Because 9 times out of 10, using big words doesn’t make you sound smart; it makes you sound pretentious.
How come people don't compliment other people on great word usage? If someone use the word lets say ecclesiastical or something like that they do not get complimented it shows they respect English.
Submitted 4 days ago by Patnou@lemmy.world to [deleted]
Comments
Kolanaki@pawb.social 4 days ago
Witchfire@lemmy.world 4 days ago
They’re often used incorrectly as direct synonyms too, with no nuance as to the subtle differences between them
Strider@lemmy.world 4 days ago
It absolutely does. Still this act itself is a presumption based on thinking it being so, but it could simply be that that person just has a different vocabulary and word usage.
Yes I am no fun at parties and humans are so complicated it sucks.
ExtremeDullard@piefed.social 4 days ago
Education is frowned upon - has been since the 80s. It used to be that intelligent, educated people drew respect. Now the school heroes are the football players, and the math-heads and other nerds either pretend to be dumb to avoid trouble, or they get trouble.
And that’s why you have Donald Trump as president, who has the vocabulary of a child: he speaks the language of the ignoramus class.
Solumbran@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Because education has been used as a class discriminator since forever.
You want people to stop preferring football over books? Then make schools fair and equal, instead of favouring dominant classes and money.
The reason Trump got elected is because he used fascism as a tool (the same kind that you’re using actually, “make America great again” doesn’t convince people who think everything is perfect), not because of education. And it’s not like education prevents propaganda from working (it often helps it actually) so this is just bullshit.
If you want people to be smart, first stop this moronic class discrimination.
Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 4 days ago
It’s 2026, you have Google. There are free apps that teach another language. You can watch a youtube video series that explains accurate molecular biology. The sum of human knowledge is at your fingertips.
When I was living at a homeless shelter, they had a piano. So I taught Myself to play it using the internet on My phone. What’s your excuse for being uneducated?
SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 days ago
English is a second language for my wife, when she uses an unusual word or idiom I’m genuinely impressed, and tell her so.
I’m very proud of her <3
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 4 days ago
I complimented my doctor the other day for an interesting word choice.
He blushed.
Cool dude too
Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 4 days ago
In case anyone was wondering, that interesting word choice was “rectal laceration”.
jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 days ago
I hate it when people stop a conversation to talk about a word I used. It doesn’t land as a complement.
teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
Not as a complement to what you were saying, but did it land as a compliment?
jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 days ago
I suppose a product of growing up with anti-intellectualism is that it seems threatening when someone stops everything and turns everyone’s attention to a word that you just used without conceit.
Micans@reddthat.com 3 days ago
I had a friend who would drop a sing-songy “Word point!” after a great word. It was nice because it was a quick interjection that acknowledged the word without derailing the conversation.
Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 4 days ago
My friends and I do this all the time. Someone used “deliquesce” properly the other day and we all nearly lost it!
Maybe your friends are shit?
Patnou@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Not to be a smart ass or something but if you and your friends talk like that then they deserve to be your friends. Hell just not your friends everyone’s friends.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
They do!
But it’s rare for multiple reasons.
First, both the listener and the speaker have to know the word, because otherwise there’s no reason to compliment it
Second, the listener (or reader, but I’m too lazy to type both every damn time) has to care about word usage, and it’s kinda niche.
Third, there’s a significant degree of anti-intellectual belief out in the world, so that segment is going to have the opposite response, and they’re prone to being obnoxious about it.
Fourth, giving compliments is not something everyone is good at, so there’s a segment that might appreciate it, but not know how to express it.
Fifth, a corollary to the fourth, it can feel awkward to give compliments, so it gets shoved avoided, which is partly due to sixth:
Sixth, as a culture, complimenting someone is a complicated social action. There’s all kinds of little unspoken rules around it, and that makes a lot of people just nope out entirely.
But if you hang around people that enjoy word play and vocabulary, you’ll see a lot more compliments :)
kibblebits@quokk.au 4 days ago
People are more likely to get compliments on proper word play than simply being able to use a thesaurus and dictionary.
There’s nothing wrong with using “ecclesiastical” when it’s the right word. The problem starts when every sentence arrives dressed for high mass.
;)
Patnou@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I just meant out of the blue in a conversation. Like I would say, “good word usage” on said word than give my continuation of the conversation.
kibblebits@quokk.au 4 days ago
Because using a big word alone isn’t good word usage.
But you didn’t compliment my clever wordplay, so poop on you!
underThunder@thelemmy.club 4 days ago
There is no reason to compliment people on word usage. The point is to communicate effectively.
LammaLemma@lemmy.ca 4 days ago
True. I knew a guy who would use bigly words and would end up confusing people. But then i learnt a few bigly words at his expense that i use … in moderation if I may add
slazer2au@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Because people who use hyper specific words are either trying to make themselves look smart, or are using them in a specific context where saying ‘good job on knowing a common word in this area of knowledge’ is kinda patronising.
Would you congratulate your kid on saying turn ‘the spigot off’ instead of saying ‘turn the tap off’ in the kitchen? You shouldn’t, because a spigot is an outdoor thing.
