Fulsome - a rant.

Fulsome was such a lovely word before all those fools started using it to mean very full (as in fulsome praise, usually).

Why on earth should they start doing that? Do they think handsome means very hand?

If they get their way we'll have lost a really useful word for treacly, flattering, gluey insincerity.

And what a loss to politics that will be.

Word to use today: fulsome. This word is, not surprisingly, from full and some, and it did originally mean full or abundant; but this meaning hasn't been in common use since 1583 or so.

Until now, anyway.

Away with it!