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FULSOME

Posted: Tue May 17, 2005 10:16 pm
by KatyBr
FROM ABOUT THAT 'FULSOME' PRAISE By James J. Kilpatrick
Nicholas Kristof, a columnist for The New York Times, was in Iran a year ago. He found the people "exceptionally friendly and fulsome in their praise for the United States." After Ronald Reagan died last summer, The Washington Post reported that "fulsome tributes continue to engulf TV." At about the same time, a BBC reporter told us that "the Sharon plan has the fulsome endorsement of George W. Bush."

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It is a good guess that the writers used "fulsome" to mean "abundant," or "copious" or "unstinting." Merriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate (2003) confirms that popular usage. Its editors say the primary definition of "fulsome" today is "generous in amount," or "full and well developed."

Aaargh! Until quite recently, "fulsome" had a very different primary meaning, e.g.:


American Heritage, 1993: "offensively flattering or insincere; offensive to the taste or sensibilities."


Oxford American (1999): "disgusting by excess of flattery, servility, excessive, cloying."


Random House Collegiate (1997): "excessive, overdone, sickening."


Encarta (1999): "fawning to the point of being offensive."

We may be witnessing in "fulsome" an unusual process of linguistic reversion. When "fulsome" appeared early in the 13th century, it meant exactly what Merriam-Webster says its primary meaning is today -- abundant, generous, lavish. There were no offensive implications of insincerity. A fulsome banquet began with soup and ended 12 courses later with six desserts and indigestion.

In his "Modern American Usage," Bryan Garner has a note on words that undergo metamorphosis in reverse: They change from butterflies to caterpillars. The process may take 10 years or a hundred, but it is constantly going on -- and it provokes constant disagreement among writers, editors and lexicographers.

Garner identifies two contentious schools. The first comprises language aficionados and hard-core purists who insist upon traditional use. The other comprises linguistic liberals and those who don't concern themselves much with language. Garner adds morosely, "As time goes by, Group One dwindles; meanwhile, Group Two swells."
Katy

Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 12:43 pm
by Brazilian dude
If it swells, has it swelled, swole or swollen?

Brazilian dude

Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 10:46 am
by M. Henri Day
It has merely become fulsome !...

Henri

Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 7:41 pm
by KatyBr
It has merely become fulsome !...

Henri
then perhaps

noisome

Dictionary
noi·some (noi'səm)
adj.
Offensive to the point of arousing disgust; foul: a noisome odor.
Harmful or dangerous: noisome fumes.
[Middle English noiesom : noie, harm (short for anoi, annoyance, from Old French, from anoier, to annoy; see annoy) + -som, adj. suff.; see –some1.]

noi'some·ly adv.
noi'some·ness n.



Thesaurus
noisome

adjective

Having an unpleasant odor: fetid, foul, foul-smelling, malodorous, mephitic, reeky, stinking. Informal smelly. See smells/good smells/bad smells/smell.



Obscure
noisome

noxious, unwholesome; offensive to the senses, esp: smell



wordnet:
The adjective noisome has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: causing or able to cause nausea
Synonyms: nauseating, nauseous, loathsome, offensive, sickening, vile


Meaning #2: offensively malodorous
Synonyms: fetid, foetid, foul, foul-smelling, funky, smelly, putrid, stinking






Translations
Translations for: Noisome
Nederlands (Dutch)
schadelijk, ongezond, stinkend, walgelijk

Français (French)
immonde


Deutsch (German)
adj. - schädlich, stinkend, widerlich


Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. ανθυγιεινός, βλαβερός, δύσοσμος, κάκοσμος

Italiano (Italian)
nocivo


Português (Portuguese)
adj. - nocivo, deletério


Русский (Russian)
вредный, зловонный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - fétido, dañino, nocivo


Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - motbjudande, stinkande, osund, ohälsosam
العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مؤذ, مثير للاشمئزاز‏

עברית‬ (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מזיק, מעורר-התנגדות, מצחין, דוחה‬
see deleted Asain language translations here

Katy

Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 10:49 am
by Brazilian dude
Português (Portuguese)
adj. - nocivo, deletério
I love this word. I used it yesterday.

Brazilian dude

Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:51 am
by M. Henri Day
...

see deleted Asain language translations here
Cool site, Katy - thanks !

Henri