Can you think of a different word than "love"? Overused?

The "F-word" is used more frequently by men, than is love.

WHy do you suppose?

New Haven,

I request statistics to support that. And your usual "in my life the people I have known have supported this" does not cut it. I do not think you can keep count.

What's wrong with the word "love"? I like it. No no no I LOVE it!

See!

I certainly agree in adding nuance where nuance is called for -- I like poetry for this. The way I love my daughter, the way I love my husband, the way I love the Green Bay Packers. (Do NOT underestimate my love for the Pack! ) But I don't see a need to stop using the word "love" for miscellaneous expressions of affection.

I thinki know ...

I'm with Sozobe. I love Genral Lee as I love ehBeth, but I Love my Boodily Boo differently. And the screecher-cat even differenterly(?) than the Boodily Boo.

Your points are well taken, sozeby and littlek.

But do we wear ourselves out over-doing emotion about such things as (quote quote) OUR TEAM... or a certain brand of car? (Like I had an Uncle who said, "hell, if it ain't a Ford, it ain't a truck, don't talk to me!!)

I decided I want to be a conversationalist, a friend of PEOPLE (and animals), that is dependable, honest and not over-blown.
(Usually known as a dork-nerd, and other quality "tags"- and no, I am not a fat book-worm)

And I DO LOVE!! I love God. I love good deeds, Mom and Dad, babies- (of any species except insects and spiders.)
But I really like lasagna, have a preference for prime rib, lobster, and shrimp. Feel good and enjoy leisure time, the ocean, wading, and shooting baskets.

I don't guess anyone is going to give up their pet expressions- and of course, that is not what discussion is about. Thanks for your responses.

NewHaven, I agree with you that the f- word is way overused by guys... and that is one of the reasons I made my mind up to NEVER use it.

Wear ourselves out? When I love everyone and everything I feel pretty happy and energetic.

I think that the word "love" has lost a lot of its meaning through overuse. Love is a word that really needs to be saved for out of the ordinary, important things and people really cherish. How can one equate- "I really love my new husband" with, I love that new blouse on you! It is a lazy way of conversing. One might more correctly say, "I think that the blouse is very flattering to you", as it conveys a more exact meaning.

It brings to mind other words, that were used so frequently that after awhile, it lost its meaning altogether.

In the fifties- Everything was FABULOUS!

In the sixties- "Cool" was the buzzword that meant everything.........and nothing.

Nowadays "awesome" has supplanted "fabulous" and "cool". If you describe your new lipstick color as "awesome", how would you characterize the Grand Canyon? Your lipstick may be a pretty shade, but it certainly is not "awesome" as is the Grand Canyon. Now THAT'S awesome!

I think that it order to communicate well, one needs to take the time to use words that really convery a meaning............and not rely on buzzwords!

But, with all words, it's all in the meaning - the intent - the body language and circumstance.

Hi everyone,
Welcome to Able2Know Verbal lee, great thread, very interesting.

"Love" can be used in so many constructs it has a certain degree of danger of being overused, similar to good songs being overplayed by radio stations--which causes the opposite effect.

I think curses can also be problematic this way. Some people use them as adjectives, and therefore, they lose as intended, the impact. Me--I usually use faux curses i.e. "freakin" -- So when I use the real thing, it's rare and shocking to most people.

Buzz words can also be a local thing, and a generational thing. Or a general trend. Wicked was one for us, growing up locally. Wicked cool or wicked bad--It just meant very. My roommate in college threatened to throw me out the window if I used it one more time, so I was soon broke of the habit. But I make college friends from NY and NJ smile whenever I use it, on purpose. My mom still hates when I say like, I use it sparingly now, but again I think that one's generational.

Sometimes I guess I use "love" too casually, I guess describing my regular likes. Hmm. Will have to adjust my word useage appropriateness.

I dunno. There's conversation and there's Conversation. I enjoy both. One is silly and laid-back and not particularly grammatical. I say "like" and "you know" and "really" and various 80's terms up to but rarely including "gag me with a spoon" for the same reason edithdoll mentions using "wicked." ("Sweet" is evidently coming back, though.)

Then I have a more precise mode, usually employed in the service of making a point. It is more grammatical, and sentences are shorter. I pause and think about word choice rather than rambling.

I don't think one is necessarily "better" than the other; each style has its place.

Besides love, i think "hate" is very over used and overrated.

I mean , "man, dont ya' just HATE that?"

I think that I am perceiving a common thread in all of this. What we are all saying is that when you use superlatives injudiciously, after awhile it has no meaning at all.

My mother does that a lot. She is, shall we say, a bit histrionic. She HATES this or that- She'll tell a person that she hardly knows that they are "the greatest". Whatever aches or pains that she is having at the time are the WORST that could ever befall mankind.

It gets to the point where I find that it is difficult to take most anything that she says too seriously.

I remember telling my then young child, instead of, "I love you," I would say, "I am loving you." I thought it was more active.

I tell my sweetheart, "I adore you." Then he says, sarcastically, "I'm just adorable." So I bump it up with, "A toriadorable" (from Gyspy).

When I was learning French, I told my dad--a native French speaker--"J'tem" (forget the spelling now!). I told him that one night several times before going to bed; then I ran down the stairs to tell him, "I love you!"

J'tem just didn't have any meaning for me.

You got the phonetics right Dupre!

Phoenix, that's not at all what I was saying.

Phoenix says it better than me.

And what I meant by 'wearing it out' wasn't about energy, but "trite conversation." (I confess I am not great at it)

Craven de Kere-
Your signature is GRABBING. I get a good chuckle every time I read it.
Very witty and clever!!

littlek, Is your Bood a 'boxer' (meaning is that his snapshot 'avatar'?)

to edithdoll, sozeby, dupre , Gen and everyone, I liked hearing all your answers. (Anyway, these could make GREAT ANONYMOUS OPINIONs for my next 'paper'. Thanks.

Yes, Verbal lee, she's a boxer. And this avatar is her.

Lol, seems like the most overused word is not "love" but "I"...