Awkward!

Awkward is apparently the new buzzword with young people (wow, am I no longer young?) the way "random" was beloved just a few years ago.

Here's what the Washington Post says:

Awk-ward: Sing the second syllable a minor third lower than the first.

It is the era of awkward.

It is as if the world has suddenly become blessedly simplified. Every complex negative experience can now be encapsulated in two syllables.

It's a funny article. Yeah, but what does "awkward" mean? Dictionary.com tells us:

awk·ward [awk-werd] –adjective
1. lacking skill or dexterity; clumsy.
2. lacking grace or ease in movement: an awkward gesture; an awkward dancer.
3. lacking social graces or manners: a simple, awkward frontiersman.
4. not well planned or designed for easy or effective use: an awkward instrument; an awkward method.
5. requiring caution; somewhat hazardous; dangerous: an awkward turn in the road.
6. hard to deal with; difficult; requiring skill, tact, or the like: an awkward situation; an awkward customer.
7. embarrassing or inconvenient; caused by lack of social grace: an awkward moment
8. Obsolete. untoward; perverse.

Wow. Awkward really is that perfect word that can describe just about anything nowadays.