too much
Featured
March 28, 2025
Too much is excessive, but in slang it means ‘excellent’ or ‘remarkable.’ The phrase has documented roots going back to the 1300s, but the famous version comes from Shakespeare's ‘As You Like It’ (1600): ‘Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?’ The paradox is built into the line—something can't simultaneously be too much and good.
Jazz musicians picked up ‘too much’ as slang for excellence around 1937, extending the Shakespearean paradox into approval. Something remarkable is so good that it's almost overwhelming—‘too much of a good thing.’ The phrase works because it captures genuine ambivalence: this is amazing AND it might be too much to handle. Modern usage mostly sticks to the slang meaning, but the Shakespearean echo lingers underneath. See more at https://www.etymonline.com/word/too
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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