CHORTLING WITH FULSOMENESS

We are deep into the gift-giving season and the celebrations. Are you preparing the happy face you will display as you open your gift? English has lots of words to guide you in your quest to behave as suits the season with a fulsome attitude. Or not.

Fulsome, like so many words in English, wavers with connotation. As you utter thanks for that gift you wish you had never seen, you will likely be insincerely earnest or overly flattering (fulsome). The excessiveness associated with this word led people to think of fulsome as “disgusting” or “offensive”. So, you might want to avoid this word after all.

For better words to use as your guide, you could consider the rich list of “-ful” words: cheerful, gleeful, joyful, blissful. All these attitudes will please your gift giver, assuming the emotions are real and not faked. Duh, rather obvious, huh?

Other “-ful” words might not be your friends. Mirthful, for example, is a good word for a party spirit. Yet, it might be resented if you react to your gift with mirth. Of course, there are exceptions – joke gifts should elicit mirth.

Sprightful and playful also work well at a party, but they can also be annoying if overdone. Blithesome is probably a safer pattern to follow if you want to play it safe. Other “-some” words which might be useful to you are gladsome, lightsome, and winsome.

Ah, winsome. You might think the word is a compound of “win” and “some.”  Makes sense, doesn’t it? You win triumphantly and you are joyous. But the root for the “win” in winsome comes from a different Germanic source than the victorious “win”.  This happy “win” comes from a root meaning joy, childlike joy. So, by all means, do be winsome and you will win the approval of your gift giver.

Finally, my wish is that your hopefulness is fulfilled and that you greet the New Year with a smile.

#EnglishLanguage #Humor