Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Hanson said:As William Safire noted in March, when the president said that he wanted the American people to have “a fulsome accounting” for his stimulus program, he meant full, whereas to punctilious authorities the word means disgusting, excessive, insincere.

Here again, I'd like to point out that most words do not have a discrete meaning, but rather a range of possible meanings that is clarified by context. "Fulsome" originally meant "characterized by abundance." Connotation, more than denotation, is the problem in the cited example. While most modern usage has inclined toward the connotative value of "insincere" or "excessive," the original meaning with its more positive connotation seems to be reasserting itself, according to the Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary. Within this context, "fulsome" simply means "copious" or "full and well developed" and fits the context: the President wanted "a full accounting" for his stimulus program. Encoders need to be wary of ambiguity, but decoders, too, need to be flexible and consider the full range of possible meanings, not just the one that first strikes them.

What about "spendthrift" as a phantonym? It LOOKS like it ought to mean someone who SAVES money, not someone who SPENDS wantonly. And, thanks to Grant and Martha, I realized today while driving to work that I've been using the word incorrectly for years. 🙂

There is no confusion about the verb inflame, is there? It seems clearly to indicate ignition in a figurative sense if not a literal one: The finger became inflamed where the thorn had pierced it; The professor's passionate lectures inflame students' curiosity about the subject. Inflammation seems clear as well.

Peter