# I pit a lowly, yet exceedingly annoying, word **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 30, 2007, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094 "2007-01-30T08:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aclubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aclubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aclubs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/1 "2007-01-30T08:42:27Z")
If I hear one more person utter the word “ginormous” (the portmanteau of “enormous” and “gigantic”), I will rip one of their eyeballs out and play ping-pong. Here ends my brief and to-the-point pitting of this exceedingly annoying word and those who utter it. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/2 "2007-01-30T08:51:55Z")
I agree, but that wasn’t a ginourmous Pitting… Your serve… ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/3 "2007-01-30T08:54:59Z")
I couldn’t even spell it right. Two outta three? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/4 "2007-01-30T09:07:30Z")
**Ginormous** is a perfectly appropriate word under certain circumstances…mostly casual and in spoken terms alone. I can certainly imagine using the word ‘GINORMOUS’ to describe a big pustulent zit on my chin, or perhaps used to define the dimensions of my boyfriend’s willie. Sometimes ‘big’ or ‘gigantic’ just doesn’t do the subject justice yaknow?? 😃 I would never use it in written language, but again, others’ MMV there as well. So, what’s yer’ problem again?? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/5 "2007-01-30T09:10:38Z")
I never knew it had been around [for nearly sixty years.](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ginormous) It’s actually a real _word_! _shock, horror_ ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/6 "2007-01-30T09:24:32Z")
Then there is “gynormous” which is used to describe Ann Coulter. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/7 "2007-01-30T09:25:28Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] I never knew it had been around [for nearly sixty years.](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ginormous) It’s actually a real _word_! _shock, horror_ [/QUOTE] It may be a real word, but it’s still a stupid one. What good is a redundant portmanteau? If you need to stuff two words into one, don’t have them mean the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/8 "2007-01-30T09:28:28Z")
[QUOTE=Klaatu] I agree, but that wasn’t a ginourmous Pitting… Your serve… [/QUOTE] Sounds like the OPer has a ginormous chip on his shoulder. He should probably kick back with a ginormous spliff and try to relax some. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/9 "2007-01-30T09:31:09Z")
[QUOTE=Klaatu] I agree, but that wasn’t a ginourmous Pitting… Your serve… [/QUOTE] It was on the small side. Once could perhaps say bittyscule ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/10 "2007-01-30T09:44:39Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] I never knew it had been around [for nearly sixty years.](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ginormous) [/QUOTE] Huh. I wouldn’t have guestimated so long. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/11 "2007-01-30T09:46:10Z")
Me, I hate “guesstimate.” _Shudder._ ---
**Author:** ![aclubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aclubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aclubs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/12 "2007-01-30T09:48:57Z")
> [@Sophistry and Illusion](#): > > Sounds like the OPer has a ginormous chip on his shoulder. He should probably kick back with a ginormous spliff and try to relax some. I would, but I’m wary of possible ramipercussions. I just don’t like the word. It’s irritating. Just as the word “paradigm” is apparently irritating when overused in corporate circles, “ginormous” is irritating when overused in my circles. > [@kambuckta](#): > > Ginormous is a perfectly appropriate word under certain circumstances…mostly casual and in spoken terms alone. I can certainly imagine using the word ‘GINORMOUS’ to describe a big pustulent zit on my chin, or perhaps used to define the dimensions of my boyfriend’s willie. Sometimes ‘big’ or ‘gigantic’ just doesn’t do the subject justice yaknow?? Fair enough. I retract my pitting of folks who use the word. But the pitting of the _actual_ word remains! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/13 "2007-01-30T09:50:46Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] Me, I hate “guesstimate.” _Shudder._ [/QUOTE] Bloody hell, [that’s even older!](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Guesstimate) Put the old fogeys to bed, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/14 "2007-01-30T10:06:23Z")
[QUOTE=Klaatu] I couldn’t even spell it right. Two outta three? 😛 [/QUOTE] Or you could have edited. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/15 "2007-01-30T10:08:21Z")
By the way, what the hell kind of word is ‘portmanteau’ anyway? Sounds kind of snobby to me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/16 "2007-01-30T10:17:40Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] By the way, what the hell kind of word is ‘portmanteau’ anyway? Sounds kind of snobby to me. 😛 [/QUOTE] It’s a cross between “portman” (Jewish actress) and “teau” (foot digit). ---
**Author:** ![aclubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aclubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aclubs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/17 "2007-01-30T10:17:41Z")
“Portmanteau” is, indeed, a portmanteau. So it’s both snobby _and_ irritating. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/18 "2007-01-30T10:23:29Z")
Wow. I never knew the word was that old. The first I heard it was Will Ferrel using it on Elf. Man, am I out of the loop or what? ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/19 "2007-01-30T10:28:54Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] By the way, what the hell kind of word is ‘portmanteau’ anyway? Sounds kind of snobby to me. 😛 [/QUOTE] It’s a combination of the words ‘portugese man-o-war’ and ‘plateau,’ referring to that legendary hidden mesa where giant relics from the Age of Jellyfish have survived to this day. In this context the word signifies any sort of unusual hybrid, such as the race of coral-women that Doctor Challenger discovered in _Valley of the Anthozoamazons_. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094/20 "2007-01-30T11:14:04Z")
It’s not anywhere near as annoying as _planogram_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-a-lowly-yet-exceedingly-annoying-word/390094.md?page=2)