2005 List of Banished Words (via bifurcated rivets)
ÜBER – Nominated by many over the past few years, including Paul Freedman, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. “Since when has this become a prefix for everything? That’s über-rific!” – Lolina, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
“…Everything that is big, amazing, unique is described as über.” – Sue, Colorado Springs, Co.
Yesterday I had a referrer searching for Mere Boynton. Perhaps mere is the new uber.
Comments: over uber
I've read a lot of history of the Third Reich and terms like 'uber-leutnant' are used to denote a rank above.
The prefix was co-opted recently by the computer community to distinguish between a run-of-the-mill geek and a super-geek. The term 'uber-geek' was born.
From there it was all downhill as it fell into common usage (and, dare I say it, abusage).
Posted by David Furst at January 8, 2005 12:05 AM
In my copy of Wahrig Deutsches Wörterbuch I stopped counting the über- prefix at 507. Hard to imagine the Germans getting excited by the English words “over”, “greater” or even “super” but to the English ear, there’s nothing like a good umlaut u to wrap your lips around, eh? Erhalten Sie über es! Über! Über! Über! Über!
Posted by Norabone at January 8, 2005 02:54 PM
David, I agree about the uberabusage, although I know nothin about geekery.
I guess "run-of-the-mill sportingpundit" didn't have the same ring to it, but I imagine that Scott (master of the domain) was being po-mo (old fashioned: tongue in cheek) in his abüsage.
btw - might need the advice of a super-geek re ADSL soon.
Nora: Umlauts are certainly easier to pronounce than to publish here. Keep forgetting the um ...ü code
Posted by boynton at January 8, 2005 04:48 PM
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