The Come Up of Cool: "Where Words Come From" In "Where Words Come From," Anglo-American author, Bill Bryson goes into thorough detail about words and how they are formed. He sets up six categories in which he chooses to better discuss the range of word origins, and within these categories, comprehension of a word 's origin, significance, and meaning in present day life becomes easier to understand. A popular word that one may come across at one point or another is the word cool. This well known word—defined as a low temperature, a calm setting or as a slang word meaning superior or hip —carries many different definitions, but its strength is sometimes forgotten. Cool, being such an influential word, is more powerful than one may realize. In …show more content…
In response to "Where Words Come From," the background of a specific word, in this case cool, has opened my eyes to a topic that seemed so simple. Not only did the text help me grasp a better understanding of where words come from, but cool grew to be very significant to me because it made me realize how influential one word can be. Cool is a powerful word a lot of people seem to underestimate. This word is so influential because along with its many definitions, it is well known for meaning superior or worthy of approval and with such a strong meaning, one may try and become worthy of approval in order to gain acceptance from others. That alone is very dangerous. I 've struggled with trying to be cool in order for people to accept me, as I 'm sure many others have as well. Kids are bullied in school for not being cool, but in reality, it can 't get someone a high paying job, a good grade or a diploma. It only enhances one 's popularity with a temporary title. Its definition, in the context of acceptance in youth culture, changes so often it seems impossible for one to uphold all of the responsibilities in order to stay cool. As Gwendolyn Brooks demonstrated in the poem, "We Real Cool," doing certain activities, such as skipping school and staying out late may be cool one day and being smart and well-rounded may be cool the next. So why strive for something that 's not achievable due to constant change? Rather than tossing such a heavy word around, one should be more cautious of how it can affect