes are cisatlantic and well spread over time, but neither reflects the non-regional, non-archaic usage of its day<br /><br />1816 Scott <i>Antiquary</i> II. x*. 286 It's awsome to hear your gudemither break out in that gait.<br />1870 W. Morris <i>Earthly Paradise</i> I. i. 256 Together did the awesome sisters cry.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-68179137440913286902014-12-23T15:28:54.341+00:002014-12-23T15:28:54.341+00:00David, perhaps this is another of those words that...David, perhaps this is another of those words that went across the Atlantic in the 17C and fell out of use on this side. <br />I only have the COD on my bookshelf, so I am just reporting what I hear and read myself. I am trying to think of common BrE words that end with -some, and apart from handsome, I can only bring irksome and loathsome to mind.biochemistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-84149688174166882952014-12-23T13:39:09.601+00:002014-12-23T13:39:09.601+00:00biochemist
The earliest use known to the OED of a...biochemist<br /><br />The earliest use known to the OED of <i>awesome</i> to mean 'awe-inspiring' is earlier than standardised spelling:<br /><br /><i>A sight of his cross is more awsom then the weight of it.</i> (1637)David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-39706399218052223522014-12-23T10:16:12.262+00:002014-12-23T10:16:12.262+00:00As a Brit old fogey, I consciously try to say '...As a Brit old fogey, I consciously try to say 'awe-inspiring', never ever awesome... in the UK, 'great' was superseded by 'brilliant', then 'excellent', then... perhaps awesome is the word. biochemistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-5045529514345122542014-12-22T22:29:18.987+00:002014-12-22T22:29:18.987+00:00Reporting from Spain here: Spanish people became a...Reporting from Spain here: Spanish people became aware of the word "awesome" when the series "How I Met Your Mother" was popular. Now I think they've forgotten. When are things like "wicked" and "hella" going to get on word-of-the-year lists?Danielhttp://expatmadrid.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-121971460283582572014-12-22T20:30:10.707+00:002014-12-22T20:30:10.707+00:00Back in the day, American kids adopted Britishisms...Back in the day, American kids adopted Britishisms for fun and the "cool" factor. Then the sad days of world homogenization and American television and fast food franchises taking over the world. Please stop it before it's too late! :-\ And, please, somebody, find a way to stop the use of "awesome" before it drives me crazy!Jean | DelightfulRepast.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02038772991628796917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-70666277422748791912014-12-22T17:28:48.791+00:002014-12-22T17:28:48.791+00:00BBC Radio 4 has what I can only describe as an int...BBC Radio 4 has what I can only describe as an intellectual magazine programme <b>Start the Week</b>. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vddws" rel="nofollow">This morning's programme</a> was on hedonism, so one of the contributor/participants was <a href="http://www.zoecormier.com/biography/" rel="nofollow">Zoe Cormier</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sex-Drugs-Rock-Roll-Hedonism/dp/1781250928/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419267845&sr=8-1&keywords=zoe+cormier" rel="nofollow">Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll: The Science of Hedonism and the Hedonism of Science</a>.<br /><br />Her speech-style is what you might expect from a young Canadian woman living in Britain and engaged in popular communication as well as print journalism. When somebody quoted a particularly relevant and beautiful phrase from Anthony and Cleopatra:<br /><br /><i>music, moody food of us that trade in love</i><br /><br />Zoe's immediate response was <b>That's awesome!</b>. Shortly after that she must have sensed <i>'But this is a grown-up discussion'. I'd better paraphrase.'</i> and added <b>That's brilliant!</b>.<br /><br />If you listen to the link above, Zoe's contribution starts at 21:06. Greg Doran's Clepatra quote comes at 28:59David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-7128477788744512712014-12-22T15:36:43.953+00:002014-12-22T15:36:43.953+00:00It's my impression that the use of "aweso...It's my impression that the use of "awesome" has fallen off in North America. It certainly has in Canada if not in the US.<br />Have an awesome holiday. Ewww!gilda92https://www.blogger.com/profile/14868231505933716207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-90441104093198010782014-12-22T12:25:20.084+00:002014-12-22T12:25:20.084+00:00Interesting list of words in decline: Fortnight, M...Interesting list of words in decline: Fortnight, Marvellous, Fetch, Walkman, Poll, Catalogue, Pussycat, Marmalade, Drawers, Cheerio. <br />Why "fetch"? A pretty basic word, I would have thought.<br />"Pussycat", as the Mail suggests, because people are more conscious of the double-entendre.<br />I have heard before that marmalade itself is less popular.<br />"Drawers" (presumably the storage not the undergarment) - is furniture with them less common?<br />"Catalogue" I used to be a library cataloguer! More people buying online than choosing from mail-order catalogues?Kate Buntinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17223976536411967222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-13654974258145996592014-12-22T12:11:41.426+00:002014-12-22T12:11:41.426+00:00Have you ever covered "Ewww" and "A...Have you ever covered "Ewww" and "Awww"?Little Black Sambohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16699227938165106710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-85530744498400619162014-12-22T11:46:46.157+00:002014-12-22T11:46:46.157+00:00Our youth theatre group in Leicester has just done...Our youth theatre group in Leicester has just done the US-based musical "Back to the 80s" (written post-2000). "Awesome" may have been one of the most used adjectives in the script! Our British kids really knew how to pronounce it in the genuine US way (more "ossom" than "awwwwsum").Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05772401529245940267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83194224564638873872014-12-22T02:29:08.700+00:002014-12-22T02:29:08.700+00:00Brilliant was popularized in the mid-90's by t...Brilliant was popularized in the mid-90's by the BBC's The Fast Show. One of the regular sketches consisted of a young geezer, played by Paul Whitehouse, ambling through various scenes describing everything as "Brilliant!" or "Fantastic!". Indeed, the show was entitled Brilliant when broadcast in the U.S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-43998157875630313272014-12-22T01:43:00.495+00:002014-12-22T01:43:00.495+00:00When I lived in the UK, the word I heard most ofte...When I lived in the UK, the word I heard most often for enthusiastic praise was 'brilliant', which always sounded odd to my American ears. Is there any sign that it is being replaced by 'awesome'?<br /><br />MattMatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01227089930827363416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-34501877274647188572014-12-21T19:15:06.021+00:002014-12-21T19:15:06.021+00:00I think you mean you are toadally jealous, or at l...I think you mean you are toadally jealous, or at least soooo jealous. I mean, c'mon, here!<br /><br />ObFact: <i>Jealous</i> and <i>zealous</i> are etymological doublets: the Lord your God is a jealous god, and his fundie supporters back in post-Exilic times were zealous for the Lord.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.com