unbelievable adj. Not to be believed; incredible.
 In
common use, the word "unbelievable" is excessive to the max and therefore
effective to the min. As a worn-out synonym for "wonderful" or "remarkable"
or "exceptional," unbelievable has lost all power to express its original
meaning. Which wouldn't be so bad, except that we really do need
the verbal tools for forcibly expressing -- um...
...lack of assertive merit without invoking a
proven falsehood, an established non-fact, a lie, or a myth.
Probably the most believable things are what people habitually
call unbelievable...
-
a ride in an amusement park,
-
the ability of a child to acquire language,
-
a solar eclipse at totality,
-
the price of seats in the end zone.
So then, how do we describe
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abductions by extraterrestrials?
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claims for cold fusion?
-
properties of polywater?
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uncorroborated accusations?
Try putting a modifier in front of unbelievable (utterly,
altogether, literally) and see what it gets you.
The English Language has been hoist on a petard of mindless hyperbole.
I freely admit that I am often tempted to renounce my renunciation of horseshit. |