Tuesday, July 28th, 2009...12:38 pm
#143: Don’t Fear the Awesome
HNTAO fan Karen Guerra, a professor in Houston, recently wrote to suggest I include something here about the overuse by the young of the word “awesome.” Uh, yeah, Karen, I had noticed that, but foolishly thought I had it covered way back with HNTAO #1: Don’t Say Awesome, Dude, or Yo, You Copped Fire, Son.
Awesome deserves a Way Not To Act Old all its own, insisted Karen, and after two seconds’ careful consideration, I’ve decided she’s right. In fact, I think that not just the word awesome but the entire awesomeness gestalt is this era’s Continental Age Divide, the same way Vietnam or Richard Nixon, bell-bottom jeans or marijuana were a generation ago.
While many young people say awesome constantly, I believe the word should be confined to use for things like Notre Dame, or the Moons of Jupiter, or sex with George Clooney. For anything less, I am unable to utter it without coughing, wiggling my eyebrows, and making those little quotation marks with my fingers.
But if you want not to act old, you can’t fear the word awesome. You must learn to feel comfortable using it for everything from signaling agreement to describing mundane things like, say, the ice cream cone you just ate. Moreover, you must learn to embrace the whole concept of awesomeness: You are an awesome person having an awesome day in a world where everything is getting more and more awesome all the time.
Now, there’s a foolish notion.
10 Comments
July 28th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Awesome! Because as a 44 year old native Californian, I can’t seem to stop anyway.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Well, I have to agree. I think using the “A” word actually makes you an older person “trying to hard” to be perceived as young. Or “hip”, hmmm, is hip a word to avoid as well??
I believe in being young at heart, keeping a fresh out look and doing the things that encourage aging gracefully.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
p.s. “amazing” is the new awesome, have you noticed?
July 30th, 2009 at 8:31 am
this entry is sick. meaning good. meaning awesome, according to my 19 year old daughter.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I stopped using “awesome” after I heard George W. Bush say it. Also, I’m thinking “so” may be the new “awesome”. Notice how that little word is popping up all the time now? As in, “I’m so not going to go there.” “I’ve so been there, done that”. Etc.
July 31st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Awesome post!
August 4th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
I really feel like if I hear “no worries” one more time….I will have a physical reaction. Sales Reps at cool clothing stores, Oldest child parents in the same class as my 3rd child (i.e I’m the older mom)…….ending everything with “no worries”. Really? no worries, can you really be sure. I worry about everything….and typically it is really huge stuff I am worrying about. World Peace, declining investments, escalating college costs…..and will I actually ever retire…..”no worries” just wait a few years……you’ll be worrying.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I actually thought Awesome was (up until today anyway) a sorta always word in modernish civilization (post cars etc.), huh. Thanks for enlightening me
August 17th, 2009 at 11:16 am
I’m 38 and have been overusing ‘awesome’ since I was in junior high back in 1984, so I find it hard to believe there’s anything particularly young or hip about the word. It does still strike me funny/odd to hear anyone over about 45 say it, though.
November 15th, 2009 at 11:41 am
“so” is the new “totally”
i’ve never used “awesome” much, “cool” was and is my word. but if I need to, I use “amazing” or “phenomenal”
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