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I recently saw a post on FB by a friend asking people not to use the word "decadent" when describing desserts. Curious, I looked it up, and the definition of decadent when used as an adjective is "characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline."
She's right, I do not think any dessert, no matter how indulgent, will lead to moral or cultural decline.
Opinions, anyone?
Wow, I didn't know that! I wonder how it came to be used in reference to desserts.
I was doing a crossword puzzle, the clue was "stroke of luck", and the word was fluke. So I looked it up and sure enough, it has a positive connotation. Didn't know that either.
That's one definition and one only; another definition is luxuriously pleasing.
Full definitions:Quote:
Originally Posted by cassiesmom
adjective:
1. characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline.
synonyms: dissolute, dissipated, degenerate, corrupt, depraved, sinful, unprincipled, immoral;
luxuriously self-indulgent "a decadent soak in a scented bath"
noun
noun: decadent; plural noun: decadents
1. a person who is luxuriously self-indulgent.
a member of a group of late-19th-century French and English poets associated with the Aesthetic Movement.
But I never see it used as a noun!
cassiesmom: I always have known the positive connotation of fluke, but I also think of the parasitic flatworm that is called a fluke ...! Yes, I have an odd brain!
Two meanings - interesting but not uncommon. "State of moral decline", perhaps if one steals said dessert by breaking into high-end pastry shop in the dead of night LOL. And why was Aesthetic Movement necessarily a bad thing? It brought us Verlaine, Baudelaire, absinthe, and most importantly Wilde, whose famous character my kitty Dorian Gray, Esq. is named for! ;)
Most interesting,must say I use the word all the time ,verbally and written to describe a rich yummy dessert.
The meanings of words, and their connotations, do change over time. Some words have opposite meanings, depending on the context! I think they're called oxynyms or something like that. (Saw it on Jeopardy! once.)
I thought it was the point where a teen age driver finally gets that 10th bump in the body work..
Deca = ten
Dent = You have to tell your parents/insurance company.
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Why do people deem it their job to correct spelling/usage/punctuation on the interwebz?
I really miss the days when people weren't so 'incapacitated' over the use of a word/phrase/spelling.
People that point out someone's error usually are way too blind to see their own shortcomings.