Fun fact, the word “terrific” went through a linguistic process called “amelioration”, when over time a word’s meaning changes from negative/neutral to positive. Of course, it should also be known amelioration happens in all languages, too. Very cool.
Urbansprint on
As a kid I always thought Terrific was a bad. Think it was just a few years back I realized it wasn’t. Never spoke with someone who actually used it in their vernacular.
InconspicousName1 on
Don’t forget horrible lol
tapitzamir on
It’s a bit odd yes
Nagesh_yelma on
Traffic = bad
raven_swin on
shit = bad. the shit = good.
CR15PYL454GN4 on
I think about this a lot, but for awful and awesome
Semra777 on
And then “flammable” and “inflammable” mean the same thing somehow.
combateombat on
Double negative
CEhobbit on
Terrific is actually neutral, but I guess most people don’t know that…
KorolEz on
Terrified is bad tho
Other_Finance9988 on
-x-=+ looking ahh logic
Nose_Prize on
Thats because both the words combined creates a double negative. Lol
RexTheSkibiriToilet on
First I heard ‘terrific work ‘ from a professor in USA, I was like ‘is it that bad? Where did I mess up?’
CobaltKiller27 on
Terrible and Terrific both come from latin terrere “to fear”. Terrific slowly morphed to meaning extreme/powerful (terrific headache) terrible mostly kept a similar meaning. Horrible entered english earlier than horrific, ibilis ending meaning “able to” so “able to cause fear”. Horrific is just a slightly different ending “ficus” meaning “to make” or “to do”, so theyre a little more interchangeable, most of the time horrific is a little more extrem connotation than horrible.
speechlessm on
(-) × (-) = (+)
DarkAizawa on
You know what they always say, two negatives make a positive.
ElephantEarwax on
-1*-1=1
Slipsndslops on
Completely off topic but this reminds me of the time I said “easy peasy lemon squeezy” to my Japanese lab partner and he thought I had said something extremely dirty to him.
supremegamer76 on
How’s it poppin’?
Known-nwonK on
Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project [glamour](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Glamour).
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are *nice*.
Elves are *bad.*
40 Comments
Fun fact, the word “terrific” went through a linguistic process called “amelioration”, when over time a word’s meaning changes from negative/neutral to positive. Of course, it should also be known amelioration happens in all languages, too. Very cool.
As a kid I always thought Terrific was a bad. Think it was just a few years back I realized it wasn’t. Never spoke with someone who actually used it in their vernacular.
Don’t forget horrible lol
It’s a bit odd yes
Traffic = bad
shit = bad. the shit = good.
I think about this a lot, but for awful and awesome
And then “flammable” and “inflammable” mean the same thing somehow.
Double negative
Terrific is actually neutral, but I guess most people don’t know that…
Terrified is bad tho
-x-=+ looking ahh logic
Thats because both the words combined creates a double negative. Lol
First I heard ‘terrific work ‘ from a professor in USA, I was like ‘is it that bad? Where did I mess up?’
Terrible and Terrific both come from latin terrere “to fear”. Terrific slowly morphed to meaning extreme/powerful (terrific headache) terrible mostly kept a similar meaning. Horrible entered english earlier than horrific, ibilis ending meaning “able to” so “able to cause fear”. Horrific is just a slightly different ending “ficus” meaning “to make” or “to do”, so theyre a little more interchangeable, most of the time horrific is a little more extrem connotation than horrible.
(-) × (-) = (+)
You know what they always say, two negatives make a positive.
-1*-1=1
Completely off topic but this reminds me of the time I said “easy peasy lemon squeezy” to my Japanese lab partner and he thought I had said something extremely dirty to him.
How’s it poppin’?
Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project [glamour](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Glamour).
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are *nice*.
Elves are *bad.*
Honestly just read this, it mentions all three words actually which is pretty cool https://grammarphobia.com/blog/2013/08/terror-terrific.html
The word terrific does derive from terror and used to have a bad connotation but over the years evolved into a good connotation
– Bien = Good
– Mal = Bad
– Mal = Good
– Mal, es verdad = True, that’s True.
Non argentineans ⚰️⚰️⚰️
I remember our English teacher explaining us “priceless” is actually a good thing and it doesn’t mean worthless
Two negatives make a positive
I once got downvoted cause I pointed this out and asked if someone could explain why it’s not based on terrifying
Most of the language have the “sick” word that means bad thing but in another context and often in youngster slang can mean “very cool”
They’re definitely gonna have a “terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day”
I think that in english “terrible” also means “good”.
we totally use it like that in Greek.
Negative * Negative = Positive
Bad = good
Sick is bad and good
Bad is bad and good
Illness is bad illest is good
Two wrongs make a right
That word gave me problems when learning English. As Spanish speaker I always thought that terrific was “terrorífico“
Yeah this is like the only thing that still co fuses me xD
Wait “Terrific” means good?
WHAT?!
Oh, we stick with bad – good – very bad – very good, no problem.
Terrific is otherwise known as scarily good.
English is such a bullshit language and I say that as a native English speaker
English is terrifying.