Oyez, Oyez! The Superior Court of Usage Trends in the United States (SCUTUS) is now in session.

Case No. 1 — Fulsome Meaning "Full" vs. Fulsome Meaning "Excessive"

Plaintiff: While "fulsome" once meant "copious, generous," about 150 years ago it acquired a negative meaning: "excessively flattering, insincere, overdone," as in, "Eager to please the boss, his flunkies lavished fulsome praise on his new suit." So using "fulsome" in a positive sense to mean simply "full, abundant" is a mistake.

Defendant: "Fulsome" has had a positive denotation ever since it appeared in English during the 1200s. The secondary, negative connotation is a relatively recent development. So it's perfectly fine to write, "Ted offered a fulsome tribute to the hero who had saved his life."

Judge's Ruling: Although the court recognizes that "fulsome" has a long history as a positive word, its shift in meaning during the past two centuries has tainted it with a negative connotation.

Therefore, using "fulsome" with a positive meaning risks ambiguity. If someone writes, "The writer's prose is fulsome," we don't know whether the prose is being praised or damned.

The court rules for the plaintiff, but allows the defendant to use the positive sense of "fulsome" if the context makes its meaning clear, e.g., "The writer's prose is vibrant, rich and fulsome."

Case No. 2 — Peruse Meaning "Scrutinize" vs. Peruse Meaning "Skim"

Plaintiff — "Peruse" is a literary term that has long meant "to read over carefully." It should not be used to mean "skim over, scan quickly," as in, "It took me only a minute to peruse the manual."

Defendant — Despite the long-standing "close scrutiny" meaning of "peruse," it has recently acquired a second, contradictory meaning: "to skim." In 2011, for instance, Tara Siegel Bernard wrote in The New York Times, "I quickly perused the Web site Glassdoor.com, which receives salary information anonymously from employees."

Judge's ruling: Despite the long-standing use of "peruse" to mean "to closely examine" or "to read thoroughly," it's clear that "peruse" is gradually becoming a contronym — a word with two contradictory definitions.

As with "fulsome," it's essential to provide the proper context.

So when using "peruse," the Court orders the defendant to make sure the meaning is clear, as Times writer Bernard did by adding "quickly" to indicate she means "skim."

Court adjourned. SCUTUS scoots.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.