A small rant on the vocabulary of my generation...

By jnk1296 · Sep 29, 2011 · 574 · 5
  1. First off, I just want to say that I have what I feel to be an exceedingly large vocabulary for someone of my age (15). I understand this, and I understand that a large portion of people of my age do not. That being said, here's what happened to me today.

    I was sitting in my seventh hour class, which is Spanish, waiting for the final bell to ring so that I could go home. The teacher wasn't looking, so I did what I normally do and jumped over a row of desks, so as to avoid the larger portion of traffic on the way out the door. In doing so, one of my friends commented that she was waiting for the day that I trip up and land on my face. Jokingly, I replied "Oh, I see. You're all just waiting for the day I meet my demise."

    The girl sitting to my right overheard me saying this, turned, and said "Speak English, please," as did the girl in front of me.

    It was at this point that I face palmed myself. I explained that I was in fact using English, and then, after being asked, I defined said word. This only earned me the snide remark of "Don't you have a life? What do you do, read dictionaries all day?"

    No. I just happened to be blessed with a large vocabulary, although I would recommend you read one some time. Is it just me, or is my generation somewhat lacking in the vocabulary department? In my personal opinion, the word demise is one of the most comprehensible words, so if they don't understand it, there may likely be an issue. Or, then again, it could just be me.

    Does anyone else feel this way? You try to use an "advanced" word, and you get strange glances from people as if you've just spoken Greek? It aggravates me!

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  1. Quezacotl
    This happens to me frequently - people whom I talk at my to ask if I hail from Europe. I am from the United States, but I honestly find the language spoken here to be quite banal. It deserves a little flavor of more "advanced" word usage.

    Besides, the English language is pulchritudinous in its 'advanced' form. It is a pity there is a dearth of people with large vocabularies.

    As a side note. I have a vendetta against the work 'like'. You?
    Quezacotl, Sep 30, 2011
  2. jnk1296
    I don't really have a preference. It all depends on usage for me. I try to avoid it in my writing if at all possible, but I'm not against it.
    jnk1296, Sep 30, 2011
  3. LaGs
    There's a fine line between utilising (Or is it using?) good vocabulary and sounding pretentious. Yes, you may have 'exceedingly good' vocabulary, but other people might have 'very good' vocabulary and still be as good as you. However, they might not feel the need (or is it impulse?) to flex their egos and show everybody how clever they are. In my experience, the more you learn in terms of new words and, in general, as your level of English increases you feel a sense of pride and you want to show everybody how much you know. Subconscious or not, people want to be seen in a better way. But you need to be careful. People don't like being lectured to, and they don't like being made to feel inferior by someone talking down to them in a priggish way. For example, when I was 15, if I heard somebody coming out with a statement like, 'You're all just waiting for the day I meet my demise', I would immediately think you're some sort of weirdo who reads too many fantasy books. Because, one: you're not living in medieval times. 2) You're not standing on top of a hill challenging your arch enemy to a duel and 3) These are girls you're talking to.

    It might not be the words you are using, but most importantly, what you are saying and how you are saying it.
    LaGs, Sep 30, 2011
  4. LaGs
    Double post!
    LaGs, Sep 30, 2011
  5. Taylee91
    Haha I so know what you mean, JNK. Illiterates are just jealous of us. Seriously. Knowing someone knows more than them makes them edgy. And please, demise is probably one of the easier words to use than others! If I had been in your class, I would have known what you mean :)
    Taylee91, Nov 3, 2011
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