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People make fun of me all the time for the words I use. I can’t help it, I am an unabashed devotee of big, long, weird, esoteric, unusual, fancy words. I admit it freely – I like using a long and interesting word when I can, and if I can use one to replace a handful of small, boring, banal, everyday words, all the better.
I just love language, you see.
I love the way polysyllabic words feel on my tongue or in my brain – they have heft, substance, power. Little regular words just don’t cause the same kind of visceral reaction when you use them – they’re the literary/verbal equivalent of bread and water. Sure, they get the job done and you can live on them if you have to, but why would you when there are so many rich, decadent, fabulous other words out there?
I take a lot of grief for this. People accuse me of being a snob (which I guess I am – a literary snob, at least), of being over-educated (which I take umbrage with – can you really be over-educated?), of showing off (which I may sometimes be doing – hey, I’m not perfect!). I get accused of deliberately choosing words other people don’t or won’t know to make them look stupid or force them to ask me what the words mean. I don’t like this last accusation at all – I don’t use the words I do to make anyone else feel or do anything. It’s not about them. It’s about me, me, me. Silly. It’s always about me… 😉
It really is though, at least with words.
I use the words I do because I like them. I believe I covered this above with the whole “love the way they feel” diatribe, but I will say it again as simply as I can: I Just Love Words. Period. End of sentence. There’s nothing more or less to it than that.
And so I will keep using the words I choose to, regardless of the grief I take for them. I’m a big girl, I can handle it. And if you don’t understand a word I use, you have a few choices – you can ask me what it means, look it up yourself, try to figure it out contextually, or just pretend you know what I mean and smile and nod. I don’t really care which you choose – that’s up to you and your own need to know what I’m talking about. Just don’t expect me to change anytime soon… 🙂
Following you now too.
Do you also make words up? I apparently do wish causes much hillarity for friends and work colleagues
Lainy
I often make words up and take tremendous grief for it – but I can’t help myself, there are just some words that need to be even if the Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t yet realize it!! 🙂 I figure the fact that they (a) add meaning, (b) add humor, and (c) make me giggle are all perfectly valid justifications for the Jillisms! Thanks for commenting and following!
I totally relate to getting grief about using “big” words. It made me frustrated that people thought I was insulting them just because I used one. And in all honesty, I didn’t think it was that “big” of a word but that’s highschool for you. My friends who were honor roll, near straight A students and above never gave me grief though. A friend of mine who had average grades wasn’t bothered the least about it, she’d ask me what a word meant and laugh it off. Because of this, I think it was those who were uncomfortable with their level of intelligence that they would take offense because it made them feel inferior. Or maybe I’m being stuck up (more like sticking up for myself). As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without their consent.”
Thanks Rosanna – I agree that it’s only certain people who get upset about big/unusual words… A lot of people seem to just smile and nod – you know they don’t know what you mean but that they don’t want to ask/seem dumb. That really is dumb though – the only way to learn new/unusual words is to look them up/ask what they mean! But I’ve noticed that there are also a surprising number of people who are happy to admit they don’t know a word and who seem to get genuinely excited at learning something new – those people are my favorite. 🙂
Just started following you from book blogs. Thanks for posting a comment on my profile. I agree totally with what you say about unusual words. I love using big words and words that are very descriptive–always have. It amazes me when I am in the classroom and I have to “dumb down” my vocabulary. I can’t believe it when fifth and sixth graders don’t know words like sarcastic or words like that!
Thanks for visiting and following Ruth! I’m always amazed at the words people do not know too… I stopped by your blog and am now following you as well – thanks again for taking the time to comment!
Hi Jill
I too love interesting words. Often just the sound of them.
Even in other languages. For example I love the word Marugada in Spanish; meaning the wee small hours of the morning. Makes me think of Madrigal- the music and dance of the 1500’s. So maybe Madrugada came from dancing the madrigal till the wee small hours?
How about – hither or fetch, or languorous
PS Rosanna Something didn’t look right about the Eleanor quote so I checked; it is
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.
Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘This Is My Story,’ 1937
Oops! That’s what I meant! I forgot to double check my comment. >_<"
Oh Jim, I’m always glad to find other wordies! I agree about their sound and/or the way they feel when you say them aloud – I often read words/sentences aloud for precisely that reason! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment… 🙂
I really enjoyed this post. It’s tricky business being a wordsmith these days. The texting craze won’t allow it, but you are a brave soul to admit your passion for Brobdingnagian words. The title of this post reminds me a bit of the late William Safire who had an NY Times column called On Language. His etymological flights of fancy inspired me to be a writer.
PS I once took a Susan Breen workshop where we did an exercise on writing a character profile by way of a dossier. It was a really neat way to add flesh and bone to the character.
I look forward to reading future posts.
JG
Thanks John – and hooray for someone catching my Safire reference! I loved his column… 🙂 And extra points for Brobdingnagian – one of the most excellent words in any language. I was quite impressed with Breen’s manner of working fiction-writing lessons into a story – and some of the exercises are really pushing me to approach writing differently, which is fabulous. I am glad you will keep reading – and hopefully also keep commenting!
I’ve told my family that if I were ever going to get a tattoo, it would be “I love words.” in 12 pt. Times New Roman.
I love it Erin – I say go for it! 🙂
I like the word ‘prestidigitator.’ I heard it when I was a child and remembered it because it meant something cool. David Copperfield is a good example of a prestidigitator.
You can look it up here http://www.thefreedictionary.com/prestidigitator
Prestidigitator is indeed an excellent word – not as many opportunities to use it as there should be either, now are there?? We may have to work on that… 😉 Thanks for the comment/stopping by!
How antideluvian Jill
Teehee – excellent one Jim! And my how I love all this witty repartee… Hooray because there are other wordie people out there – and they’re willing to talk to me! 😉