Jagger341 Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Recently, I had learned that I actually do have a great amount of vocabulary. However, I am very much interested in learning how much it actually can help in dating.
CarrieT Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Recently, I had learned that I actually do have a great amount of vocabulary. How did you "learn" about the existence of this trait? Recently, I had learned that I actually do have a great amount of vocabulary. Actually, one has "a great vocabulary" - it is a plural noun so it is not quantitative to "have a great amount of." I am very much interested in learning how much it actually can help in dating. I am not being facetious or snarky, but an extensive vocabulary is only beneficial if used properly. 3
ooglesnboogles Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Maybe jag has a vocabulary in a great amount of languages. I suppose it would then be a great amount of vocabularies... Not really but help me out here, eh? OP, vocabulary is good if 1) you use it correctly, 2) you hang around people who appreciate it, among other things.
CarrieT Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 OP, vocabulary is good if 1) you use it correctly, 2) you hang around people who appreciate it, among other things. Yeah, this is critical. I'm verbose - I've had guys slam me for being too wordy and was lucky to find a guy who likes as many big words as I do... 1
Radu Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Recently, I had learned that I actually do have a great amount of vocabulary. However, I am very much interested in learning how much it actually can help in dating. Verbs are important too. 1
ooglesnboogles Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Yeah, this is critical. I'm verbose - I've had guys slam me for being too wordy and was lucky to find a guy who likes as many big words as I do... Yep, my friends don't like me talkin all big-like and my sister and her boyfriend are wayyy out of my field in terms of vocabulary (both are writers). So I leave my vocab fun for essays and talking online =P
SensitiveTJ Posted December 13, 2012 Posted December 13, 2012 Vocabulary and intelligence in general can sometimes be handicaps, in developing relationships. I don't think two people with widely disparate levels of knowledge and sophistication are compatible, in the long term. That's been my experience, anyway.
ScreamingTrees Posted December 14, 2012 Posted December 14, 2012 Close friends have actually remarked that I often use "big words".. I'm unsure if they mean it jokingly or if they really don't understand a lot of the words that I choose, often subconciously.. I probably say a lot of things that go over people's heads because they don't have a particularly expanded vocab.. It is what it is. Something tells me OP isn't as suave as he's making himself out to be, going by the errors in his post. lol
GLDheart Posted December 15, 2012 Posted December 15, 2012 Who else reads this thread and wants to get a little old school: ;-P
Queenie42 Posted December 15, 2012 Posted December 15, 2012 Maybe jag has a vocabulary in a great amount of languages. I suppose it would then be a great amount of vocabularies... Not really but help me out here, eh? OP, vocabulary is good if 1) you use it correctly, 2) you hang around people who appreciate it, among other things. Absolutely. I remember hearing about a kid at my high school who wanted to pad out her essays with some posh words, the longer the better. Instead of properly learning the new words, she just took out a very hefty thesaurus and ended up using words which hadn't been commonly used in English for about 300 years! Nice try, no cigar. It can also be good to know a bit of a few other languages as well, since it really helps with understanding how English is supposed to work (even though it totally doesn't), or even if you want to show off your etymology skills. A good vocab is a great asset in the professional, social, and dating worlds alike, because it improves your ability to communicate and interact with people. As for dating in particular, as far as I'm concerned, correct use of the subjuctive mood is hawt
ooglesnboogles Posted December 15, 2012 Posted December 15, 2012 Queenie: My high school English teacher used to fail people automatically if he spotted people doing that. He used to tell people to never use a thesaurus. But judging by the grades on my papers, I think he meant to say 'never use a thesaurus unless you know what word you're looking for'. I use em all the time, but I have an idea what word I want, and I make sure the definition of the word matches what I need. Otherwise, the thesaurus is basically useless. I use big words to take the space of many little words. Fewer is better. But that's only in essays and proper writing, for me. I use too many words elsewhere, as evident in my posts I like writings from the late 1800s; those dudes had specific words for everything! 1
ScreamingTrees Posted December 16, 2012 Posted December 16, 2012 A good vocab is a great asset in the professional, social, and dating worlds alike, because it improves your ability to communicate and interact with people. As for dating in particular, as far as I'm concerned, correct use of the subjuctive mood is hawt Well, if more vague and general words can efficiently and accurately get your message across, why are obtuse words necessary or any better? Sounds counter-productive. You're assuming that everyone has the same verbal palette, what you're saying will more than likely get lost in translation.
Queenie42 Posted December 16, 2012 Posted December 16, 2012 Well, if more vague and general words can efficiently and accurately get your message across, why are obtuse words necessary or any better? Sounds counter-productive. You're assuming that everyone has the same verbal palette, what you're saying will more than likely get lost in translation. I find it depends very much on the context. A person alters the way in which they express themselves depending on who is meant to be receiving the message. In a social situation, most people will let it slide if you say "youse," or "I'm feeling good," when you mean "I'm feeling well." On the other hand, you'll lose marks on a university-level essay if you used "however" because it's a nice long word when you should have used "but." You are so right in that not everyone has the same verbal palette, but it behooves us to learn new words. I heard the word "behoove" for the first time on some US sitcom a few months ago, and it's one I liked so I've started using it. Sure, I've had to rephrase myself when speaking to others who haven't heard it before, but that's no big deal. Similarly, I've had to teach dozens of adults in my workplace what the word "quantity" means, so that they can stop staring blankly at their computer screens and finish ordering their things and get on with their jobs. Also, it's useful to know the differences between similar words; if a potential employer is asking for your curriculum vitae and you only give them a resume, you're going to be ignored. So, yes, when you are the person trying to get your message across it can be good to be succinct. Big words aren't necessarily better. Nobody has to use the big words, or the obscure ones, or even common words in the wrong context (unless it'll really mess things up, ie "exercise" vs "exorcise"). BUT it is also good to be familiar with some of the big words so that when you do encounter them you have some idea of what to do with them.
CarrieT Posted December 16, 2012 Posted December 16, 2012 I like writings from the late 1800s; those dudes had specific words for everything! This is me and my boyfriend - if you google "dynamo dictionary vocabulary test" you will get this online test that determines how big your vocabulary actually is (if I provide a link, the mods might edit it). My BF and I are in the 50,000+ word level (his is higher than mine) and we often have conversations that use deliberately antiquated words - it is a turn-on for us!
Feelin Frisky Posted December 16, 2012 Posted December 16, 2012 It depends on how sophisticated your date is. If she uses the expression, say, "a pig in a poke" I think you should pass on asking her if she knows the etymology of that idiom.
ThaWholigan Posted December 16, 2012 Posted December 16, 2012 A great vocabulary is wasted on someone who doesn't know how to use it in my humble opinion. My vocabulary is not as huge as some, but it is stellar. My problem was that poor verbal reasoning skills prevented me from expressing that vernacular coherently. I still occasionally have that problem! The key is in simply knowing certain words innately, and expressing them in an illustrative fashion.
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