Definition

Lately I've been obsessed with knowing the exact definition of every word I hear. I may know the meaning of the word, and I may know how to use it correctly in everyday speech, but I have come to find myself relentlessly interested in learning precise definitions. For example, pompousness can describe one who possesses or expresses a high level of self-importance. Here's the situation.

I tried to sneak one last book in before I had to start reading text I didn't particularly choose to pick up, so I borrowed "Installations" by Joe Bonomo from my friend John two days before the Spring semester began. I chose this book because as the Spring semester has officially begun, I am currently taking Literary Non-Fiction with Dr. Bonomo. Today, after our first class, I let him know how much I am enjoying reading his book, however, maybe I should have waited to do so because I have not finished it yet.

"How can others possibly view the installations if, most of the time, they were destroyed during your viewing?" I said.

"The whole work is imaginary," he said

That was all in much more words of course.

I was stunned, and I'd be reading it right now if I weren't typing this. Either way, I was relaying this information to my girlfriend, Lindsay, over the phone a minute or two ago. I explained how the book is a part of Penguin's National Poetry Series.

"It must be some sort of contest that he obviously won." I said.

"Don't say obviously." She said. " You sound pompous."

After we each hung up our phones for the night, she went to Walmart, and I was on my way to get ready for bed until my newly acquired diction-hungry blinking light just about burned a hole through my head.

So to wrap things up here, one who is pompous has or exhibits self-importance, so using the word "obviously" wasn't pompous of me because I wasn't even talking about myself.

So I'm right. Na-nana-boo-boo.