FULSOME

Use this forum to suggest Good Words for Professor Beard.
KatyBr
Wordmaster
Posts: 959
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:28 pm

FULSOME

Postby KatyBr » Tue May 17, 2005 10:16 pm

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."

ADVERTISEMENT

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
Last edited by KatyBr on Fri May 20, 2005 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Brazilian dude
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1464
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil

Postby Brazilian dude » Wed May 18, 2005 12:43 pm

If it swells, has it swelled, swole or swollen?

Brazilian dude
Languages rule!

M. Henri Day
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1141
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:24 am
Location: Stockholm, SVERIGE

Postby M. Henri Day » Fri May 20, 2005 10:46 am

It has merely become fulsome !...

Henri
曾记否,到中流击水,浪遏飞舟?

KatyBr
Wordmaster
Posts: 959
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:28 pm

Postby KatyBr » Fri May 20, 2005 7:41 pm

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

Brazilian dude
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1464
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil

Postby Brazilian dude » Sat May 21, 2005 10:49 am

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - nocivo, deletério
I love this word. I used it yesterday.

Brazilian dude
Languages rule!

M. Henri Day
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1141
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:24 am
Location: Stockholm, SVERIGE

Postby M. Henri Day » Sun May 22, 2005 8:51 am

...

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

Henri
曾记否,到中流击水,浪遏飞舟?


Return to “Good Word Suggestions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 38 guests