Post History
Pretend that you're Devil's Advocate. 1. How can you possibly contend that fulsome is "a case of ironic understatement"? What's ironic? What's fulsome understating? "fulsome" feels r...
#2: Post edited
by
PSTH
·
2022-06-20T14:39:39Z (almost 3 years ago)
- Pretend that you're Devil's Advocate. 1. How can you possibly contend that _fulsome_ is "**a case of ironic understatement**"?
- 2. What's ironic?
- 3. What's _fulsome_ understating?
When I first read this etymology, the notion of redundancy crossed my mind for 2 reasons.I. If something's FULL (e.g. a cup of water), then it's physically impossible to add anything (let alone _-SOM_ "to a considerable degree") to it.II. Fullness implies the notion of "to a considerable degree". If you own a full tank of petrol, then you have petrol to a considerate degree!- >### [fulsome (adj.)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/fulsome#etymonline_v_14244)
- >
- >mid-13c., "abundant, plentiful," Middle English compound of _ful_ "full" (see [full](https://www.etymonline.com/word/full?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_14241 "Etymology, meaning and definition of full ") (adj.)) + _-som_ "to a considerable degree" (see [-some](https://www.etymonline.com/word/-some?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_21684 "Etymology, meaning and definition of -some ") (1)). **Perhaps a case of ironic understatement.** Sense extended to "plump, well-fed" (mid-14c.), then "arousing disgust" (similar to the feeling of having over-eaten), late 14c. Via the sense of "causing nausea" it came to be used of language, "offensive to taste or good manners" (early 15c.); especially "excessively flattering" (1660s). Since the 1960s, however, it commonly has been used in its original, favorable sense, especially in fulsome praise.
- </section>
- Pretend that you're Devil's Advocate. 1. How can you possibly contend that _fulsome_ is "**a case of ironic understatement**"?
- 2. What's ironic?
- 3. What's _fulsome_ understating?
- "fulsome" feels redundant for 2 reasons.
- 4. If something's FULL (e.g. a cup of water), then it's physically impossible to add anything (let alone _-SOM_ "to a considerable degree" — or something) to it.
- 5. Fullness implies the notion of "to a considerable degree". If you own a full tank of petrol, then you have petrol to a considerate degree!
- >### [fulsome (adj.)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/fulsome#etymonline_v_14244)
- >
- >mid-13c., "abundant, plentiful," Middle English compound of _ful_ "full" (see [full](https://www.etymonline.com/word/full?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_14241 "Etymology, meaning and definition of full ") (adj.)) + _-som_ "to a considerable degree" (see [-some](https://www.etymonline.com/word/-some?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_21684 "Etymology, meaning and definition of -some ") (1)). **Perhaps a case of ironic understatement.** Sense extended to "plump, well-fed" (mid-14c.), then "arousing disgust" (similar to the feeling of having over-eaten), late 14c. Via the sense of "causing nausea" it came to be used of language, "offensive to taste or good manners" (early 15c.); especially "excessively flattering" (1660s). Since the 1960s, however, it commonly has been used in its original, favorable sense, especially in fulsome praise.
- </section>
#1: Initial revision
by
PSTH
·
2022-03-01T03:06:37Z (about 3 years ago)
How can fulsome constitute "a case of ironic understatement"?
Pretend that you're Devil's Advocate. 1. How can you possibly contend that _fulsome_ is "**a case of ironic understatement**"? 2. What's ironic? 3. What's _fulsome_ understating? When I first read this etymology, the notion of redundancy crossed my mind for 2 reasons. I. If something's FULL (e.g. a cup of water), then it's physically impossible to add anything (let alone _-SOM_ "to a considerable degree") to it. II. Fullness implies the notion of "to a considerable degree". If you own a full tank of petrol, then you have petrol to a considerate degree! >### [fulsome (adj.)](https://www.etymonline.com/word/fulsome#etymonline_v_14244) > >mid-13c., "abundant, plentiful," Middle English compound of _ful_ "full" (see [full](https://www.etymonline.com/word/full?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_14241 "Etymology, meaning and definition of full ") (adj.)) + _-som_ "to a considerable degree" (see [-some](https://www.etymonline.com/word/-some?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_21684 "Etymology, meaning and definition of -some ") (1)). **Perhaps a case of ironic understatement.** Sense extended to "plump, well-fed" (mid-14c.), then "arousing disgust" (similar to the feeling of having over-eaten), late 14c. Via the sense of "causing nausea" it came to be used of language, "offensive to taste or good manners" (early 15c.); especially "excessively flattering" (1660s). Since the 1960s, however, it commonly has been used in its original, favorable sense, especially in fulsome praise. </section>