This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2080.
Should you be sesquipedalian?
How to read the room.
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Lindsay, how are you?
I'm feeling great.
I am excited for today's topic, what we're getting into today.
Yes, this is a really fun one.
I loved the question that we got that we're going to share with you guys, and I think you're going to love this episode.
Let's start off with a question that I have for you, Lindsay.
Okay.
How do you feel about using impressive vocabulary that's really rare?
Do you think it makes a difference if the people you're talking to might not be familiar with it?
Would you still use it?
Oh my gosh.
It's all about who you're around, because there's nothing more tone deaf than using big words around people that don't necessarily use them for whatever reason.
Yeah.
It's about matching culture.
100%.
We're going to talk about this a lot today, but as much as I love rare fun words, I use them very rarely in my regular conversation because there's a good chance that the i don't want to come off as pretentious or sound strengths sound like i sound so intelligent.
So yeah, use them very often.
Yeah, i love that.
I love that there are a lot of different ways to define intelligence right, and so it's about blending in with, i think, just connecting.
It's about connecting right.
That's really the key and it kind of will steal that connection a little bit.
If you make someone feel inferior or like that, you know that you that is the worst feeling to make.
You know to be pretentious.
Oh, and you can tell when you've done it like someone, they drop eye contact, they might feel embarrassed and it's kind of heartbreaking.
You know, like they wanted to talk with you and now you're bringing yourself up here unnecessarily because they just want to connect with you and you've lost it.
Yes, exactly.
So this is a great question Full of really impressive vocabulary that we're going to share with you guys.
And then this is an interesting discussion to have, because you probably do have lots of words you want to use and you can
There's a good way to do it.
Yes.
And I'm excited to share that.
Yep.
Before we get into the question for today, hit follow on this podcast, guys.
If you love our style, our value of connection, not perfection.
So Aubrey, should I go ahead and read the word?
Read the, I'm worried I'm going to find a word in here I don't know.
Won't know how to pronounce it, but let's give it a try.
Right, there might be.
All right, I might need your help.
Let's see.
Dear Lindsay, greetings from Hamburg.
I'm Xin Yu from Taiwan and currently an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany.
I love Hamburg, by the way.
Cool town.
I genuinely love your podcast, especially since I speak a little German and I rely on English as my primary language in Germany.
So guys, this listener is describing looking up pronunciation for amorphous and the word amorphous and seeing that it should have a schwa sound amorphous, but Canadian and American friends telling him no, it should be amorphous.
And then what did he say?
And then he said honestly, can I connect to people in academia without pronouncing these words perfectly?
Also, at the risk of sounding ostentatious, what's your opinion about using big words in daily conversation?
I'm a big fan of Big Bang Theory.
Ergo, Sheldon has become one of my role models.
I mimic his lines a lot.
I realized that I didn't need to use those big words until I arrived in Germany, because no one uses big words in daily life.
Anyway, being an exchange student is practically one of my most tumultuous times.
I'm grateful that I can utilize the expressions you've taught to make friends in Germany.
Hope everything goes swimmingly with you.
Cordially, seen you.
So much great vocabulary in that email, right?
Wow.
I mean, I want to say something that comes to mind before we go into our recommendations.
I mean, we interviewed Lane Green from The Economist.
And what would you think he would say about the words you should choose when you're writing, even in writing?
What would you think a writer from The Economist would say, Aubrey?
Yeah, you might be surprised that he also is likely going to say the goal is for your message to be understood.
And if you're using vocabulary that your readers or your listeners might not understand, you are keeping yourself from reaching that goal.
Yeah.
He said, you know, use earthy words.
Be down to earth is basically what he said.
Use words that people can feel, can understand, can relate to.
Because whether we're speaking or we're writing...
That's what it's all about.
Connection.
Absolutely.
When sending this email, seeing you used all of this fun academic vocabulary, you're sending it to English teachers.
Absolutely.
That's when you should use it.
I was tickled to read all of it.
I'm like, look at all this great vocabulary.
This is so fun.
Especially the ending of her letter.
Hope everything goes swimmingly with you.
I love that one.
That's fantastic.
Yes, swimmingly, so fun, cordially, great vocab.
And three words that we're going to teach today, ostentatious, ergo, and tumultuous.
Yes.
But you guys may have wondered about this word in the title, sesquipedalian.
This is a new word for both Lindsay and I. I looked it up because I was wondering.
I'm like I wonder if there's a word for someone who uses vocabulary that people around them don't know.
And there is this adjective, sesquipedalian.
Oh, I love it.
That is so fun, right?
So that's how to describe someone that might be a little out of touch and out of connection, because they do use those big words.
And we're not trying to say that there's anything wrong with succeeding.
I want to make sure the goal is clear.
The message is clear here by the time we finish today's episode.
You are just a winner in life.
