A senior executive
at a technology company
recently publicly posted
a mini-rant
about job searchers,
especially at the executive level,
using words they don’t mean.
The example he used
was ‘fulsome.’
Fulsome can mean ‘of a large size or quantity’
or it can mean
‘flattering to an EXCESSIVE degree.’
In the latter case,
that isn’t a complimentary description.
Using fulsome is also
pretentious as hell.
I don’t know anyone
who uses that word
in casual conversation.
The executive made the point
that using words incorrectly
isn’t a positive trait.
I will state the issue more bluntly
– it makes you look
like a f*cking idiot.
And it isn’t at all necessary.
Speaking (and writing)
is communication.
Often the shortest, simplest,
most commonly used words
are the best for that.
Don’t use fancy words,
especially words
you don’t know the meaning of,
to try to impress people.