Saturday, July 21, 2012

A bespoke life


Strange how you can be oblivious to some things and as soon as they are brought to your attention they instantly become ubiquitous.

Language is just such an interesting phenomenon. While meeting a very specific need admirably, it does take on a life of its own. Just like fashion, music, and wine, words come and go; are hot or not; are in or out.

Akin to shoulder pads, Phil Collins and chardonnay, words can become fashionable and unfashionable. Words lose their meaning, gain association, inflate, flatter, insult and condemn. Words change so much over time that one could be forgiven for missing the fashionable point.

Once upon a time, things were considered ‘uber’. Now you would be frowned upon if you trotted out your high school German. Instead things are now to be considered bespoke.

Just a few short months ago, the word bespoke was relegated to the annals of rarely used words. Now, everyone who is anyway is trotting it out at every possible convenience. No one seems to know what it means, but just like any good trend, why let sensibleness get in the way of fashionage (fashionable language)!

If it sounds good for you, it must be good for you!



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