A word that many makers use, “bespoke” is a very pretentious word.
The word maker, maybe not pretentious, but one that I find highly annoying as well.
The Nicene Creed contains the line
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
This is used by most, if not all Christian churches, not just Catholics. When I’ve heard it pronounced (in Episcopalian churches), “catholic” in this context is pronounced as three syllables, with the accent on the second. That’s the adjectival form @Slithy_Tove references.
My current one in that space (I’m OK with maker, FWIW): “sewist”
Nothing to do with the subject of the thread, but after skimming this, almost nobody from the initial posting is still around.
I can totally understand why someone who sews might not want to be known as a sewer.
Needleworker, stitcher. Or be more specific based on what you make - quilter, embroiderer, dressmaker, tailor, seamster, costumer.
“Sewist” is (nowadays) being adopted as “I sew, but I’m an artiste, not a common quilter or dressmaker”. It’s pretentious.
a spanish word here, that always rubs me wrong:
EMPRENDEDOR ((startup)enterpreneur)
No, you are not an emprendedor, you are just a guy who hawks “Chicken-Mayo-Sandwiches for a dollar” that have been sitting in the sun for 8 hours at a metro-station.
I donno if there is an english expression similar to that for a person who tries to give aires de grandeur to what basically is informal work.
My issue with maker is not that it’s very inclusive of the making of all things in all materials and techniques, but that it used almost maddeningly without qualifiers.
I am an amateur furniture maker, I am an amateur flight sim controller maker, I am an amateur woodworking tool maker, I am an extremely amateur welding fabrication maker. Just saying “maker” is so meaningless.
I will admit that the word maker has been poisoned by a particular maker on YouTube who only records content on being a maker on YouTube. Do you know what this person is a “maker” of? YouTube videos. That’s meta all the way down. I could take a deep breath and just let it go, but I earned this old age crotchitiness, by gum!
As in “all da folks livin on toidy toid street is comftable.”
The “Olde Fox Run Shire” is a bit pretentious.
One of my favorite housing development names is The Enclave. A deep South variant might be The Autoclave.
I consider those who misuse whom and whomever to be pretentious. If you don’t know how to use those two words, don’t use them.
I find the use of myself in an effort to avoid using “me” is not only pretentious, but ignorant. I find I can mitigate my annoyance by splitting the word into its two major components.
For example, if the boss makes an announcement and concludes with something along the lines of “Bring your submissions to my assistant or myself,” I mentally edit it so they said “Bring your submissions to my assistant or my self.”
I like plenty of things that are considered pretentious, but I think the idea behind pretentiousness is that you’re putting on a show for the benefit of other people, that you are not sincere.
I like a great number of things sincerely that others might find pretentious. Friedrich Nietzsche. The band Rush. Classic literature (well, some of it.)
What I really consider pretentious is when people use language that is overly complex for their intended audience. I’m pretty damned smart, but some people use such overwrought language, usually to obfuscate that they have mediocre ideas, that I want to kick them in the pants.
Thinking of that Harvard bar scene in Goodwill Hunting, which may be another pretentious thing I like.
Maybe the issue is that some people conflate being “expert in something” with pretentiousness, when, as you say, the pretend tiousness is when people are faking, or trying to make something seem fancier than it is. I think you are nailing it on the head for me, my issues with “bespoke” and “maker” is the pretending to be something miraculous/bigger than one’s own self (sorry kaylasdad99) instead of just saying “build cool shit in wood” or “build cool shit in wood”.
Classic Spice_Weasel, always BAM! with the good posts.
I like you a lot Spice_Weasel, but I gotta’ say that I don’t think liking Rush is pretentious. I just hate them sooo much. Their sound is like dragging a garden rake down a never ending chalk board. sudder Carry on. 
I haven’t read every single entry, but it was strangely disturbing to find I wasn’t annoyed by any of them particularly. For example, I find the ubiquitous naming of developments after what was destroyed in making them (Oak Meadow) or else an uneducated person’s idea of what a classy name is, to be just plain sad, not pretentious.
When people brag on themselves, humbly or otherwise, I feel embarrassed for them, not annoyed. A common emotion for me. I empathize with the reflexive urge to be admired or respected when one has doubts about whether one is deserving of either one.
Catcher in the Rye is a pretentious book favored by pretentious obsessive murderers, including Lee Harvey Oswald, Mark David Chapman, John Hinckley Jr., and Robert John Bardo (killer of sitcom star Rebecca Schaeffer).
One of my favorites!
(IANAM.)
If anything, CitR pities pretentiousness…
This could be a whole thread itself:
With modern audio technology, why can’t I order a Rush album with a different vocalist?
.
And no, not pretentious. I look on Rush fans with a feeling of “I love the music, and I’m jealous of people who can take Geddy Lee’s voice.”