Living
Large: A Tentative Inquiry
Well...I
just thought
I'd ASK! There are some common expressions (or perhaps
idioms)
where there is no clear meaning, or whose definitions appear to be
strangely defined, either by Weltanschauung, cultural ambiguities or
some mutated form of post-modernism. Yet people may use such
language freely, not quite knowing what they mean or imply, being the
verbal equivalent to wearing a Che Guevara (or Maxwell's Equations)
T-shirt without appreciating what is signified.
What does it mean when we say, "He's (She's) Living Large"?
Here are some responses to the question: What do
you think
"Living Large" means? Can it be defined in one sentence?
The people range in age from 18 to 50+; blue
indicates men, green
indicates women.
It's really not very helpful to check the Web regarding
"Living
Large"; there is just too much chaff and randomness. Even the
Wikipedia is broken on this subject. The last time I checked,
the
"Living
Large" entry had the little padlock thingy
to
indicate that the
page had been locked down to deal with vandalism! Perhaps the
so-called vandal was just living large; maybe Living Large can mean
"Feeling Entitled to Monkey With the Wikipedia." If so, the
Wiki-folken should take that possibility into account, or even provide
access to the vandalized pages to illustrate yet another dimension to
"Living Large."
Extreme ambiguities are acceptable when they are
interesting. We're not dealing with magnetohydrodynamics, but
something rather more complex, dynamic, allusive, evocative, illusory,
illogical and elusive... namely cultural perceptions and pop language!
SG:
"Live it up, with
No Remorse."
TG: "Live like a Robber Baron."
PY: "Live Beyond your own Reality."
GB: "Live High on the Hog."
CM: "Always going First Class."
JC: a: "Be like Bill
Clinton." b: "Live
in a totally self-referential state: Live Large without knowing it." c:
Example
LN:
"To live in a World of
Illusion."
MN: "Gain more Weight."
KC:
"Extreme Self-Indulgence."
BC:
"Money is No Object in providing what I want."
VL:
"Live like a rapper, with a
big house & big car; like MC Hammer."
PC: "If you're worried about Bankruptcy,
you're not
Living Large."
MR: "Getting the most out of life."
MP: "...have a really good time and not let
anything stop
me from doing what I want to do."
BD:
"Doing what you want to do, not what you have to do."
DC:
"Whatever you look at, you know you can Buy It."
JN:
"You Know It When You See It."
FC:
a: "Not feeling Guilty about Buying What I Want." b: "Not
Caring
Whether Your Children Think What You Bought is Over-the-Top."
TJ:
"Unable to Perceive Your Own Reality"
Other various definitions:
"Believing that the Party Can Never
Happen Until
You Get There."
"Never Asking for Permission."
"Walking into a Crowded, Unfamiliar Bar & Ordering Drinks for
Everyone"
to
indicate that the
page had been locked down to deal with vandalism! Perhaps the
so-called vandal was just living large; maybe Living Large can mean
"Feeling Entitled to Monkey With the Wikipedia." If so, the
Wiki-folken should take that possibility into account, or even provide
access to the vandalized pages to illustrate yet another dimension to
"Living Large."