'Iconic' What does it mean? What is it being made to mean?

[DracoM]

I am sick of the word 'iconic'. How did it come to be such a ludicrously over- and mis-used word?

[Mr Pee]

I am sick of the word 'iconic'. How did it come to be such a ludicrously over- and mis-used word?

Well, here's what it means:-

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/iconic

As to it being over/mis-used? I really can't say I've noticed.

[ahinton]

Well, here's what it means:-

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/iconic

As to it being over/mis-used? I really can't say I've noticed.

Yes, I do think that it's being over-used, just as I happen to think that there might be thought to be sufficient commonality between this thread and the neologisms one to suggest their merger, but that's up to the moderators' discretion, of course.

"Emotion" and its derivatives "emotional", "emotionally" and the rest are likewise over-used these days.

One inevitable consequence of such over-use is that the victim words become demeaned.

[Panjandrum]

I am sick of the word 'iconic'. How did it come to be such a ludicrously over- and mis-used word?

Agreed.

[Mr Pee]

I must have missed this over and mis-use that you've all spotted.

Such an outrage certainly puts the imminent collapse of the entire European economy into perspective, doesn't it?

[Tapiola]

Iconic, totemic, seismic.

[french frank]

The OED has a 'Draft Addition' of 2006 for iconic:

"Designating a person or thing regarded as representative of a culture or movement; important or influential in a particular (cultural) context.' First use with this meaning is 1976, and only four examples, of which:

"1998 Independent 6 June i. 22/1 The conspiracy theories about the assassinations of John F Kennedy and the suicide of Marilyn Monroe all show how persistent this kind of speculation is when an iconic figure dies unexpectedly."

I presume it's taken off as a result of three factors: mass communication, celebrity and the obsession people have with their cultural here and now. 'Importance' = impact.

[ahinton]

I must have missed this over and mis-use that you've all spotted.

Such an outrage certainly puts the imminent collapse of the entire European economy into perspective, doesn't it?

I don't know, actually - but (although it's not for this thread) do you really think that it's actually imminent rather than something that will drag on for years before it's fully and finally achieved?

Anyway, moving swiftly back on topic, I blame that Descartes, meself. "Icon, therefore I am". Innit.

[Pabmusic]

Agreed.

The problem with 'iconic' (and it's an excellent example of this) is that its over-use as a fancy synonym for 'famous' devalues its original meaning drastically. Because it originally meant 'pertaining to icons' (which are venerated religious artefacts), it ought to be used metaphorically only for things that might capture the imagination in a comparable way - the outline of Concorde, the silver lady of Rolls Royce.

A similar case is that of 'legend' and 'legendary'. Once, Ulysses, Medusa, and Robin Hood were legendary. Now it's footballers and X-Factor winners.

[3rd Viennese School]

I like this. It's definetly an iconic thread in these times.

3VS

[Chris Newman]

When icon is applied to many members of showbiz you can guarantee than money is at the root of it as in "I con the people".

[ahinton]

When icon is applied to many members of showbiz you can guarantee than money is at the root of it as in "I con the people".

As indeed I implied above. I happen also on occasion to have overheard a similar barb being directed at a certain living composer, but let's not go there...

[Tapiola]

As indeed I implied above. I happen also on occasion to have overheard a similar barb being directed at a certain living composer, but let's not go there...

Surely nothing to do with a nice little ***e(ar)ner...?

[Alison]

#9 Pabmusic

An excellent posting ! Thanks.

[Lateralthinking1]

Surely Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans are iconic. Doesn't have to be a person.

Marilyn Monroe was iconic. His Marilyn Monroe work is iconic. Too icons for the price of one.

Iconic requires being "striking" and genuinely different. Emin's bed probably is so. Hirst's shark is too clever clever.

Icons increased with invention, particularly media. Were there any Victorian icons?

Oddly Jesus is iconic whereas Billy Graham has always been charismatic.

(Strange things happen - I just googled Billy Graham to see whether he died some years ago or was still alive. Discover that he is in today's news for being rushed to hospital and I genuinely didn't know that. I swear it. Haven't had the radio on. Why should I write the name "Billy Graham" today of all days? Maybe there's something to it after all!)