Too

 

I normally dislike arguments of semantics.  Such arguments usually don't accomplish anything of significance other than possibly fueling an ego or satiating an appetite to always be the smarter one. So please humor me while I wrtie just a little bit about my opinion on an overuse of one use of a word in the English language.

 

The word is "too."

 

I'm totally onboard with using the word to say also or furthermore.  It gets a little cloudier when used to mean to an excessive degree or to an extreme.  BUT, are we really saying anything at all when we use it to indicate "more or less, as specified, than should be."  WHAT??? What's more?  Who specified how much it should be?  Let me start with a personal story.

 

For about six years I was a Girl Scout "leader."  One time when the girls were in first grade and sweatshirt painting was a trend, my co-leader and I hosted the twelve girls in my home to make Christmas sweatshirts.  It was quickly evident that this was an overly ambitious undertaking.  We had white sweatshirts for the girls with seasonal decals to be applied.  The decals would then be outlined with fabric paint.  The girls were being quite liberal with their use of the paint.  It was bleeding into the white, getting on their clothes, and was so thick that it seemed as if it would never dry.  I had to do something to get control of the siutation.  SO I announced, "Girls, remember not to use too much paint; less paint is better.  It will not get all over and it will dry quicker."  I felt that was clear.  There was a moment of silence, a moment of comprehension.  Then one of the first graders (yes - a six or seven year old) asked "Mrs.W, exactly what is too much?"  She had a point. Whatever I was saying, they were not hearing. What is too much, too little? 

 

What about the following"more or less as specified" situations?

 

How can someone possibly be "too nice?"

What happens if you are "too smart?"

"Too much of a good thing?"  Says who?

Am I really too tall?  Are others too short? 

Is someone's too hot, someone else's too cold?

A lot of times "too young" really isn't and the more I age, very few people are "too old."

Too rich?  Right.

 

I for one, will make an attempt not to use too in this way,  It is too subjective, too judgemental, too nebulous.  Oh wait, this is going to take some work.  I guess it makes more sense if you are in first grade.