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raccoon

(31,112 posts)
Wed May 6, 2015, 03:54 PM May 2015

A disturbing trend I have noticed, people using the same word repeatedly as an intensifier.


For example:

He was a very very very hard teacher.

This gets on my nerves. How about if somebody has to do that, use a superscript after the word? The same way you write
exponents in math.

Or if they are talking, they could say,

"He was a very cubed hard teacher."




39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A disturbing trend I have noticed, people using the same word repeatedly as an intensifier. (Original Post) raccoon May 2015 OP
To me, that is not disturbing disturbing. Sanity Claws May 2015 #1
Woody Allen addressed this disturbing phenomenon sometime way back. As only Woody could. Smarmie Doofus May 2015 #2
I really, really, really agree with this! pinboy3niner May 2015 #3
I very, very, very much Sherman A1 May 2015 #31
I really really agree olddots May 2015 #4
And that's *TWO* "reallys" !!!! Smarmie Doofus May 2015 #5
Really Really Really!!! elleng May 2015 #6
People who do that either lack imagination, have a small vocabulary, or are just lazy. Avalux May 2015 #7
as usual NJCher May 2015 #8
Well aren't you, like, a Debbie Downer, like? pinboy3niner May 2015 #12
Or maybe they just feel like saying what they are saying the way they want to say it. Capisce? WinkyDink May 2015 #24
Or maybe they just have a different style from you. n/t Unvanguard May 2015 #30
Or one could just be other wise seveneyes May 2015 #9
No No No No No! Katashi_itto May 2015 #10
oh no NoNononono Katashi_itto May 2015 #11
That's just cray cray. eom Little_Wing May 2015 #13
Totally. trof May 2015 #14
I think I get it: "It was a pentagoned fucking war" pinboy3niner May 2015 #15
Aren't they all. n/t malthaussen May 2015 #28
A very, very unique observation. cloudbase May 2015 #16
George Orwell - 1984 - Newspeak IcyPeas May 2015 #17
Generalissimo Giuliani (former NYC mayor) LiberalElite May 2015 #18
Bah. Gidney N Cloyd May 2015 #19
One should never do that. Orsino May 2015 #20
Wolf Wolf Blitzer Blitzer grasswire May 2015 #21
Haha, "disturbing" is quite the intensifier itself!1 n/t UTUSN May 2015 #22
The so-called "trend" is not "disturbing"; YOU are "disturbed" by reading this locution. WinkyDink May 2015 #23
I tend to use adverbs. kentauros May 2015 #25
Showing some Hebrew influence. malthaussen May 2015 #26
My favorite is praising with great praise. Iggo May 2015 #33
Well, it is possible to praise with faint praise. malthaussen May 2015 #34
Ah, of course. Iggo May 2015 #35
You mean like "Merde de la presence troisieme?" malthaussen May 2015 #27
I blame this on Captain Kangaroo Doc_Technical May 2015 #29
I think that teacher needs to go "take care of business"... Iggo May 2015 #32
Don't order Mahi-mahi Lionel Mandrake May 2015 #36
I plead guilty, GUILTY!!! Coventina May 2015 #37
I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers. BB_Smoke May 2015 #38
A nervous radio guy named Hannity does that a lot. Special Prosciuto May 2015 #39

Sanity Claws

(21,850 posts)
1. To me, that is not disturbing disturbing.
Wed May 6, 2015, 04:21 PM
May 2015

It is not even disturbing squared. It is just mildly disturbing.

Avalux

(35,015 posts)
7. People who do that either lack imagination, have a small vocabulary, or are just lazy.
Wed May 6, 2015, 05:23 PM
May 2015

Much better to say:

He was an outrageously hard teacher.

He was an unreasonably hard teacher.

He was an absurdly hard teacher.

Or maybe....

He wins first prize in the hard teacher contest.


You get the idea....

 

WinkyDink

(51,311 posts)
24. Or maybe they just feel like saying what they are saying the way they want to say it. Capisce?
Fri May 8, 2015, 11:29 AM
May 2015

trof

(54,256 posts)
14. Totally.
Wed May 6, 2015, 07:10 PM
May 2015

"I totally aced that test."
"I totally understand what you're saying."
Unnecessary modifier.

IcyPeas

(21,894 posts)
17. George Orwell - 1984 - Newspeak
Wed May 6, 2015, 08:31 PM
May 2015
"Doubleplus-" further intensifies "plus-", so doubleplusgood is used in place of excellent or best.


very, very good. from Orwell's "1984." as opposed to "plusgood," which means very good, and "good," which simply means, "good."

From a fictitious language called "Newspeak." Using Newspeak instead of English was supposed to prevent "thoughtcrime." (q.v.)


LiberalElite

(14,691 posts)
18. Generalissimo Giuliani (former NYC mayor)
Wed May 6, 2015, 09:19 PM
May 2015

did this all the time: "very very"... It was like a verbal tic.

malthaussen

(17,209 posts)
26. Showing some Hebrew influence.
Fri May 8, 2015, 02:38 PM
May 2015

Hebrew uses repetition for emphasis, as well as for neat little constructions like "She shall be stoned with stones." Just in case, you know, you wanted to stone her with something else.

It can be quite poetic. I still think "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" is much more lyrical than modern translations.

-- Mal

malthaussen

(17,209 posts)
34. Well, it is possible to praise with faint praise.
Sat May 9, 2015, 12:13 PM
May 2015

As in "Nixon was better than Reagan," for example.

-- Mal

malthaussen

(17,209 posts)
27. You mean like "Merde de la presence troisieme?"
Fri May 8, 2015, 02:42 PM
May 2015

That is, "shit to the third degree?" (Apologies to Francophones, I probably butchered that)

-- Mal

Iggo

(47,561 posts)
32. I think that teacher needs to go "take care of business"...
Sat May 9, 2015, 12:08 PM
May 2015

...before he gets back up in front of that class again.

I really really do.

Know'm say'n?

 

Special Prosciuto

(731 posts)
39. A nervous radio guy named Hannity does that a lot.
Sun May 10, 2015, 10:15 PM
May 2015

"Democrats do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over..."

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