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ANSWERS: 6
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No, unless you're doing it solely to make yourself look smart. Then it's not only distasteful but it makes you look stupid.
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I don't think it's necessarily distasteful, unless you're doing it to try and make yourself appear to be smarter, in which case it IS distasteful AND you're probably going to wind up with the opposite result. However, I feel it's worse in the long run to "dumb down" your vocabulary, solely because others may find it condescending or elitist. Why not hold ourselves to higher standards and not simply pander to the most base and under-educated among us? I don't mean to put anyone down or be elitist, but I honestly feel the more we try to reduce our language the less expressive we can ultimately be. And that, in a broad cultural view, I fear would be far worse for us all.
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Given people's reactions to me, apparently it is.
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If the big word is the best word in the context, it isn't distasteful. "Dumbing down" one's speech for appeal to the lowest common denominator is really distasteful.
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The only people who could possibly find it distasteful would be the ignorant kind who dont posess a decent enough vocabulary to be able to grasp the meaning of what you are trying to express they would assume you were patronising them if only they knew the word for it
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As are so many other things in life, this truly depends upon the situation. If doing so condescendingly, then yes it is completely distasteful to use big words. But as perviously brought up, if the word in question is the best for use in the context of the sentence then it is completely unacceptable. I have noticed, though, that many people do not like others using big words. I have been one of them frusterated by an utter lack of understanding of the conversation. Most of the time, these "big words" ARE being used condescendingly and even if they aren't they will quite often be seen as such. So please, if you know these words - USE THEM! By all means! But do keep in mind that some people will feel stupid because of it.
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