You're smart.
You're doing awesome.
Don't ever make yourself small, right?
That's an important point too.
Maybe we'll come back to that connection, right?
So it depends a lot who you're talking to.
Absolutely use this language when you're writing your english teachers?
Yes absolutely, but the key here is the, the definite.
Uh, the dictionary definition for this adjective is someone or something like a textbook that overuses big words that not everyone will understand, and i think the keyword is really overuse, Because you can use some absolutely, especially depending on who you're talking to.
So this vocab that he used or she used was great.
But depending on who you're talking to.
Like my family in Idaho not a huge there's not a ton of vocabulary vernacular that I would use like fancy words, just in case one of them isn't familiar with or doesn't know, right.
I just wouldn't want to risk them making me seeming like, oh, she's an English teacher.
Oh, good for you.
No, I don't want to feel that way.
Would they kind of tear you apart?
Would they make fun of you if you did?
They probably would.
We've never even been in that situation, because there are a lot of words that I read in books or that I hear somewhere that I just wouldn't use in a daily conversation.
So I don't set myself up for them maybe being like, oh, you fancy.
What's that mean?
Yeah.
That makes sense, right?
So having the emotional, social intelligence to not necessarily bring those out because it just doesn't make sense.
It won't resonate and it'll just alienate you from people.
But we're not saying don't learn these words, right?
We're saying make it your Swiss army knife that you do take out when you go to trivia or when you go and talk to teachers or go to academia or your high level job.
Absolutely.
If the people around you can match that.
Right.
Exactly.
Right.
And a presentation, a job interview, or if you have well-educated friends that read a lot.
And we're going to show you in a couple of minutes, in a role play, how you could do this in a way that doesn't seem pretentious, how you could use all of the words that we're teaching today.
I'm excited.
So let's go through these words first and then let's get to that role play.
I'm excited for that one.
Yeah.
Okay.
So the first one is ostentatious, right?
Which means pretentious, which is the word we've been using.
We use it as well all the time, which means intended. to impress or attract notice.
So, for example, Sin's example was at the risk of sounding ostentatious.
What's your opinion about using big words in daily conversation?
Amazing word.
Love the word.
Love the word in itself.
We love words here, dollars.
So here's an example.
I know my outfit is a bit ostentatious, but I wanted to wear some color today.
Yes.
Yes.
And this is one that you will hear, but it's a perfect example of a word that, depending on who you're talking to yeah, maybe use it, throw it out there.
I would use this in a conversation with some friends, but other friends that I know, depending on where they grew up or how much they read, I maybe wouldn't risk it because I wouldn't want them to be like you know.
Oh, what does that mean?
I'm not sure.
Yeah.
I mean, you should care more about the people than the words.
We love words, but we love people more, right?
Like that's what really matters.
That's what leads to a happy life is making sure people get you, you get them and you feel connected.
Yes, but I love the second example to point out that it's not just about your speech.
Ostentatious can be trying to draw attention in any way of what you wear, right?
As a good example, like oh, this outfit, what I'm wearing, is maybe a bit ostentatious, but I wanted to wear some bright colors.
So it's not just about your speech.
It's anything that you're trying to do to attract notice or draw attention.
But I would say, when it comes to it color choice of your outfit it's okay, it's okay to be right and like, I love colors.
I mean I, I wear some black too, but I love bright colors, you know yellows reds um, it's okay to have a fashion style and not and not apologize for it, oh for sure.
Yeah, I know I feel like you wear bright yellow a lot.
It's rare today.
We almost kind of match.
If you guys are watching on YouTube, you'll see Lindsay and I are sort of wearing the same color.
Yeah, often you're wearing like a bright yellow.
I love it.
Cheerful, yep.
All right Aubrey, here's the next one.
You want to tell our listeners what it is?
Yes.
So this word is ergo.
And the example from the email was, I'm a big fan of Big Bang Theory.
Ergo, Sheldon has become one of my role models.
This means therefore has the same meaning.
Yes.
Ergo.
I like that.
See, I don't watch the Big Bang Theory all that much.
Do you watch it, Aubrey?
No, I haven't.
And I've seen little clips here and there.
And what I have seen is funny.
I think that I would like it.
And I can imagine Sheldon, he's like this...
Brainy scientific.
I can imagine him using some very like more rare, less common vocabulary like that.
Yeah.
And we've done episodes where we advised you guys to choose a character, right?
Choose your favorite TV show and kind of watch that person.
I mean, some people do this with our podcast as well, right?
Watch that person model the way that person speaks.
That is totally, that's actually a good way to learn a language.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So it's not wrong.
It's just, there's a time and a place for these words.
Right.
Exactly.
Here's another example.
Her fingerprints were found at the scene.
Ergo, she's a suspect.
You might see this on the news or hear it in a news report, because often that's where you'll hear this.
