fulsome adj. copious, cloying, 1. a: characterized by abundance: copius <describes in ~ detail> b: generous in amount, extent, or spirit c: being full and well developed.
as opposed to 2: aesthetically, morally or generally offensive. I think it was in the 17th century when the word was a generalized term of disparagement. Fulsome became a point of dispute when sense 1, thought to be obsolete in the 19th century, began to be revived inthe 20t. The dispute was exacerbated by the fact that the large dictionaries of the first half of the century missed the begginings ofthe revival. Sense 1 has not only been revived but has spread in its application and continues to do so. The chief dange for the reader of 'fulsome' is ambiguity. Unless the context is made very clear, the reader or hearer cannot be sure whether such an expression as 'fulsome praise' is meant in sense 1 b. or in sense 2. (Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary 10th Ed.)
>From: Michael Pugliese <debsian at pacbell.net>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
>Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Let Ralph Debate in 2004
>Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 16:04:10 -0800
>
>On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:26:13 -0800, Joseph Wanzala <jwanzala at hotmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>I see, thanks for the fulsome explication.
>
> Hee Haw, see the donkey on this webpg.
>http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/fulsome.html w/ a definition of
>fulsome, which is a word I hadn't heard in so many yrs. I had to look it up
>to be sure I remebered what it meant.
> "Because its most common use is in the phrase "fulsome praise," many
>people suppose that this word means something like "generous" or "whole-
>hearted." Actually, its most conservative meaning is "disgusting," and
>"fulsome praise" is disgustingly exaggerated praise."
> Not fulsome praise from marxist-leninist-maoists not for Dean, MIM Notes
>issue #290, Nov' 1st issue, check the webpg. soon, only up to #289 here,
>http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/mn/mnbrowse.html
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>Michael Pugliese
>
>
>
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