you know what word I really hate? What word really sets my teeth on edge?
Mostly because, for the longest time, I was pronouncing it gin-ormous in my head, not having heard anyone say it. I could tell from context what it meant, but until about 2 months ago I had never seen the word...then all of a sudden it was everywhere. Journals, message boards, blogs...you know, everywhere. :)
I ran it through dictionary.com and found nothing. Googling finally found the site above, which made it make more sense to me. Gigantic + Enormous = Ginormous. Got it.
Except, I don't get it. Why did it get started? Did someone say it one one of those TV shows I don't watch? Was it coined by someone famous?
If you ask me, it's just inefficient. It has one more letter than both gigantic and enormous. Since I've only seen it in print (er, type), you'd think that you'd just choose one of the shorter, real words rather than some cutesy combination of the two. My dictionary says that those two words mean essentially the same thing, and my thesaurus lists about 20 other words that mean the same thing, that are far more interesting than "ginormous". Astronomic, for instance. Mammoth. Gargantuan.
So yeah, ginormous bugs me. I think I can safely say that I will never be part of the reason it eventually makes it into the dictionary.
I might have something to do with "craptacular", though.
UPDATE: Oh, but I am grateful to ginormous for something...I'm totally loving the neologism site where I found it. Some of the new words are stupid like ginormous, but I've found a few worthy of adding to my vocabulary.
Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
Cantabilous: Worthy of being sung. (To me, everything is cantabilous, usually to the tune of whatever song's rattling around in my head at the time. Finding my keys, clicking the mouse button, doing laundry...just ask Rob. It drives him crazy.)
Abert: To change a baby's name at the last possible moment. (I aberted Noah, by the way.)
Aftergibe: A clever retort that comes to mind when the opportunity to use it has gone.
Bowen: Bearer of useless gifts.
Brindle: To remember suddenly where it is you're meant to be going after you've already been driving for ten minutes.
Pob: To drop food down your shirtfront.
Aw, hell, I could go on for hours. :)
Posted by Joy at July 29, 2004 10:49 AM