That’s Awesome

Kat's CougarI’m a purist in every sense of the word. I like things just so…or in my eyes, how they were meant to be: correct. Being that way could be construed as a bit silly or stubborn at times, but it is what it is and I am what I am.

That said, it drives me up a wall when words are misused, misspoken, or misspelled. Language is very important to me, and it’s already been adulterated enough by internet speak and colloquialisms, etc.

So when I came to realize that I was contributing to the dumbing down of our language, I was mortified. Yes, it’s true. I was and am one of the billions of people who, frankly, misuse the word “awesome.”

Awesome should be used when one is standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or even looking out your dining room window and realizing you’re eye-to-eye with a cougar…you can’t help but marvel at Mother Nature’s handy-work. Awesome is when your breath escapes you and you can’t find the words to describe what you’re seeing.

Yet, today, awesome is used to describe a shirt, an app, and even fake fingernails. And worst of all – I’m guilty of it as well. It occurred to me just yesterday, when I said to a fellow writer, “That’s awesome, and I don’t mean hot dog awesome.” What’s hot dog awesome, you ask? I’ll let awesome Comedian Eddie Izzard explain.

Now I’m self-conscious, wondering if I’m contributing to the downfall of other words. I hope the grammar police don’t find me.

Author: K.S. Brooks

K.S. Brooks is an award-winning novelist, photographer, and photo-journalist, author of over 30 titles, and executive director and administrator of Indies Unlimited. Brooks is currently a photo-journalist and chief copy editor for two NE Washington newspapers.  She teaches self-publishing and writing topics for the Community Colleges of Spokane, and served on the Indie Author Day advisory board. For more about K.S. Brooks, visit her website and her Amazon author page.

22 thoughts on “That’s Awesome”

  1. All good points. And really, as writers, if language isn't important to us, to whom is it going to be important? Those words are our tools of the trade, which we use to build really tall stuff. 😉

    1. Thanks Ed, every time I open my mouth to say 'awesome' now, I pause and try to find a better word…my use of that word really has become a terribly lazy habit.

  4. Great post Kat. Oddly I don't think think I've ever used this word within my writing. Someone can pick me up on this later if you like! But I like the word and I'll say it in my BBC British accent which TLT loves so much. AWESOME! You rock.

    1. It's odd to me how I can say I'm in awe of something and it has epic proportion to me. Yet saying awesome to describe a sandwich? Frikkin' bizarre LOL.

    1. Thanks but I can't take all the credit. I saw this clip of Eddie Izzard's years ago and it's been in the back of my head every time I use awesome in a questionable way!

  8. You – and Eddie Izzard – are right on the money on this one. I misuse 'awesome', too. And I've had found myself thinking about the way we misuse it and other words. I've also wondered why 'awesome' is a good thing but 'awful' is bad. The English language is a such a weird and wonderful thing. 🙂

    1. I've been trying to figure out what other words I misuse…so far I can't come up with any, but I know I must. Oh, well, besides cuss words LOL.

  9. Good post. I am from SoCal and every time I say 'dude' I want to punch myself in the face. It's a sickness. And you leave my cuss words alone!

    I used to work with a woman who said supposebly. And she said it ALL THE TIME. I'll take overuse of awesome over that any day.

    Great post, Kat.

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