We've all seen comments like this on facebook, conversation, or in whatever else: "that awkward moment when..." which is then followed by something that really isn't all that awkward. Here is the real definition from dictionary.com:
awk·ward
[awk-werd]
wərd
adjective
1..lacking skill or dexterity; clumsy.
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.
So when you go to say "that awkward moment", make sure it really is "an awkward moment". If you don't, it really will be awkward because the learned people around you will think you are "lacking is skill or dexterity; clumsy" in matters of speech and so forth.
I would say that I am an awkward person. I would say I fit 2, sort of 3, and 7 of the above definition. I was thinking last night, "why do I struggle with a silly little thing like natural conversation, especially when I write so much?" I then realized, almost every character I have ever enjoyed was, like me, delightfully awkward. They didn't bother to fit in with normal speech and everyday conversation, so they made it their own original way to speak. The characters who were good with natural conversation had a tendency to be a little more high-strung, rude, exclusive, etc.. I guess I was subconsciously proud of my awkwardness. Either that or I was trying to justify it.
Being delightfully awkward means you roll with things well, don't question the bizarre, say things that are insightful, but really random and out of place. It means other things, too, but this was the list that immediately came to mind.
Here's an example of some delightfully awkward characters. I have better examples on my own computer, but this was all that was on google documents. Maybe I'll give a better example someday:
JOLENE
Happy someone in the world's birthday, by the way.
CHARLIE
What?
JOLENE
Someone in the world had a birthday. Actually, I bet a lot of people did... Yay!
Summer looks up at Jolene with a thoughtful expression.
SUMMER
I wonder if certain days have a higher average of birthdays than others.
JOLENE
I bet they do. It seems like an oddly large number of people were born in February or on December 28th.
ALEX
Were you?
JOLENE
No, man. I'm October. I've told you that like, four times now.
ALEX
Sorry.
JOLENE
That's okay. I forgot your birthday too.
There you go. Those are my thoughts on "awkward".
--Aurora B.
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