Horrible or Horrid?

[Welshbird]

I'm not sure whether this is peculiar to (British) English - but I have to confess that I'm not sure that I really know when I should use the word 'horrid' and when 'horrible'.

I feel like it should be:
horrid people and horrible actions.

But I'm not sure that is correct.

Thoughts anyone?

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[sleipnir214]

Yourdictionary.com shows horrid (link) and horrible (link) are synonyms, but the definition of horrid includes an archaic meaning of "bristling; shaggy; rough".

The etymologies of the two words on yourdictionary.com say the two words both come from the Latin horrere ("to bristle, shake, be afraid"), horrid coming to us via horridus ("rough, rugged, uncultured") and horrible via horribilis ("horrible, dreadful, frightful").

I also saw a blurb on the Columbia University Guide to Standard American English (link) says "The chief distinction is with the adverbs: only horribly is used regularly as an intensifier: I have a horribly bad cold."

In my own reading, it seems to me that horrid is used more by authors writing in British English, and horrible is used more by writers in American English. But my survey is not scientific.


Want to ask the best questions? Read Eric S. Raymond's essay "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way". TANSTAAFL!

 

[KenCunningham]

Horrid always reminds me of comic-book baddies and the Nursery rhyme '...and when she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid.' I think it adds more theatricality than a simple horrible.

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[ChrisHunt]

Following Ken's nursery rhyme link, I tend to think of "horrid" as a more childish term - a bit like "naughty". I don't think I'd use either term un-ironically in adult company. Maybe that's just me though.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[LFCfan]

Chris, something like this?

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good she was very, very good
But when she was bad, she was horrid


I don't know why, but I have always hated that nursery rhyme, and I never use "horrid" because of it.
It is possibly also the reason why I compulsively use straightening irons on my hair...

~LFCfan

 

[KenCunningham]

Don't deny the dark side, Maria...

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[drlex]

I'd always used "horrid" if there was no noun.
i.e.
"She's horrid"
as opposed to
"There's horrible Jane".


soi la, soi carré

 

[Remou]

<Mae West>When she was good she was very, very good
But when she was bad, she was even better</Mae West>

 

[j0ckser]

a tad off topic, but i like the mae west version better.

per ardua ad astra

 

[Welshbird]

I fort it was just posh to say horrid!

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[LFCfan]

Fee,

Horrid was always used in Enid Blyton books, IIRC :-D

~LFCfan

 

[KenCunningham]

I think that's exactly what Fee was saying, Maria. That and 'lashings of ginger beer'.

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[Welshbird]

Having discussed this in the office we seem to have agreed that HORRID is original British english, and HORRIBLE is an americanism that we appear to have adopted.

So apparently then this isn't posh, just traditional. Le de da...

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[drlex]

Ah, but didn't H.M. have an annus horribilis?

Perhaps that's indicative of Germanic usage, though...


soi la, soi carré

 

[Michael52x]

Horridly and Horribly were two brothers who lived in a run down shack in the great Stunted Forest. It was this forest, blighted with extreme gravitational effect, that did not allow things to grow properly. Horridly and Horribly were too, subject to the weird anamolies of this area......

*You may continue this canard at your leisure if any of you wish. I just think that these two words should have a lighthearted showing of their meanings.

"Impatience will reward you with dissatisfaction" RMS Cosmics'97

 

[KornGeek]

...who lived in a run down shack in the great Stunted Forest."

I thought they lived IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER.