Things can go wrong. We’ve all had those times when that happens. Mostly, when we least expect it.
But whenever they happen, there are a lot of ways to say something is bad.
Our crazy English language. Full of words. If nothing else is true about English, our language has never lacked ways to say something is bad. We have all sorts of insults we can give out. Or huge complaints. There are hundreds of words that will provide exaggerated descriptions for the things that irritate us.
Like in the grocery aisle, for instance:
“That dirty rotten, no-good, son of a seabiscuit stole that freaking bunch of bananas, just as I was reaching for the cockamamie things.”
But some of the strangest and most interesting words for “this is awful” come from old dictionaries, scientific language, and forgotten slang.
There are lots of ways to complain out there.
Many of them have interesting origins.
For instance.
Take the word “pessimum.”
It comes from science and refers to the least favorable conditions under which an organism can still survive. Like this: “For cold-water fish, the unusually warm river temperatures approached a pessimum.” In other words, things are technically still functioning, but barely. It comes from Latin and sounds far more dignified than simply saying, “Everything is terrible.” It sounds to me as if that organism is barely breathing. If you wanted to sound especially academic while having a bad day, this would be your word.
Then there is “catastrophe.”
Today, we use it for disasters both large and small. I mean, this could be anything from ruined vacations to broken appliances to hurricanes devastating a country. But originally, back in the 1500s, the word referred to the final resolution of a play or tragedy. The ending summary. First, there was the Intermission. And then, eventually, the Catastrophe. Over time, it evolved into a term for calamity and utter failure. Modern usage has softened again, and now people casually describe birthday parties gone wrong or plumbing problems as catastrophes.
One of the oddest entries is “worstest.”
Technically, it is not considered proper English. Dictionaries generally avoid recognizing it as standard usage. But people still used it in dialect writing during the 1800s when they wanted to exaggerate just how bad something was. Apparently, “worst” simply was not dramatic enough.
Next is “putrid.”
Some words sound terrible right when you say them. That’s putrid. It means rotten or decaying and comes from Latin roots meaning “to stink.” We all know when something is putrid. From rotting fish to stinking relationships.
Onto “maleficent.”
It sounds downright sinister. Maleficent literally means producing harm or evil. And hey. It existed long before the Disney Queen borrowed the name.
Finally, there is “excrementitious.”
Of course, this word tied is to filth and waste. Excrement. Feces. Waste matter. Yuk. It is proof that even centuries ago, people could find elaborate ways to say, politely or not, “this is for sh!t.”
It seems that our language changes constantly. But as we have seen here, one thing remains remarkably consistent through history. And that’s the fact that humans have always needed lots of words for bad situations.
Bummer.
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“When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.” — Thomas Jefferson
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“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” — Roald Dahl
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“The more I see of men, the more I admire dogs.” — Madame de Staël
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