big words on tv...
So flipping past the TV Guide channel today I caught a glimpse of the synopsis to "As Good As It Gets" (Jack Nicholson movie)...it read: "Comedy about a curmudgeon's relationships". I was like...huh? I didn't know you were allowed to use big words on tv...especially on the tv guide channel. To be completely honest, I had no clue what curmudgeon meant at the time. So I looked it up....and this is what I got: "Curmudgeon, n. : a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas". I have no problem with the meaning of any of these words but I'd wager my life on most Americans maybe understanding what "crusty" and "old" mean and using these context clues, figure out the rest. Just maybe. I mean, what is the world coming to when I use the word "petulant" in everday conversation and people look at me like I'm speaking latin...? I think we really need to aggrandize our diminutive and heinous phraseology. Just kidding.
posted by Ron at 7:23 PM
2 Comments:
I agree, starting with children's songs
*scintillate, scintillate, diminutive celestial orb*
What is wrong with acquiescing to the requests of newsreaders these days (in the UK, that is)? One of them, I forget his name, is on the rampage and campaigning to bring back long words into the English Language. I like this idea. Then we can wrap our tongues around words like effusive, immolate, mellifulous, magnanamous, regurgetate, obfuscate, festoon and such like. Also, what is up with you Americans and your lack of punctuation? would it not hurt to use a comma or two, now and again? Perhaps we should all try to read early 20th Century literature (from anywhere in the world) in a bid to rekindle our love of the spoken word. And it doesn't have to be boring - even children's books will do. I like Louisa M Alcot's 'Little Men'. It is a rollicking good adventure. Personally, I really enjoy adjectives.
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