Fallen or Fell? – Drop in the Ocean – Definitive

Fallen or Fell?

I’ve had a definitive experience over this word, “definitive.” When we say someone is the definitive leader, for example, it means that person is perfect as the unquestionable leader. It’s a given, or you just can’t find anyone better than that person for that position. Similar to some luxury car being declared to be the definitive luxury car.

If we say that someone is ***a*** definitive leader, we’re implying that the person we are describing is a *model* or *example* of a perfect leader, and not the physical realization of the *only* definitive leader.

An NFL game where both teams suck, and is the worst NFL game you’ve ever seen, could be labeled the “definitive worst game of all time” for you privately so as to set it apart from all of the other bad games that have been broadcast, that you’ve watched.

It’s also used frequently to bolster someone’s credentials, with promotional material that identifies that person either as “a” definitive something or other, or else as “the“ definitive something or other. This could be used for promoting someone new, just starting out in the entertainment big time for example, as they are declared the definitive joke teller or whatever, as they’re being introduced for the first time on TV. It’s kind of like bragging, in a way.

A flexible word like definitive can lead to all kinds of confusion in some cases, obviously.

Not every golfer can be “the definitive golfer.” Only one golfer could claim such a title if it existed, but does that stop people from declaring other golfers as being the definitive golfer? Saying instead that some golfer was “a definitive golfer” is pointless, because no one’s interested in a clone of the real thing, especially if the “real thing” is still around.

When we talk about something and say that it’s definitive,
It could be sourcing one thing, but could also be infinitive.
Relating this to one in mind might not be what’s intended,
If others then can also claim that they are just as splendid.
For what I find definitive, may not be what you see;
To you it may be scrap, so you would not agree.
But even scrap’s definitive - recycling it’s pragmatic.
What of the scrap in your garage, and scrap that’s in your attic?

I think the word definitive is probably misused lots of times, but then again, I don’t think that it’s an overused word. It is a word that I think people would try to fit into a conversation if they’re familiar with it and want to impress someone possibly, if it’s rarely heard in their circles, but I think that most people would just use terms like “the real deal,” GOAT, “best ever,” etc., rather than definitive, though it seems to be gaining popularity.

It’s kind of like the commercial where the old person is on the ground and they say, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” If I was in that situation, that isn’t what I’d say. I’d say, “I fell - I’m hurt.” Apparently the company that has the “Help, I’ve fallen…” line has copyrighted that phrase, so their commercials will always suggest that people will speak that ridiculous line in an emergency. I don’t think I’ve ever used the word, fallen; have you? My guess is that they were unable to copyright the variation that most everyone would say - “I fell and need help!”

_{Fallen or Fell? © free-reign 2019}

Sources for images used in this post:

Tiger Woods: Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Medal: Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
Golfer: Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Winner: Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

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