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"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'?

Never use long complicated words when a diminutive singular one will suffice!

:D sorry, had to put that in somewhere...

That too, I can just about put up with it in an actual text message, but when I get a whole e-mail written in it, I can't help but think WHY? You're not being charged by the character!!!

It's painful to read ...

Text Speak, 1337 speak...

It's all just an excuse for being rubbish at spelling.

On a slight subject deviation ... do you think that the 'english' vocabulary has changed a great deal since the advent of the internet?

With things like myspace, email, MSN etc etc, britain and americas versions of the language seem to be getting merged more and more as time goes on.

One thing I really can't stick is text-speak ... my mum uses it, I can hardly understand half of her text messages ... there's just no need ... you wouldn't write a letter like that wud u?

It's just laziness ... oh well I suppose it saves an extra 10p when it comes to texts, but still ... pffft

Know your audience...

If you use big words that people don't know they're unlikely to ask what they actually mean, thus they'll quickly lose any idea of what you're talking about...

If you use too many simple words, then they'll likely assume that you're simple and lose interest...

It doesnt impress me at all. Its more impressive to be able to converse with people of all levels but these "vocab" people just use too many big words. Its more of a deliberate thing so that lower class people cant understand them because they dont want to talk to them, which isnt impressive to me.

I try to work on my vocabulary too. I keep sheets where I list words I either don't feel fully comfortable with the definition of, don't know the definition of at all, or can't spell, whenever I come across them in books and stuff.

I have the intention of going back over the lists, and bringing myself up to speed.

It never happens, but just making that first effort to acknowledge the gap in my knowledge helps me to slowly fill them in.
After the same word has come up on one of the lists 2 or 3 times, I usually cotton on.

For example, esoteric. Which is actually very fitting for this discussion :^)



I'd never actually thought about about it as using long words to convey superior intellect - either in the books I read or when I speak to other people.

When it's me who doesn't understand, I always tended to see it as my own limitations, not a flaw in the author.
I can't think of any times I've put anyone else in that situation, but perhaps they just pretend, like hippyman.

It'd be wicked if he and I met up. We could talk for hours, and both come away with absolutely no idea what the other was saying, at any point in the conversation :^D



One book I read recently took the 'simplest possible, natural language' approach and was brilliant.

Another took the 'lots of long, impressive technical words' approach and was a total ball-ache.

But another one took the 'simple words, conversational style' approach and was just intensely hard work to read.


Overcomplication - Bad
Oversimplification - Bad

'Everything should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler.'
Einstien (roughly remembered).
It sounds like he knew a thing or two :^)

I like vocabulary, I don't see the point in shunning it in favour of being like everyone else. I love to learn new words all the time, makes up for all the learning I didn't do in school.

I won't blag someones head with big words, but I won't shy away from using them if I feel like using them.

Eye due two!

Sew many weighs too ex-press yourself!