11/8/2007
Words for Nerds – Superannuated
If you use the word superannuated in your conversation, people will think you’re really, really smart. And the beauty is, you can use superannuated whenever you want, because hardly anybody knows what it means. But what does it mean?
A. Inspiring awe, especially a building or structure.
B. Occurring several times a year.
C. Antiquated or obsolete.
D. Elongated or extended.
E. Possessing supernatural powers.
For you sticklers who like to know what a word means before using it, the correct answer is … antiquated or obsolete. Superannuated describes a person or thing that is out of date, too old to be useful, put out to pasture.
As it applies to people, superannuation is a rather chilling concept. As it applies to things, it’s often relative. One man’s superannuation is another man’s venerable tradition.
In the world of marketing, we appear to be on the cusp of mass superannuation. Yellow Page advertising, interruption marketing, static Web sites, hyped up advertising copy, and a host of other tried and true concepts are fast becoming superannuated.
Question
What superannuated concepts do you see in your business?
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