OMG! Awesome!

What is a word you feel that too many people use?

Here’s a prompt that, as soon as I read it, I said the word that I feel too many people use. But—it’s not in the title of this post.

The first time I heard someone say “O-M-G!” I was stunned. Sure, you might send that in a text, like “LOL” or “LMAO.” (I always used to type “LOL hold the MAO!”) But who would vocalize an internet abbreviation?

As for “awesome,” I was talking about this to someone just the other day. I believe I have uttered that word only once, and then not sincerely. As an older man, I think I sound very silly when I say certain trendy phrases such as, “my bad,” and of course, “awesome.” It’s not a word I would ever use. “Cool” and even “groovy” come out when I am impressed or want to sound like I am.

But the word that is too much overused is: “Unprecedented.” Since it arose when a certain person should have remained “unpresidented,” it has been used way too frequently. Of course, it has been applied not only to politics but also to global climate change, as we see never-before-seen weather patterns and disasters.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “May you live in uninteresting times,” which suggests a time of peace. I can imagine no one wishing anyone a chance to live in unprecedented times. Now, if we could just fine anyone who uses it on TV (proceeds to house the homeless, whom we find in numbers that are unprece- well, you know), I would be a happier person, if we can’t get them to just outright stop saying it.