Words don’t mean what they used to. “Epic” used to be reserved for four-hour Western movies, not TikTok videos that happen to have classical music in the background. “Decadent” used to refer to the fall of a civilisation: now it just means “really chocolatey”.
Similarly, the so-called “big characters” in football have been neutered. Long ago, a big character was someone who fought the law or set their bathroom alight on bonfire night. Now, the title is reserved for a player who refuses a substitution with good grace, argues publicly with their own manager or isn’t afraid to confront fans at full-time.
