Absolutely Overused
July 19, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Home & Living
Do you think some words are simply overused? Or some come into vogue for a certain period of time? I think there are times when certain words and phrases really come into their own. Some of these phrases get a bit too much play from us (like remember the phrase, “Talk to the hand”?).
To that end, I found this CNN article on the word ABSOLUTELY very amusing. Apparently the word is being used everywhere from politics to entertainment. The author of the article feels it’s used too much.
Now that I’ve read the article, I’ve been more aware of the word absolutely. And I have to say, I do hear it quite a bit. I noticed it on the news, one of my favorite TV shows, and even from my husband in response to a simple yes or no question. Apparently there is a need to answer definitively in the positive, so much so that a simple “yes” or “that’s correct” simply won’t do.
One source in the article even goes so far as to speculate that perhaps the tipping point of “absolutely” was the O.J. Simpson trial of 1994. When asked if he was guilty, O.J. responded with “Absolutely, 100 percent not guilty.” Still, would it take some 15 years for a certain word to enter the peak of its popularity?
I think of only one answer: ABSOLUTELY!
Image: cb.
Literally…. whenever my boss tells a story, any story, you can ‘absolutely’ guarantee that she will use the word ‘literally’ at least twice. Many many times she uses the word A LOT more! Ah, but now it’s become a matter of giggles around here. I’m sure eventually it will get old.