Viewing Thread:
"Vocabulary"

How impressed are you by someones vocabulary, if someone was to make exactly the same point yet in a more 'artful' way would it impress you more, or can you see through the 'big words'?

I like using 'big words' in conversation; In fact when I speak normally I try and make everything as logical as possible, and in doing so I tend to use what might be termed more complicated phrases than those used normally. The thing is, I won't if I don't know what I'm talking about.

Seraphim, Would you be able to tell me why you were interested in big words and initially asked the question? What do you think about the use of big words yourself? Does it impress you? I am doing some research into this area at the moment and would really like to know what initially drove you to ask the question.

snake11 wrote:
> I use bigwords sometimes

Snake11? big words? Oh, putting two words together (the sp.)...
Sorry, I couldn't resist! :D

I had to use some big words today - big combination of grunting and mouthing words as I lifted a vaccuum cleaner onto the top shelf... Shame nobody heard it!

Oh, err..must have been the Starbucks DoubleShot that threw me for a loop.. lol :P

That's only really 2 vernaculars, you big word faker :^P

I've been doing a lot of interviewing as of late and I have to say that I'm quite impressed with the vernacular juggling these recruiters display. Yesterday I spoke to two guys with PhD's and the whippy wit, paired with the complex jargon, paired with the indepth knowledge of their craft, paired with their veritable font of Starbucks Double Shot infused energy ..just had my head spinning walking out the door!

Sorry, I get illustrative, I know..

Could be a larf ...

Shall we learn Japanese Borat?

I think if you're interested in something, you'll have a tendancy to learn more about it and hence get better at it. I failed english at school, mostly through a****g about and slacking ... I had to re-take it at college the year after.

But I do love the language, not sure how it measures up to other languages as far as how complex it is or how flexible and effective it is (I believe Japanese is by far the most complex language) - I only have a very basic knowledge of some other languages.

I'd still like to learn one, one day, if I ever find the time ... I missed a golden opportunity I think with all the travelling I did all over the UK ... all those hours could be spent listening to 'Learn yourself Swahili' or something :P instead of blasting out the Arctic Monkeys etc ...

I'm not a very articulate person, I think that shows through most of the time when I speak or post something on here.

In my opinion I think having a large vocabulary can be impressive if its used to express something.
I think using 'big' words for the sake of it isn't big or clever... but if the same words are used and they flow and are natural from the person then great.

I don't know if this is a better way of putting it.
I think the world would be a little less colourful if we all used language in the same way.
Poetry would be limited, songs would be a little more lyrically challenged, maybe car chases in books would all be the same if we didn't look for a different way to to describe the action.

"I love you" maybe its overused, could be expressed in hundreds maybe thousands of different beautiful ways, which used in the right ways can convey the same feeling.
Yet there's no shame in opting for the simple 3 little words over a lengthier declaration of your feelings when they are equally capable of melting hearts.

Maybe I could have said that in a better way.
So in essence, straining to use words to look clever isn't so clever especially if it ends up coming out in a repetitive manner.


ok scrap all that, I wasn't very good in English at GCSE so in my own inarticulate way I've stumbled around the point I wanted to make and not make it clear what the point was.