Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are bloviating.

I LOVE that word!

I admit I had to look this one up. Great word.

Anonymous wrote:What do you think when a person uses unusual, complicated words when a much simpler way of saying the same thing is easily available?

What do think when someone asks this question? I am starting to think that the lion's share of DCUMers are the sort of folks who don't know many "unusual, complicated" words and find it offensive that other people do.

Anonymous wrote:I have no fear of asking them what that word means.

I have no fear of asking them what that word means.

Sometimes an "unusual" word can convey a nuance that a simpler one doesn't... and sometimes not. Case by case basis for weather this person is a douchebag.

Anonymous wrote:If it's a lawyer I don't think anything, assuming the word is slightly more precise or descriptive. That person isn't showing off. The word is just what comes to mind.

If someone uses utilize where use is appropriate, I think they are trying to create an impression, which backfires.

Same with colloquial expressions.

It depends on the person. Some people have bigger vocabularies. Other people want to sound like they have bigger vocabularies. It's pretty easy to tell the difference.

Anonymous wrote:They are bloviating.

I LOVE that word!

They are bloviating.

If it's a lawyer I don't think anything, assuming the word is slightly more precise or descriptive. That person isn't showing off. The word is just what comes to mind.

If someone uses utilize where use is appropriate, I think they are trying to create an impression, which backfires.

One person's unusual, complicated word is another person's creative way of expressing themselves. Some people love using words that are a little unusual, especially if they convey just the right shade of meaning. It's not always that the person is trying to show off.

Hazel's New Word for the Day

Probably depends on the person using the word and how it matches their style of speaking. When I hear ESL people do this, it makes me think maybe they learned it in class or have a daily word calendar or something. When I hear someone from an urban environment do this, it makes me think the person is very conscious about how she presents herself to others at work.

They think way too highly of themselves, or they just heard a new word and are trying out using it.

Benevolently yours,
Joanna

What do you think when a person uses unusual, complicated words when a much simpler way of saying the same thing is easily available?