Yes it's great but is it iconic?

[lawrence]

This is driving me nuts, completely and utterly nuts. Why, why, why does everything of even the remotest importance have to be described as 'iconic'? Does anyone know what this word means or, at least, used to mean? What's wrong with famous, important, well known, significant, imaginative, groundbreaking etc.?

Perhaps it's the current mini-heatwave here in 'iconic' London town or maybe someone else, somewhere else is being driven quietly insane by the constant use of this word? If so, you have my sympathy...

 

[BillBingham2]

I blame Dr. David Smith and Xerox PARC and the fact that everyone has smartphones on the brain these days.

B2 (;->

 

[krötenblender]

In Germany we have "historic" with the same overuse, does not drive me nuts, but lets me think, people don't have any clue, what they are talking about...

Iconic: These little small colorful pictures on my smartphone...? Yeah, your picture is pretty iconic... 😉 Maybe it's meant as an insult...

 

[kshapero]

Well the Leica M3 was/is iconic. We can work with that, eh?

 

[grouchos_tash]

I reckon 'awesome' and 'hero' hold the prize for the most watered down at the moment.

 

[Chubberino]

That's pretty petulant.

 

[majid]

That's pretty petulant.

Not petulant, just iconoclast...

Perhaps we should start using the original Geek "eikon" for the real thing.

 

[Richard Griffith]

I totally agree with you Lawrence!
I keep hearing the word used on BBC radio, e.g. an iconic piece of music, for something that is pretty ordinary, drives me nuts.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Iconic and renowned. Two cliches in photography related English.

 

[Brian Atherton]

Agreed; irritating, to say the least, Lawrence.

My bête noire is the recent affectation of prefacing every reply to a vox pop question with “so”.

 

[FrankS]

something that has come to symbolize it's genre?

 

[Spider67]

A subject of adoration

 

[skibeerr]

Here in OZ everything is "Award winning", exiting and awesome.

 

[muser53]

Is it iconic?

Check back with me in 20 years.

 

[rbsinto]

In our little corner of the world, "awesome" is the current mot de jour.
Yesterday when I told the server in the restaurant that I'd like a burger and an order of fries, he replied, "Awesome".
I think the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam or DNA replication inspires awe.
A burger and fries?
Not so much.
Robert

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

I reckon 'awesome' and 'hero' hold the prize for the most watered down at the moment.

Here in OZ everything is "Award winning", exiting and awesome.

A father-daughter dialogue:

Daughter: «Dad, thank you so much for this wonderful dress! It's AWESOME!»
Father: «My pleasure. But, honey, are you sure it's ‹awesome›? I mean: Does this dress fill you with awe?»
Daughter: «Daaaaaaad! I's me, I fill the dress with awe!»


😉

 

[tbhv55]

Agreed; irritating, to say the least, Lawrence.

My bête noire is the recent affectation of prefacing every reply to a vox pop question with “so”.

I agree!! Very irritating.

My contribution...: "very unique" 😡

 

[tbhv55]

I think the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam or DNA replication inspires awe.
A burger and fries?
Not so much.

That made me laugh...! 🙂

 

[ForestCap]

"Maverick"

 

[nobbylon]

Legendary.......
my understanding of iconic would be Nikon F/F2, 501'S, Leica M2,3,4, R90s and aircooled 911's.
oh... and Submariner!