I Totally Paused...

Q: Dear 100 Hour Board,

You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but can you ever just be..whelmed?

Help.

(6400)^1/2

A: Dear 5x2x2x2x2,

Yes. You can. Although not so much these days. But I'm glad you are cultured and stay up on Alicia Silverstone dialogue. So witty.

According to my research:

Overwhelmed: \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from over + whelmen to turn over, cover up
Date: 14th century
1: upset, overthrow2 a: to cover over completely : submerge b: to overcome by superior force or numbers c: to overpower in thought or feeling

and

Underwhelmed: Pronunciation: \-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: under + overwhelm
Date: 1949
: to fail to impress or stimulate

and again

Whelmed: Pronunciation: \ˈhwelm, ˈwelm\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English
Date: 14th century
transitive verb 1 : to turn (as a dish or vessel) upside down usually to cover something : cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect 2 : to overcome in thought or feeling : overwhelm intransitive verb : to pass or go over something so as to bury or submerge it

So let's focus on the timeline. Whelmed and overwhelmed came first. Then 600 years later comes underwhelmed. You can assume that the original words used were whelmed and overwhelmed. And gradually underwhelmed replaced the original word. So unless you are turning a dish upside down on something, you generally won't use the term any more. Or you can refer to Yggur's scary servants on Santhenar - at least according to Ian Irvine in The View from the Mirror. But don't worry they are afraid of light - so bring a flashlight along.

Regards,

I got a .45 and a shovel, I doubt anybody would miss you.