Bigwords bug people

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I feel I understand so called big words more well spoken aloud tbh.

And I'm actually surprised at some 'big' words that I have actually picken up recently.

Is it also possible people don't even know they are using big words?


I used big words in high school and didn't even know it. I learned them from reading about AS, from my shrink, and watching Benny & Joon. I got the opposite from kids than all you guys did. Instead of them getting mad about it, they said they didn't know what that word was and I tell them what it means. They didn't know what "illogical" was, "blunt" "taboo" "defiant" "taboo" "forte" "agitated." But they learned them once I told them what they meant.


I know another big word. Pandemonium.

I would have to agree with you there, sometime I just blurt out words that many people think are big.

And pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis I'm still trying to pronounce it.

panda-moan-neum.


For some reason I don't use that word. I haven't seen something yet that looks like it is why.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
its a Welsh town and the longest name for any town

I know how to pronounce Pandemonium lol.

I was talking about pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

Oh, I thought you were making a joke about the word.

Some people are genuinely offended by "big words". They say that use of "big words" expresses pretentiousness. Well, actually, they would say something more like, "Just because I don't know everything doesn't mean you're better than me!"

But it's socially acceptable to make cryptic references to movies and TV shows that not everyone has seen. I don't see how it's any different to use words that are not understood by everyone.

If your not just using them for the sake of using them then its ok imo.

You really ARE missing the point! The point is 4 fold:

1. EVERY Native English speaker should have at least a knowledge of the first few thousand common words.
2. If they DON'T, they should try to learn.
3. The shouldn't belittle others for using "big words", like YOU did!
4. They should try to learn those words that come up.

And yeah, it IS dumbing things down when you have to keep spewing out paragraphs of info when one little word does so much better. I still remember when RAM was a "big word"(OK, it is an acronym(OOOPS, ANOTHER "big word"), but it was still treated as a "big word") I often had to explain it! TODAY, RAM is so common place, that most people know something about what it is.

NOW, if we are to listen to you, should we treat everyone like a kindergartner? Maybe we should forget all the language, and depend on claims of people like tony buzan that you can communicate with 100 words. One question.... If someone doesn't know a word THEN, do we remove IT also?

BTW, with regard to your last statement, it is RARE that anyone here, even one talking about dumbing down, etc... uses any words that are fairly uncommon. I doubt they are trying to "show off".

we used to have the world's longest palindrome: "Kanakanak". it's the name of a street in my hometown. :D

Calm down dude was just expression my opinion. Not everbody goes to special schools. Use whatever words you want I really don't care tbh I was really just expression my opinion.

Don't bite my head off.

If you were talking to me, I was just explaining my side and, I bet, the side of many here. I wasn't trying to chastise you or anything.

Lately I have been attempting to expand my repertoire.

Truncated locutions? Desist, obtuse drudge!

I'm feeling a warm rush of solidarity coming on. I too have been maltreated because I have spoken to people who think if you're using any word they didn't learn prior to age 10 you're being pretentious. Many people are willfully ignorant and feel threatened when they see someone use unusual words. It's a very stupid instance of class perception friction IMO.

One person’s big word may be another’s common word. In my case, most of the ‘big’ words used in this thread are common to me. That’s what happens due to years of reading above my age level.

Learning new, ‘big’ words is fun…

Use them big words all you want, that just gives me something to do besides space off.




Now if I could just get my grammar usage straight and find a way to articulate myself a bit better… I could actually come across as intelligent.