Horribly Terrific
I had a thought today: Isn't it interesting that something horrible is horrific while something terrible is terrific?
Terrific just has such a happy connotation in most contexts despite the negative nature of its etymology, while its counterpart terrible retains its terror-centric inflection.
It's not a phenomenal realization, I admit, but I found myself surprised that I'd never before considered this ambiguity.
Hmm hmm him.
Terrific just has such a happy connotation in most contexts despite the negative nature of its etymology, while its counterpart terrible retains its terror-centric inflection.
It's not a phenomenal realization, I admit, but I found myself surprised that I'd never before considered this ambiguity.
Hmm hmm him.
1 Comment
SkeeveI often find myself thinking about words and phrases like this. It is rather weird how the meanings of some words get twisted around.
"Awesome" is another one that is interesting - it should mean "causing awe or terror" but it is rarely used that way now.
This may make me sound like an anal retentive English teacher, but it bothers me when I see/hear people use the word "excruciating" in a frivolous way. Excruciating comes from Latin "excrusio" or "out of the cross". The Romans considered crucifixion to be so horrendous that they needed a whole new word for it. So unless someone truly feels like they are going to die, they aren't in excruciating pain.
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