The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #138985   Message #3186254
Posted By: Jim Dixon
12-Jul-11 - 04:14 PM
Thread Name: BS: Sloppy use of language
Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
Young people nowadays use the word "awesome" for anything agreeable, convenient, or helpful.

I used to work in the "post office" of a university. Sample dialogue:

STUDENT: Can you sell me a stamp?

ME: Yes.

STUDENT: Awesome!

If I were Superman, and they asked me, "Can you leap tall buildings at a single bound?" and I said "Yes"—that would be awesome. Selling a stamp is not awesome. But no irony was intended (I think). I had to laugh.

But that's no worse than saying "Cool!" or "Boss!" (another cool word of my youth).