I'm just back from an awesome holiday in California. I mean 'awesome' strictly in the modern sense, of course; in other words, I enjoyed myself. While I did experience moments of fear and reverence – reverence for the rugged grandeur of Yosemite, fear that our 'return empty' rental car would run out of fuel two miles before we reached the airport – they were not caused by the same thing, so 'awe' is not really the word.
Presumably the meaning of 'awesome' has shifted because awe itself has become rarer. We have become rather blasé about things that traditionally inspired...
How to bet on burgundy – and win
