Synonyms not quite synonymous

"That's a good idea."

Most synonyms are not quite synonymous. That is, they are words that mean almost the same thing.

William Safire explores this thought in On Language in an essay about the word notion. At the time (1980), this word was in vogue as a synonym for the word idea. Safire’s point is that the two words are hardly synonyms at all. Notion, he said, is "a sneer word, meant to be applied to the quirky noodling that goes on in unthinking minds.”

I think Safire is a bit harsh in his treatment of the word, although I agree it suggests something much less substantial than an idea. A notion suggests to me an impulse, like a sudden notion to eat some popcorn or to take a walk. It can also suggest something less substantial than an idea, something that could be toppled by the first gust of reason. But I'll bet even Einstein had notions. And as Laurel and Hardy frequently illustrated, anyone can have an idea.

Safire also reflects on other possible synonyms for idea: He describes a thought as “a brief idea” (or perhaps he should have said "a sudden idea," because some thoughts, when put into words, can last for ages) and a concept as “an idea with big ideas.” The latter word sounds pretentious, something said by architects, film producers or dress designers. A thought may be a notion with more intellectual content.

If you enjoy words, you can play this game with almost any set of synonyms, reflecting upon how certain choices work best for certain situations. Take the words big, large, huge and enormous as examples. They mean the same thing, yet not quite. Large is like big, but with a little more class. Huge and enormous suggest something really, really big, but likewise enormous has a bit more class.

I recall the song Olive Oyl sings in the movie Popeye when she is trying to convince her friends, but mostly herself, that Bluto is a good choice for a husband. Searching for positives, all she can come up with is that he is large. Imagine that song with the words big, huge or enormous, and it just wouldn't be as funny. Not just any synonym will do.