shipwreck

Figured that I would ask here, where the interesting opinions are. Not really c&v, but what the heck.

The other day, outside the local bike shop that rents MTB's and caters to the sram red crowd, the owner was describing the local trails as Epic.

They are not bad trails, certainly not fisher price my first rock garden, but when I quiped that "yes, when you finish and get home there are a bunch of guys staying at your place eating your food and trying to marry your wife", no one got it.

I have just heard it a lot over the last few years, describing bike tours, trails, rivers, and even a local sporting event. There have certainly been some epic bike trips, Fred Birchmore and Annie Londonderry are the first low hanging bicycle fruit I can think of, but where would you draw the line on calling something epic?

Not losing sleep over it, but still curious.

Chombi

....And I thought this was just another CF C&V bike bashing thread........

Chombi

KonAaron Snake 

I think it's irritating as all get out actually. If no one is going to write about it, read about it or care about it in 100 years, it isn't "epic". That word seems to have become popular because of online reviews and poor writers trying to pretend that they're critics. The other word that really annoys me is "fail", especially combined with epic (epic fail). No, the mistake a waiter makes is not an epic fail. The stock market crash of 1939 is an "epic fail". To me it's pretentious, silly and pompous. Your bike ride isn't epic. Nothing that happens to you is ever likely to qualify as epic. 10 people clicking like on facebook isn't epic.

GET OFF MY LAWN!

fender1

Epically tired of it.

KonAaron Snake 

That was an epic post

shipwreck

Ha! did not see that coming. Is the title an "epic fail" then?

Creme Brulee

there are a lot of words that because of... whatever, the internet? seem to have lost all real meaning..

KonAaron Snake 

This one bugs me more than most because I think it gets to the self centered, delusional importance we ascribe to our own mundane lives in the beehive society. We post where we eat dinner publicly on facebook and twitter, as if anyone would, or should care. We write commentary on blogs, as though we're qualified journalists or learned students of whatever non-sense our blog is about. People write reviews on Yelp about food they know squat about. We have a deluded sense of self worth.

Now our bike rides are EPIC and the cashier giving us the wrong change is an EPIC FAIL worthy of a twitter post!

Chombi

You can use the word "Fail",...........but certainly not "Asplode" in this case......

Chombi

Flying Merkel

"Epic" must die.

My friend had an "epic" lunch. I was expecting tales of a whole roasted camel with broiled hummingbirds flying out it's bunghole, followed by puree of spotted owl on toast made from orchid flour. Instead she just had a big sandwich that came with chips.

SJX426 

There are lots of those misused words. The one that struck me the other day is "hero" when referred to the shooting at the Sikh Temple. It was a tragedy without doubt and the actions of some may have been heroic like, but not at the level of a Medal of Honor recipient.
I have been guilty of over stating situations, but now am aware of it more and it is being curbed significantly to the point where it is used to be sarcastic more that trying to sell or make a point.

More often than not, exageration is more an effort of self-aggrandizement in an effort to get approval or validation.

Oh Yeah, I am really passed being sick of the term "green". It is now laughable!

cyclotoine

In mountain biking, there is a use of the term I do condone and that is for multi-day stage races, also known as "epics". People were probably doing "epic rides", multiday, minimal gear, super long distance, MTB rides and someone decided to turn these epics into races. I can dig it, that is why the specialized cross country 29er has the name epic as it is designed for this type of racing. I agree that the term is over used in other aspects. There are epic trails out there too, like 7 summits in rossland BC.. it is a full day high alpine all mountain/ex grind. There are a number of trails out there like this and they are referred to as epics. I am okay with this denomination as well. It is an adopted classification and I think it is an appropriate one for these particular trails.

I think people can have "epic days" that are epic for them personally. A ride they will never forget that pushed their limits and explored new physical territory that they are personally likely to remember for the rest of their life can be an epic event for that individual. I do recognize that it has become a slang term for good amount bros and that is certainly a stupefied misuse of the word.

cudak888 

All-time pet peeves:

"Epic"
"...totally."
"Awesome"
"F***!"
"Fail"
"The $hit"
"Dude"
"Like..."
"So, like..."
"So cool"
"Donk" - Apparently, every 1972 Chevy Impala on Craigslist - regardless of whether it has 22" rims or not - is to be classified under this term.
"Duh"

People say that valspeak (Valley Girl dialect) died in the 1990's - that's a load of crock. It's more prevalent now in mainstream conversation than ever before - furthermore, men (excuse me - "guys," not men) are now equally at fault for using it.

-Kurt

himespau 

I don't know, if a CF bike asploded and they spent 12 hours in surgery trying to pull CF shards from some dude's sphincter, I think I'd call that an "epic fail"-ure of the bike. But yeah, "fail" and "epic" are seriously overused and should be gotten rid of (how the hell do you end a sentence with that phrase - or "disposed of" - and not end a sentence with a preposition?). But while we're at it, long live the Oxford comma!!!!!!!!!!!!!

inkandsilver

So very true.

"Epic" is just another annoying slang word, but is also part of a general manner of speaking that in which everything good is "the best ever" and anything bad is "the worst ever". I hear this from my (teenage) students all the time.

My current #1 most hated beaten-to-death-word/phrase: "At the end of the day, ..."

inkandsilver

Yes! Oh, and it's fine to end sentences with a preposition if writing it otherwise is inelegant.

Scooper

The politicians love that one.

"'ya think?"

ColonelJLloyd 

like. . . #threadfail

KonAaron Snake 

How about "it is what it is". This seems to be specifically designed to preemptively avoid the designation of blame/fault/negligence or to avoid potential discussions that diverge from the user's conclusions. It's a meaningless phrase that seems to translate to:

It is what I say and I don't feel like discussing it or my role in it.

Another phrase I don't like, at least how it's normally used, is "outside the box" when the solution is very rarely different, clever, creative, etc. It's usually just a slightly different take on whatever change is being discussed.

cobrabyte

Man, you guys are epic cynics. Language is fluid, words can take on additional meanings without detracting from the original meaning. It all has to do with context. No, your friends ride may not have been EPIC in the literal sense...but you know that so don't be a nit-picking dork, ok? And by nit-picking dork I don't mean you're a penis that picks head lice. Get it?
How boring would it be if everyone spoke in "proper" American English? Ugh, no thanks

KonAaron Snake 

Michael Angelo 

Like totaly for sure dude, even though it's awesome "epic" has to go, like right now, ok??

sykerocker 

Epic is an annoying word. However it's not the most annoying. The most annoying word is:

Rare

Especially when used on eBay or Craigslist.

shipwreck

Wow, I was just curious if I was turning into a pedantic old fart(turning forty this month).

If this thread goes south, I guess its just "my bad".

himespau 

Oh and "literally". That sucker is way overused.

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally

And #. Take your stupid # with you when you get off my lawn. I don't care about your twitterizing and don't want to hear about it any more than you want to here about me writing in cursive (which schools don't bother teaching anymore) in the longhand letters I like to send through the mail.