Wow. What An Insult.

If there's one word lately that's guaranteed to make my hackles rise (and it doesn't take much, as you know), it's people using the word "wow" to express incredulity, disagreement and wonderment at your (unstated) level of stupidity.

Beware keyboard warriors typing "wow"

It's become a linguistic shorthand for "you complete idiot, I have a pot plant with a higher IQ than you".

Are we really all so terrified about giving a contrary opinion that we have to hide behind "wow"?  It's worse than LOL which shouldn't, in my humble opinion, be used by anyone over 12, even though I do it all the time.

"Wow" makes you sound like a moody adolescent with an addiction to US sitcom box-sets.  "Wow-ers" can probably quote every single episode of Friends off by heart.

There's something really passive-aggressive about "wow", particularly on Facebook.  You can almost feel the sneer looming out of your PC screen whilst you know that, to your face, the "wow-er" would probably stutter, retract their statement or quickly justify the reason why they think you're a pillock.

"Wow-ing" is trolling-lite for the sanctimonious.  You see it all the time.  Someone will post a selfie of themselves in a new dress - "oh wow, you must really have lost some weight to fit in that".

Or, on the online parenting forums, any move away from the accepted parenting methods (usually from Chelsea and involving flowery wellies and a Joules raincoat, plus beards - lots of beards), will set the "wow-ing" off.

"I let little Sinjin miss his morning nap to take him to Junior Polo".  "Wow - I'd never be so cavalier with Paraphernalia's and Juxtaposition's naps. They'd just be Impossible".

Everyone's doing it but it's a shame we've lost the art of the good old fashioned insult lobed with wit and intelligence.

You think I'm talking rubbish?

Wow.  Just wow.