More impressive vocabulary is on the news, is in you know, a documentary, something where someone's trying to use more academic language to to elevate the language being used.
Yeah, I love it.
And then the last one is tumultuous.
So this was also in the email from the student, right?
Exactly.
It means confused or disorderly.
It can also mean noisy.
But the way the student used it was being an exchange student is one of my most tumultuous times.
So it means sort of disorganized, confusing.
Yeah.
Or for example, my friend's life has been tumultuous since she started her new job.
Just chaotic, right?
Disorderly, chaotic.
Yes.
So I think we're going to do a role play here to show how you can use these in a role play.
But keep in mind, like As far as when it comes to like which words are okay and how much, there's a lot of fluidity here.
There's a lot of reading the room, like you said, right, Lindsay?
This soft skill, this social skill of like, who am I talking to?
What's the situation?
Maybe I should... I think... Do you ever listen to Las Culturistas?
It's Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers.
Bowen Yang's on SNL.
And he uses a lot... He'll use words that I've never heard and I'll go and like Google them.
Most of them, he'll use words that I have heard, but I don't hear often.
So I still, you know he has a really cool vocabulary and he'll just use them on the podcast and he's like you can look him up if you don't know him, and he's like totally unapologetic about it.
We like that.
The co-host will kind of tease him sometimes, but like there is a time and a place, like you said right Lindsay, I think there is a time and a place.
I think it's all about you know yeah, about that time.
What is the time?
Is it the right time to do it?
You know um, let's do this role play that we put together here.
I'm excited for this.
Yeah, this will be good.
This is demonstrating A way to let someone know that you're practicing using less familiar vocabulary and then you could throw it in, right.
This takes out all of the pretension.
All of that, also because you're sharing, like I'm intentionally using these fun words.
Yes.
Okay, I'll start us out.
Ready?
Okay.
I don't mean to sound ostentatious, but I've learned some new vocabulary lately.
Ergo, I want to use it.
Nice.
I just learned the word sesquibedalian.
Wow, that's a fun one.
What does that mean?
It means someone that overuses big words.
Oh, touche.
That would be so well delivered.
It is really well delivered, right?
I love the word touche.
It's actually a French word.
And in English, it kind of means like, okay, you got me like good one.
And this is so perfect.
Like here, I'm trying to practice using these big words.
And how clever of you to be like, oh, you want to know what sesquipedalian means?
That's fun.
But Dalien, oh my gosh, that'd be perfect.
And that is funny, right?
This is an example of a funny back and forth, because I'm poking fun at you, but I'm also playing along at the same time.
And so you're getting the message.
In a very clever way.
Yeah, you're getting the message.
But right, if you, you know, like our listener here wrote in, if you're wanting to use words like this in just kind of a regular conversation, this is a great way to do it.
Just let them know like I've been learning all these really fun fancy words and throw them in the conversation, and you have taken then, the awkwardness out of them being like Ooh cool.
What do those mean?
Whereas if you use them in a conversation, assuming someone will mean them, and then they understand them and then they don't, that could be a problem.
That could be awkward.
Although I wonder how much further this conversation really goes, right?
If it's really a difference in vocabulary, how many times can you use a new word and have a?
What does that mean?
What does that mean?
What does that mean?
I mean, I probably would pivot pretty quickly, right?
If you start saying you know Oh, I haven't learned the Words like that since English, how long ago now we're talking about college, you know it's going to move away from that pretty quickly.
And this is how conversations move in English, right?
They move away from one topic to the next very quickly, depending on the family or the friend group.
It's just incredible.
But this is good.
I love the idea of teasing someone in this way.
And so I think I want to make clear with the takeaway, right?
We're not talking about like don't succeed, right.
We're not saying like be a winner, be awesome, learn as much as you possibly can and then apply that knowledge and expertise where it makes sense, where it gets you the furthest for connection.
Right, aubry?
Absolutely right yes, learn that vocabulary and then just be thoughtful about where you use it and when.
And i agree, i love people who use unfamiliar words.
Use them in comments on our you know episodes, i will, and jessica you.
We love less common vocabulary.
It's so fun.
And we surely have friends who do as well.
So use it in conversations with them.
Totally, totally.
I think the overall thought here is we love words, but we love human connection even more, right?
Like I, would much rather use the right words to connect than the wrong words and feel isolated around people.
Yeah, such a good point.
So we just want to make sure our listeners go back and listen to these incredible.
You have literally world-famous journalists like Lane Greene from The Economist in episode 2026, telling you essentially the same thing as what we're saying today, just about writing, right.
Check out episode 2026 of All Ears English.
And Aubrey, good stuff.
Thanks for bringing us on the show today.
Yeah, awesome.
I'll see you next time.
All right.
Take care.
Bye.
Bye.
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