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United States24792 Posts
From dictionary.com:
ri⋅dic⋅u⋅lous [ri-dik-yuh-luhs]
–adjective
causing or worthy of ridicule or derision; absurd; preposterous; laughable: a ridiculous plan
Time has shown on countless occasions that it is virtually impossible to prevent changes in language. The denotation (definition) of 'ridiculous' is wholly negative, whereas lately it often possesses a positive connotation (colloquial usage).
Of course this isn't noteworthy simply because the word is being misused according to academic precedents. I only point this one out in particular because I've been noticing a shift in its meaning myself.
Years ago (~10 to 20), did people so readily say "That's ridiculous" about something that they have admiration towards? (i.e. Person kicks soccer ball and it bounces 250 feet away. Observer says "That's ridiculous!" meaning it is atypical, but not in a bad way at all.) To some extent I think people did say it even then, but I'm noticing it more and more.
I started making a conscious effort to keep my eye on it a few weeks ago when I happened to notice people using the word. Since then, I've been amazed by how often people say ridiculous and don't mean it literally. The question I need help answering is whether things have actually been exactly like this for decades and I wasn't aware of it, or if the word's usage really has been shifting at a high rate of speed.
As an aside, I can give another example of a word with a changed meaning. The word 'impact' has been around for a long time, and yet, a few decades ago, was not used as a verb at all. Nowadays, that's very common to do. (i.e. The weather will impact the judges' decision)
Disclaimer: if you couldn't care less about this topic, then that's understandable. It's a little boring, but I found it interesting.
  
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This thread is ridiculous.
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United States24792 Posts
On December 07 2008 08:26 BanZu wrote:
This thread is ridiculous.
Years ago I would have taken that as an insult!
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On December 07 2008 08:27 micronesia wrote:Years ago I would have taken that as an insult!
Thread save.
I have no idea.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron_(psychology)
Thought you might find it interesting. It wasn't that long ago that words like moron were used in scientific context to describe low IQs without nessessarily being derogatory, but through popular use outside of scientific contexts, they've acquired derogative connotations. That's why they started using the term "retarded". Then that became an insult, so they had to come up with "mentally deficient", and now that's becoming derogatory too.
I say next we should use the word 'pineapple'.
"This person's test results fall within the pineapple category"
*flash foward 20 years into the future*
"What are you pineapple or something? Ridiculous!"
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ridiculous
And I'm, quick to bust, if my ends you touch
Kids or girl you touch, in this world I clutch
Two auto-matoes, used to call me fatso
Now you call me Castro, my rap flows
militant, y'all faggots ain't killin shit
Ooops Cristal keep spillin shit, you overdid it homes
You in the danger zone, you shouldn't be alone
Hold hands and say it like me
The most shady, Frankie baby, fantastic
Graphic, tryin to make dough, like Jurassic
Park did quick to spark kids who start shit
See me, only me
The Underboss of this holocaust
Truly yours, Frank White
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United States24792 Posts
On December 07 2008 08:36 Cpt.Cocaine wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron_(psychology)Thought you might find it interesting. It wasn't that long ago that words like moron were used in scientific context to describe low IQs without nessessarily being derogatory, but through popular use outside of scientific contexts, they've acquired derogative connotations. That's why they started using the term "retarded". Then that became an insult, so they had to come up with "mentally deficient", and now that's becoming derogatory too. I say next we should use the word 'pineapple'. "This person's test results fall within the pineapple category" *flash foward 20 years into the future* "What are you pineapple or something? Ridiculous!"
Ah interesting.
And Hawk wtf is wrong with you.
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usu when i use 'ridiculous' it has a negative meaning o_O
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United States24792 Posts
On December 07 2008 08:45 paper wrote:
usu when i use 'ridiculous' it has a negative meaning o_O
Yeah I think I am the same normally... however one time I caught myself seeing something extraordinary and saying 'that's ridiculous!' and then I thought for a second and went
ooa
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if someone does something amazing in starcraft or some videogame i say 'that's just fucking ridiculous' on the context that whatever they did is absurd. as in i cannot believe what they just did.
am i misusing the word?!
>.<''
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United States24792 Posts
On December 07 2008 09:00 b3tty wrote:
if someone does something amazing in starcraft or some videogame i say 'that's just fucking ridiculous' on the context that whatever they did is absurd. as in i cannot believe what they just did.
am i misusing the word?!
>.<''
According to the definition, yes you are misusing the word. However, it's common to misuse it in that way so it's becoming ok to do that.
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When someone says ridiculous in admiration, they mean like "that's unbelievable; that shouldn't even be possible." In a lot of ways that is laughable, absurd, and preposterous.
Obviously it doesn't really stay true to the base word 'ridicule,' but in a lot of ways ridicule is just an extension of criticism and scepticism, which makes the jump pretty easy.
I use the word both ways, and context always makes it understandable. I'm not particularly confident it has any similarities to the anti-norm usage of words like 'wicked' and 'sick' though. To me this particular case seems more of a common misunderstanding of the written meaning of the word.
Or maybe like... things once thought ridiculous, succeeding, seem to retain the quality of being ridiculous even though they worked... and things evolved from there.
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kinda likd the word "nasty".
blame stu scott
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Nowadays my language is spoiled by pro-gamers name.
Whenever I read something that contains "flash", "best", "savior", "boxer", "yellow", "july", "tasteless"... i think of the progamers. It'll never be the same for me again 
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On December 07 2008 08:27 micronesia wrote:Years ago I would have taken that as an insult!
sarcasm?
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Lol yeah I definitely 'misuse' ridiculous all the time. Interesting topic, what state are you in anyway? I'm guess that California probably has the highest rate of word misusage, but then again I haven't really been to other states that much.
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this is a pretty cool thread (by cool I don't mean cold)
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On December 07 2008 08:37 Hawk wrote:
ridiculous
And I'm, quick to bust, if my ends you touch
Kids or girl you touch, in this world I clutch
Two auto-matoes, used to call me fatso
Now you call me Castro, my rap flows
militant, y'all faggots ain't killin shit
Ooops Cristal keep spillin shit, you overdid it homes
You in the danger zone, you shouldn't be alone
Hold hands and say it like me
The most shady, Frankie baby, fantastic
Graphic, tryin to make dough, like Jurassic
Park did quick to spark kids who start shit
See me, only me
The Underboss of this holocaust
Truly yours, Frank White
always relevant
he always had such a nice flow
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United States24792 Posts
On December 07 2008 09:37 thoraxe wrote:Show nested quote +On December 07 2008 08:27 micronesia wrote:On December 07 2008 08:26 BanZu wrote:
This thread is ridiculous. Years ago I would have taken that as an insult! sarcasm?
Er... no. I'm just establishing that my views of acceptable colloquial usages of the word 'ridiculous' include using it as a positive adjective... whereas in the past I would have interpreted it to mean that the thread is worthy of ridicule.
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EPT
