51吃瓜

These days, we like getting things听instantly. Our Netflix shows, our Amazon orders, our messages, our successes鈥攚e want ’em now! But,听instant coffee? Bleh. We’ll stick with our iced macchiatos, thank you very much.

Some words, like instant, are great on their own, but when you slap them in front of other words, they make them sounds less credible or desirable. We’re calling them Debbie Downer words, because Debbie really knows how to ruin a party. Here are eight other Debbie Downers that really know how to rain on a word parade.

home

The word home has been passed down from the Old English word听ham, referring to various dwellings听like “an听abode,” “fixed residence,” and even “region.” Building a safe and comfortable听home for oneself, figuratively or literally, is one of our most important projects in life. There are some instances, however, when the word home听isn’t so welcome.听

Take, for instance, home-schooled, homemaker, or housewife. Certain professions or activities, when given that home label, come off as inferior, unprofessional, or lazy. Some don’t take people who work from home, for instance, as seriously as those who commute to the office. (They’re probably just jealous.)

And, what about something that is听homemade. It probably seems pretty charming, like that sweater above, but it can also imply it’s a little bit crappy, like that sweater above. Except maybe your grandma’s听homemade pie, we aren’t knocking that, no way.

self

We’ve been analyzing our selves since we’ve been conscious. And, the word self is an ancient one, too, found in Old English and from yet older Germanic roots. The word self thumps its chest with individuality鈥�I am my own self! It exudes pride and听self-respect. There are other occasions, though, in which self comes off as, well, self-righteous.

Think of those that preach self-improvement听or those that label themselves as self-starters or self-made听鈥� right, Kylie Jenner? These buzzwords can sound holier-than-thou, and often they don’t win esteem as much as they just look showy.听Maybe it鈥檚 because these terms come off as just a little bit …听selfish.

extreme

Doesn’t it seem like something that calls itself听extreme is anything but? Take extreme frisbee. Calling frisbee extreme听only calls attention to how non-extreme frisbee is. It also calls into question our use of the word听extreme itself.

This may have to do with the core definition of听extreme, a word that comes from the Latin extremus, meaning such things as “outermost” or “last.”听For something to be extreme, it has to have 鈥渁 character or kind farthest removed from the ordinary or average.鈥�

So, juxtaposing extreme听to something that is plain vanilla鈥攕uch as frisbee鈥攆eels like it just cancels out听extreme‘s extraordinariness.听Extreme bobsledding, on the other hand … we can get behind that use of extreme.

possible

Life is full of possibility.听Anything is possible. But sometimes, possible听just isn’t passable.听Like when the media reports on a possible hate crime or even when the weatherperson says rain听is possible.

By definition, possible means something 鈥渕ay or can be,鈥� from a Latin root meaning “that can be done.”听But, in many situations, many people want a statement that is a little more definitive or assertive than possible.

Possible rain leaves too much uncertainty. A possible hate crime feels like a newspaper isn’t calling out bigotry. Can’t we tell it like it is, already?

automatic

It鈥檚 hard to avoid automatic technology in these times, whether your car is getting assembled or you’re getting your car washed. Automation is a fact of progress, but it still leaves many of us feeling unsettled.

When something is automatic, it has 鈥渢he capability of starting, operating, or moving independently,鈥漟rom Greek roots meaning “self-animated.” (See, there’s that self again.)

But if a person does something automatically? That听indicates a lack of thought, even emotion.听This might be why our interactions with, say, automated customer service is so difficult and infuriating.听

fast

Fast听has grown, um, quickly since its Old English days as听蹿忙蝉迟, meaning “strong” or “firmly.” One of its most common senses, meaning “rapid(ly),” wasn’t established, however, until the 1200s.Fast has a positive association in a world run by high-speed internet. But, when an item is made fast, we often think of it as done cheaply and poorly. Like fast food.听Or fast women, which slanders them as promiscuous. Not cool.

There鈥檚 also the idea that if something is fast, it’s easy.听Easy doesn’t require much work鈥攁nd may not be worth much in the end. After all, slow and steady, the tortoise taught us, wins the race.