Tags

, , , , , ,

 

 

Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives

 

I’m hefting this little book in my hand. First thing I love about it?  The size.  At 5 inches by 7, it fits in my bag along with the granola bar, master card, cell phone, notebook, pen, and my lip gloss. What else does a girl need? A writing girl that is.

I sat in one waiting room after the other today. Car repair. Xray. Dentist. Was I frustrated? Nope. I had Better Than Great to keep me company. Here’s a nugget I’m chewing on: Art tells us the sad news. We’ve worn out the superlatives (see “spectacular”) turned to the negative modifers (“unbelievable”), and tried to animate with theatrics . I’m guilty as charged, and so I nod my head in agreement when Art declares that we need some wallopingly fresh superlatives to say “super!”

What follows is a sampling of alternatives to the word GREAT.

banner-head stuff

a blitzkieg of greatness

booming

brilliance unfurled

consummate

For the chapter on GREAT, after a mini-essay of instruction about the word, Art gives fresh words and phrases from page 7 to page 32. He finishes with a Vintage Gold list. that goes from bears the bell and copacetic to a pipperoo and ripsniptious.

I say it’s ultra-ultra!  I’ll explore how tossing the fresh words around in my mouth and head leads to ideas that the worn out alternative word just might never have sparked.

Patty

2/8/11

Advertisement