The word 'edgy': dud or what?

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I hate it.

― RickyT, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've just about had enough of this board's continued bashing of its only creative members.

― Tom, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Does edgy = like The Edge?

― Pete, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think it's a nice word. Define it without recourse to a dictionary.

― N., Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's the use of the word rather than its meaning that's the problem. It means, when talking about culture, something 'near the edge' - of acceptability, perhaps, or taste? But it can only really work as a word in a culture where what is acceptable or tasteful is clearly defined. And once the 'unacceptable' as a category becomes 'tasteful' it's completely fucked as a useful adjective. And for the people who habitually consume the "edgy" this is exactly what's happened.

― Tom, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom is OTM.

― RickyT, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom is OTT. I don't think of edgy as meaning 'close to the edge of acceptability'. Maybe I'm just wrong. I think of it as more of an emotional/visceral descriptor.

― N., Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Also tends to be used by people in an oh-look-at-me-I'm-so-edgy-and- risktaking way. 'Look at us we're BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS by moving to EDGY SHEPHERD'S BUSH!' Cf 'urban pioneers' as synonym for gentrifiers of the artistic rather than yuppy type.

― RickyT, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, i remember the first time i ever saw the word "edgy" and thinking that it was grate cos it meant like, new and fresh and exciting and EVER SO SLIGHTLY left-field. for about 4 seconds. now it's flung around by just about every bloody hack who thinks that using it makes them look big and clever and oh-so in the KNOW when in fact it just means a load of mass produced CRAP that's a poor rip off of someone's originally probably quite good idea. as SOON as i see that word i think "ooh how ironic you are, now FUCK OFF".

sorry i too am having a bad day at work. my NERVES are feeling quite edgy actually. i think i need recourse to the camomile tea.

― katie, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Emotional/visceral - as in edge-of-your-seat?

For me it's just like "funky" - it's been used in one too many bar guides and has ended up shopworn.

― Tom, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

OK. I've just realised that for you, Tom, 'edgy' has a quite different meaning to 'having an edge' as in your etymology, the edge in 'edgy' relates to where you are, not what you have. Is that right? I think of the two as related. I may be incorrect in that.

― N., Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah you're right - I thought of it as a locational thing. The problem is if it's 'having an edge' then what does that mean? An edge over what?

― Tom, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Edgy is surely related to cutting edge (ie being in the forefront of a movement).

― Pete, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Maybe it's like spiky. But darker. It's like Killing Joke to the Sex Pistol's spiky har har.

― N., Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've found the edge. Can you live with me here?

― Tracer hand, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

In business-speak (i.e. at the cutting edge of language), "cutting edge" was replaced with "leading edge" (denoting movement forward) but then with "bleeding edge" presumably denotes rawness, untriedness, sharpness - now that's edgy!

― Tom, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

but edge implies being pretty one-dimensional, how about "sidey" for something a bit more substantial.

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"bleeding edge" also an epithet Tom --> live TOO close to the edge and get sliced

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

how about bevelled?

― mark s, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

but then you'd have to say "that's a bit bevelly" which sounds like you're saying it's a bit like a gurl that you know.

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

an EDGE is at least TWO(count 'em)TWO-Dimensional... more substantial would be: Cornery? Peaky? Depends on how many intersecting edges you're dealing with. Edges have a waves-washing-over-you quality.

― Stuart, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think this conversation has been a bit hedgey.

― Momus, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Pete is right. The rest of you are on the margins, at best.

― Kim, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick is OTE (on the edge)

― maryann, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

otiose

― maryann, Monday, 22 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick's new beard is his new edge.

― Ally C, Tuesday, 23 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

nine years pass...

is the term still in common parlance

― nakhchivan, Monday, 16 January 2012 23:57 (thirteen years ago)

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