absolutely

One of the most overused clichés of our age: the pleasant little monosyllable
yes seems to be disappearing in favor of the tetrasyllabic absolutely. Listen to
any interview on radio or television: almost every yes, yeah, or uh-huh is fed
through the speaker's pomposity amplifier, and comes out as absolutely on the
other side. And it's not just in interviews. When I asked a waiter, "May I have
some more water?," the answer was "Absolutely," as if the question admitted
various degrees of assent. Now, there's nothing wrong with the word itself, and
when you really mean that something is true without qualification, go nuts.
Still, how 'bout some variety? certainly, yep, aye, just so, damn straight, sho'
'nuff, sans doute, you bet your bippy — almost anything else would be an
improvement. [Entry added 14 Sept. 2004; revised 21 April 2006.]