Patnou@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I just love the correct use of the English language. That is why it is a big pet peeve of mine on the misuse of the word fuck. I believe if you can use curse words correctly at any age then they should use them. But chastise children and tell them that is not how you use that word and show them how to use it correctly. But adults I just got to the point no one respects language anymore. I just try to make it a point of pointing it out. Like someone fixing your car and their reciting poetry like a song stuck in their head. And compliment them on doing it. My opinion is we have a whole freaking world who say’s why. Why are you doing this? Why are you doing that? and so forth. Instead of say hey why not and offer assistance in the en devour
netvor@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I just love the correct use of the English language.
ok, you asked for it :)
How come people don’t compliment other people on great word usage? If someone
useuses the wordletslet’s say, ecclesiastical or something like that, they do not get complimented it shows they respect English.(I can’t quite fix the last part, “it shows they respect English”…)
NepGinger@lemy.nl 3 days ago
I compliment people using good words, but that’s very subjective. Usually it’s an old fashioned or a bit unknown, but perfect for the situation. But the compliment would be something like: “first of all, good word, second… * Whatever the conversation was about*”
I’m also a fan of good names.
netvor@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Hey, nice use of the word “How”. You really nailed it!
😛
ToiletFlushShowerScream@piefed.world 3 days ago
Before a compliment is given, it has to hit a very narrow sweet spot between common usage and too obscure. Common equals no compliments. Too obscure and you don’t know it’s meaning or if it adds anything of value. You spend the time you’d be giving a compliment asking what it means and the conversation train has broken down. The most compliment deserving are word or short phrases that distill complicated ideas into something simpler - more elegant. But let’s face it, for many of us, written and verbal communication is hard.
missingno@fedia.io 4 days ago
I would say truly good word usage should go unnoticed. If the fact that you're using a lot of big words sticks out, that means you're using too many.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I think people do sometimes. More so in writing, than in conversation. But, it’s too meta. If you’re just trying to have a conversation and someone interrupts you to say, “Hey, great use of that word!”, that’s probably not what you were trying to convey and is distracting. I suggest saving that for word games.
RoddyStiggs@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 days ago
Because fluency in your native language is a basic human skill that should be a minimum for functional adulthood, maybe? Because it’s not my job to congratulate you for existing?
Damn. People want to be coddled on everything these days.
owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca 4 days ago
I’ve been complimented on my word choices before, and I’ve complimented others as well. But it doesn’t come up often. Even when an interesting word is used, it’s not always the right time or place to explicitly compliment the speaker on it.
wearebettertogether@fedia.io 4 days ago
I compliment people on using "SAT" words when it is appropriate. I think its pretty easy to tell when someone is puffing themselves up by using big words, versus when someone is actually using an exact word to provide better insight into a discussion.
Mind you I do hang out with a lot of over educated/well read people. I also just compliment people more often than the average person (read i compliment people a LOT and much of it is random people). So that might just be a me thing.
ohulancutash@feddit.uk 4 days ago
Because that is patronising.
Patnou@lemmy.world 4 days ago
So if i say to you good word usage in patronizing but say it non sarcastically and compliment you saying you don’t hear it used correctly anymore. Isn’t that complementing them on their intelligence. ?
netvor@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Personally I’d be put off by that. It sounds like talking down to “kids these days”, which i find really poor attitude, and usually pretty dumb.
I think compliments work best if they are generic. Just say “you are well spoken”, or “you come off as educated, deep thinking person”. Or even “you are good with words”.
Also it would detract from the compliment if it was made while interrupting conversation; it may be distracting and uncomfortable, even if agreed upon by all participants.
It may be cultural but complimenting for a specific thing sounds either patronizing or sarcastic. Maybe it’s because specific compliments and praises are typical to developing children: a child is learning not just to do the “good” things but also which things are good, so it often helps to be specific. (Especially if during longer period the kid also does a lot of not-necessarily-so useful things – while all should be treated with love, it helps to point out the “grown” behaviors, as most children will eventually subconsciously start trying to mimic adults and look for the feedback.)
Making a compliment too specific may imply “unlike the other things you did/said”.
MantisToboggon@lemmy.world 4 days ago
No one complimentsyou on your big words because no one likes you.
Nemo@slrpnk.net 4 days ago
Also all the intentional malapropisms and misspellings.
Patnou@lemmy.world 4 days ago
I don’t really care for compliments tbh but to each their own. But it has become so rare now a days with the dumbing down of society people need a reminder once in a while you notice their intellect.
big_slap@lemmy.world 4 days ago
the use of uncommon words is not a sign of intelligence, it just means you know more words
DagwoodIII@piefed.social 4 days ago
Doc Savage’s pulp adventures inspired Superman, Indiana Jones, and Batman. One of his assistants was Johnny, who loved using polysyllables. “I’ll be superamalgamated!” was his favorite exclamation.
Cartoon legend Jack Kirby created The Newsboy Legion. One of the members was ‘Big Words,’ who tried to live up to his name.
Fats Waller was a singer/song writer. In his comic, “You’re Feets Too Big” he explained that ‘your pedal extremities are too obnoxious.’
These days, any scientific explanation in fiction is apt to be followed by “slower and in English.”
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 4 days ago
Yeah, I’m a word nerd, but a vocabulary isn’t inherently about intellect. It’s about putting the effort in, because even people with severe learning disorders can still amass l arge vocabularies. Now, using them appropriately rather than just collecting them does take a little more effort and thought, but it’s also not some kind of feat of genius. Anyone with reasonable capacity can use fancy words appropriately.
Don’t get me wrong, I fucking despise people that shit on the sheer joy that language can be. We don’t have to limit ourselves to “double plus” thinking or speech, and shouldn’t. And anyone trying to act like having a varied and sizable vocabulary is some kind of flaw can suck the peanuts out of my shit (or whatever varieties of legumes they prefer from my feces, if they feel so inclined).
But the only thing vocabulary really indicates about a person is that they value their vocabulary.