subject: What Is The Meaning Of The Word Aficionado? [print this page] Every day people wonder exactly, what is the definition of an aficionado? Most people heard this term on television, the radio, in print, or even refer to themselves as being a "car aficionado" or a "wine aficionado," but how many people really understand what the term really means? Most people simply use this term in their daily life to seem cool or act like they know more than they really do. This article will go over what exactly is an aficionado really is as well as how to use the term properly.
Many people who now would be considered aficionados prefer to distance themselves from the term. They feel that the term possesses a degree of pomp and arrogance that they do not wish to be associated with. Part of this is due to the influence in popular culture of the magazine Cigar Aficionado. Many cigar lovers resent what they feel is an unrealistic portrayal of what a cigar lover is. Advertisements in the magazines for over-priced cigar products, they believe, lends to this perception of cigar smokers as rich snobs. They note that cigar smoking has middle class roots, even the television character Archie Bunker smoked cigars. But, they feel that current public perception is that cigar smokers are all wealthy and arrogant when that is simply not the case.
An aficionado is a fan, a shortened form of the word fanatic, about the subject that interests them the most. That subject does not have to be a logical one or a costly one, it can be stamps or labels or even wine presses. The point for the aficionado is the skill and expertise that has been shown in the subject area and the demonstration of the artistry involved. The aficionado will go to great lengths to add to their accumulation of knowledge in their subject area. It is all about seeing everything there is to offer in that field.
You might even be an aficionado and not even know it. Do you have a lot of education, combined with experience and unlimited excitement for a sport, topic, or thing in life? If you do, you might just be an aficionado and not even know it. You can determine this by asking family members and friends if they think you fit this definition.
Ernest Hemingway used the term in his novel The Sun Also Rises to describe someone with a passion, specifically a passion for bull fighting. Hemingway did not appear to associate any degree of sophistication to the word, just a very high level of enthusiasm. The meanings of world evolve over time, and it appears this word has gained a reputation for pompousness that it does not deserve.
